Reborn From the Cosmos

Miniarc-Bad Tidings 11

Days away from Quest, Rey surprised Maxine once more. Expectedly, not in a good way.

There weren’t many places to find comfort while traveling. As a Guiness, Maxine’s carriage was far more luxurious than most, but custom cushions and a higher roof could only make a wooden box so comfortable.

It was far better than what her entourage had to endure. Curling up on the carriage’s floor or sleeping sitting up made her long for a proper bed, but she didn’t think she could endure sleeping in the dirt like an animal. The driver’s bench of the carriage wasn’t much better, exposed to the elements. It was a wonder they got any sleep at all.

With hindsight, Maxine realized her current situation was bound to happen and she should have taken action to avoid it. That was the root of her troubles, her inability to act. It annoyed her to realize that a singular act of independence hadn’t cured her of her weakness. She’d fallen into her habit of pleasing the strong personality around her and, once again, was dancing to another’s whim without a benefit in sight.

Rey didn’t ask to sleep in her carriage. She simply showed up, blanket in hand, and settled herself on the opposite bench, her body so tightly curled up the merchant found it hard to believe that it wasn’t painful. Maxine had at least managed to put her foot down by insisting the whaler keep clean, at least wiping herself down with a rag at the end of the day. Surprisingly, Rey had taken the instruction without complaint.

She also wasn’t much of a bother, quickly settling down at night, the opposite of her endless questions during the day. It felt like a much minor intrusion than it was and it did have an upside. As a young woman, travel was more dangerous for Maxine than most. She trusted the knights employed by her family and the fear inspired by both her last name and the protection of her sponsor, but Rey offered another layer of protection.

The whaler was no royal knight, but she knew her way around a fight. If anything came near the carriage intending to do either one of them harm, Maxine had no doubt Rey would tackle and do unspeakable things to it.

Strangely, despite Maxine fearing the woman, Rey made her feel safe.

So, she let share her carriage, drawing on every ounce of empathy she could manage. A part of her knew it would be a problem; it was only a matter of time before her calming influence over the whaler waned, if for no other reason than she was unable to keep up her act. When Maxine imagined that moment, she saw splintering wood and blood. Wondered who would win between the madwoman and the professional fighters who rarely saw true combat.

She vaguely planned out what she would do if her entourage succumbed to the pirates. Artor’s lackeys would likely do everything they could to calm Rey and protect her but there was always the chance that they took advantage of the situation. Or that Rey killed them too. The thought of having to flee in the middle of the night haunted her dreams. She’d gone as far to stuff a sack with a change of clothes, rations, and water just in case; saints’ blessing, she would never have to use it.

She’d imagined a dozen emergencies, each one more outlandish and less likely, though no less terrifying for their unfeasibility, than the last. Yet she could have never imagined a scene where she woke to the feeling of fingertips gently stroking her cheek to find Rey staring at her with…gentleness.

Her brain stalled. It couldn’t process the whole of the situation so it decided to focus on something small; how it was that she could see the other woman at an hour where the darkness was thick enough to swallow her own hand if she held it in front of her face. The answer was the full moon outside and the slightly open shutters that let in the silver glow.

The soft light wasn’t enough to erase the gloom entirely. Maxine couldn’t fully make out parts of Rey; she was more of a silhouette than a person. With the rest of her hidden, her blue eyes and the star-shaped pupils stood out sharply, almost glowing. As Maxine watched, the pupils changed, twisting and squirming until widening enough to nearly swallow the color of her irises. It was like the Abyss had taken the guise of a woman and was preparing to swallow her too.

No. Her eyes weren’t getting bigger. Rey was getting closer.

The whaler had never respected her space. Maxine was so used to her constant intrusions, she didn’t think about it. Accepted it, on some level. Even the unusual moment wasn’t enough to make her worry, Rey having pulled bigger stunts before. Completely relaxed, she couldn’t have responded even if she knew it was coming.

Suddenly, there was no space between them anymore. The fingertip on her cheek became a soft palm and a warmth covered her lips.

Maxine froze. It wasn’t her first kiss. Nor was it the worst of them, though it was certainly different. Their lips didn’t press together so much as her mouth was practically swallowed by a gaping maw. It was warm, a stark contrast to the cold night, and far too wet. It felt like Rey was practically drooling on her. She didn’t think anything could be as bad as a partner with severely chapped lips that felt like they could cut her if she wasn’t careful, but Rey proved her wrong.

That thought was the worst part. The fact that made her brain seize with shock and horror. Rey, the woman plagued by abominations, was kissing her.

Before she could wrap her mind around that terrible thought, a breathy moan touched her ears and she had to contend with a new sensation. Intellectually, she knew that Rey had deepened the kiss, pushing past her lips. Yet the thing exploring her mouth didn’t feel like a tongue.

It felt like another creature, lined with ridges and something akin to spines. The kiss was a jumbled bag of feelings that didn’t fit what Maxine knew a kiss to be. It didn’t feel bad, but the unfamiliar feelings stoked a rising panic, one that swiftly surmounted her shock.

Too long later, Maxine gathered herself and pushed Rey back by her chest. Again, Rey followed her unspoken command easily. Maxine couldn’t make out the other woman’s expression properly, but her slightly quick breaths and the tension in her body gave away her desire.

With the mental force of a rock hitting her head, Maxine saw their actions in another light. All the awkward conversations, the rare consideration, the constant need to be around her. If it were anyone else, she would have easily recognized the clumsy flirting, or at least acknowledged the interest. At some point, she had stopped thinking of Rey as a person and more of a force of nature that needed to be controlled.

That force of nature was showing very person-like desires, desires directed at her.

Maxine was starting to wonder about her composure. She used to think that she had a firm mind, but it seemed that when she was put under pressure, real pressure, she ended up doing very stupid things. Like antagonizing Lou, the person she intended to stake her future on. Or spouting lies that dug her hole deeper.

“We can’t,” she blurted out.

“Why not?” Rey’s voice was low, barely reconcilable with her normal tone. It sounded like something in her chest rumbled with each word; gave each syllable power. “Not that different from how you do it with a guy, heh.”

Maxine knew she needed to be brave. To be open and honest about her feelings, or lack thereof. She knew furthering the charade would only lead to more trouble in the future, as her inaction of the past had led to this moment.

The memory of side-stepping the leg of a chair that broke off as Rey beat a man in the tavern came to mind.

“I’m in love with someone else,” the merchant blurted, inwardly cursing herself.

She barely held back her cringe as the blue eyes narrowed in anger. “But you—" She trailed off into noise of frustration that transformed from a hiss into a strange warble. “Who?! No, I know. Seas take it, it’s fucking obvious. Ya talk about ‘er enough.”

The carriage door slammed open, undoubtedly waking her entourage arranged around them, as Rey disappeared into the night.

Maxine stared at the empty space across from her, remembering the strange kiss. Then she buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream.

What in the name of the saints had she done?