2.31 The Last Word

The Archer sibling duo is going to spend this morning playing basketball.

"I don't know about this," Junpei says. "Other people are touching those basketballs and all the time and never washing them."

"You know a hygiene spell," Finley reminds him.

Yes! Time for Finley to dominate the court!

Or... not.

After an embarrassing loss to her brother on the court, Finley decides she will be queen of a different sports mountain.

"Be careful," Junpei moans.

"Oh, shut up."

Afternoon. School's out, and Reve's life is boring compared to the drama Charles Winterly and Otis Colby over there are going through. Bad news and waves of sadness and try not to care try not to listen try not to hurt because it's nothing to do with you. 

Reve's trying to obtain the "jerkass" trait, by deliberately landing darts in people's food instead of on the board half the time. 

Lyre Colby, this establishment's co-owner, is playing music over there. Reve knows her as Parley and Sonia's mom.

When she saw Reve walk in, she smiled, and he bristled at the memory that flashed through her mind.

The sound of his cell phone ringing cuts through the other noise in Reve's head.

It's Parley, wanting to know if Reve will be her boyfriend for prom. That's pretty much exactly how she phrases it, leaving Reve to conclude he'd be an unnecessary accessory after prom is over. Maybe Parley has her eyes on another prize, but she hasn't got the courage to go after it yet.

"I don't know," Reve says. "The concept of a school dance... lames me out."

"Pleeeaase?" Parley tries to sound cheery instead of dejected. "You don't want to crush my self esteem, do you?"

"Will we do boyfriend-girlfriend stuff?"

"What?" She laughs nervously at his phrasing. "Are... are you referencing Mecha-Raymundo at me?"

In the 3420's, boyfriend-girlfriend stuff doesn't conjure up images of sappy romance. It's an overused naughty meme based on a line from a cheesy science fiction movie.

"Would there be a point otherwise?"

"Wow, that's dirty. I'm blushing." Parley doesn't have a mirror handy. She doesn't know if she's lying or not.

"You know what? Fine," she says, before Reve can respond. "But if you talk about it to anyone else, you're gonna wish you were dead."

"Suresure. I'll pick you up at six on prom night."

"The frick did I just do?" Parley asks no-one, once the call has ended.

Newton's face crinkles up with distaste. "Why would I want to go to any school dances? I see enough of my asshole classmates when I'm in class, why would I voluntarily spend even a single second of my free time around them?"

"Okay, okay." Reve watches the ping pong ball sail past him and land in the grass. He was going to bring up the old saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained, but if Newton's only going to be skittish and miserable at prom, Reve sees he shouldn't push the issue. "Deirdre's probably not going either anyway."

"Whatever."

"And prom is such a high expectation, high stress deal. Better to make your move on her when the waters are calm."

"Why do you overthink every little thing I do?"

"'Cause every little thing you do is funny."

Newton scowls. He figures he must be the most transparent, predictable person on Earth. Reve's always answering his questions before he can ask them, and noticing when he's feeling apprehensive, and he even saw through Newton's attempts to hide his crush on Deirdre Winterly.

Reve sighs when his phone begins to ring and automatically moves to answer it. This time, he knows who it is before answering. "Probably my mother," he comments. He switches his voice to a high pitch, "it's getting daaark, come home or I'll be a moody bitch!"

"Not sure why you waste time with a phone call," Reve tries to remind his mother she's psychic, once he hits the TALK button, "you know I'm fine."

"And you know I don't like screaming in your head," Finley snaps. "So over the phone it is. Now get your butt home."

"This is tyranny!" Reve shuts his phone off, preventing his mother from getting a chance to have the last word. He then shrugs at Newton. "Gotta go."

Newton shrugs back. "See ya."

Reve takes his time walking home, and is greeted with Finley's folded arms and raised eyebrows. "What? I was only at Colby's."

"I'm not impressed," she says.

Reve is ordered to do his homework before bed. He thinks homework is pretty bogus, but part of him is glad his mother cares. It could be worse, right? Newton's mother never asks where he is, and acts like he's in the way if he's at home.

Zzz.

"They're watching you!" Timmothy yells.

Finley's at the office and Reve is in school. Junpei is so shocked by Timmothy's sudden invasion of their front yard, he hasn't done anything about it. "You are watching me. I'm not sure why."

Timmothy frowns distantly for a moment, then flails his arms angrily. "No, not me. Not me! Them."

"I'm only gardening," Junpei complains. "Not very interesting."

Junpei wanders around to the side of the house - more or less the same tactic one would use to confuse a stray dog. But like the persistent lost dog, Timmothy follows him.

"I have seen the garbage!"

Junpei finds it difficult to remain calm with someone in his face like this. "Go. Away."

"The aliens. They're like cops," Timmothy rambles crazily. "They'll go through your garbage any time they like, I watched it happen."

Junpei is an atheist, but silently prays for some divine intervention anyway.

"Please go away," Junpei pleads nervously.

"Look, Junpei, if you're not going to be a man, I'm going to take Finley and Reve and get them away from here myself."

"Finley wouldn't be happy to know you're here acting like a stalker or... um... whatever."

"You can't keep me from seeing my son!"

"Go home, Timmothy. Or I'm going to have to do something exceptionally cruel."

 "I'll do what I want."

Finley was afraid for Reve to be around his father. The memory of this visceral fear fuels Junpei's resolve.

Timmothy cowers at the first sign of anything paranormal. "No... n-no... please..."

"Intimidating people," Junpei says slowly, careful to pronounce each syllable correctly, determined to be perfectly understood, "is not my style. But I will do whatever I have to do to protect my family." He keeps Timmothy magically suspended in the air for only a minute before tossing him to the ground.

Unharmed, Timmothy doesn't move for a moment, paralyzed by terror, haunted by the horrors he's seen magic accomplish before.

Junpei tries not to feel guilty when the man pales and scrambles away.