May I Enjoy My Life: Entry 47 (Patreon)

Entry 43: Day 86

I have a cunning plan. 

Now, I know that normally, when someone says that, disaster is inevitable. And, well, considering who I am involved in my cunning plan, I may have well doomed us all. But where the heck else am I going to find someone who knows how to play an accordion? 

That’s right. I asked the Jobless Lupo for help. 

Texas had picked out a very nice ring I’m sure from the jewelry shop we were in. It was silver, braided like vines, with a large moonstone in the center and small amethyst petals around it. At least, I could feel the vines and setting. It could have been set with anything from what I could see, but Exusiai promised me it was very pretty, and exactly the sort of ring any girl would love to get as an engagement ring. 

“Oh, so is that what you’re into?” Odda asked, only for Exusiai to laugh.

“Nope! I’m more of an opals and diamonds girl! Here, like this one!” 

Odda let out a cough of surprise and a muttered, “Ten thousand?!” That was in florins, which was about eighty thousand credits. My ring had cost a respectable two thousand florins, which was sixteen thousand credits. Or, helpfully, about two thousand Columbian dollars, which wasn’t unreasonable for a wedding ring. Assuming Columbian dollars were worth the same as USD, which my poor brain had decided they were. 

“You have expensive taste,” Odda managed, sounding rather nervous. 

“Pff, get one with synthetic gems, it’s the same! Just as long as it looks sparkly!” Exusiai laughed. 

“Oh, well, that’s not so bad,” Odda said, sounding relieved. 

“Hold on, are you two getting hitched as well?” I said, this coming a bit out of left field. I knew they were sleeping together, but from what had been said, while Lemuel and Odda had known one another for years, it had been a casual acquaintance until a week or so ago. 

“Uh, I’m not sure how familiar you all are with traditional sarchaz wedding traditions,” Odda admitted. “I sure as fuck don’t know Sankta ones.”

“They’re long, boring, involve talks between our families that can’t happen because my parents are dead and I’m a Fallen, and a super long and complicated courtship, and the mandatory genetic testing we don’t have to worry about because we’re not both purebred Sankta. Plus a religious course that I wouldn’t do even if we were because they’re stupid,” Exusiai said nonchalantly as we headed back out to the street, ring tucked away, along with a pair of wedding bands Texas had gotten for herself and Sora. 

By the echos and sounds, we were in a somewhat narrow side street, with probably stone walls around us. It felt very claustrophobic, but that’s mostly because I couldn’t see where we were. Not that it mattered, I was back in the chair and being trundled along across rather more uneven cobblestones than before, which contributed to the feel we were in a back alley somewhere.

Fortunately, if anyone ambushed us in an alleyway, I’d feel bad for them with how fast they’d get splattered. 

“Oh, well Sarkaz ones are a lot easier,” Odda explained. “Usually, I would get you knocked up, then we’d either break up in a violent brawl or go to the head of the band and he’d declare us married. Then there would be a violent brawl, but in celebration. If you’re a part of a noble lineage or a pureblood from an actual Tribe, then it’s more complicated, but I’m a mixed breed with forte blood and half a dozen sarkaz tribes in me, and you’re, well, uh, a Sankta.”

“Wow, does that mean we go to Lucia as operational head and she gets us hitched? Just kidding! Seriously, we’d have to wait at least a few months. Normally in Lungmen, the couple lives together for a while before they get married, kid or not.”

“I am thinking I like this violent brawl! Texas, we should have one! One last fight before you and your bride ride off into the sunset, hahahaha!” 

I just about jumped out of my skin, as I had not realized Lappland was there, though by the sound of it, she’d been above us somewhere. By Odda swearing and the click of Exusiai’s guns, I don’t think they had either. Texas, however, was completely nonchalant by her tone. 

“No. No fighting. I told you. That was the last one.”

“Ah, you people are no fun! We’ll have to find a way to liven up the wedding party, eh? What is a proper Siracusan wedding without a little bloodshed!” Lappland laughed, a soft thump indicating she’d jumped down from her perch to walk with us. 

“Hey, Lappy!” Exusiai said, apparently relaxing. “All finished with the catering?”

“The food, it is ordered! I shall make it myself, of course, these Palermo swindlers would charge us three times what they are worth, and give us food that is half as good! The cake, however, I had to find a baker, and properly motivate them to make it. Would you believe they tried to tell me they would not make a cake for a lesbian wedding, and especially a sarkaz? Zaaro and I had a short talk with them, and they came to see the error of their ways. Shame about their car, though.”

“Please tell me you did not set their car on fire,” I groaned.

Lappland cackled in response. “What, you think me such a threat to public order? No, I simply took them for a drive. The car, somehow, he ended up in the bay, hehehe! And I explained how easy it was for someone who insulted my friends and did not make them a lovely cake to do the same, but with all the doors locked and their hands tied. Hahah, merely idle talk, of course. But fortunately, the dear baker, he saw the errors of his ways, and is baking the cake for free! We will pay him, of course. Oh, do not look at me like that, Texas. Zaaro got the car back out! It might even run still, with a little repair work. We had to! The baker, he was still inside, hahahaha! The trunk. Tied up. Hmm, maybe my little talk was not so hypothetical, eh? But you have your cake! Raspberry, with vanilla cream frosting!” 

“You’re crazy,” I muttered, though I was smiling. “Good work. Fuck those bigoted asswipes. Too many of them in this country.”

“Ah, I knew I liked you, Dr. Bones! You are truly a man of wit and class, I can tell!” Lappland chortled, striding along, her arms swinging from side to side in an almost exaggerated fashion.

“Well, as a doctor, I can see you’re not taking good care of your oripathy. It’s even worse than I thought. I can see your organs quite clearly, and your blood is filled with the stuff,” I said. She was very clearly visible, nearly as much as Odda, her circulatory system glowing with the infection. 

She missed half a step, and her head swiveled towards me. “You gave me a check up already. Always with the boring talk, you doctors. You are not taking such good care of yourself, eh? Hahaha, the blind leading the blind!”

“In my defense, I sucked the oripathy out of a demon. I’m actually sort of glad it wasn’t super cursed and I’m not possessed now,” I sighed. 

The others went very quiet, Lappland even losing her jaunty stride. Exusiai actually looked incredibly worried and came around the chair to peer at me as Odda came to a stop.

“He…he doesn’t look-” Exusiai began, but Lappland shook her head. 

“No. Zaaro and I checked him over. Emperor, he performed a cleansing ceremony while Bones was unconscious. He is not the one we have to worry about. Though the bird did say that Bones himself was shockingly clean. Something about a command override access? Bah, I do not know what it means.”

“Uh, guys, why is everyone so worried? We, uh, we killed those three Blades, it’s fine,” I said, feeling sweat break out along my body.

“Fine if you did not live on the main Volsinii plates. They still think most of the plates can be salvaged, but that one, it is abandoned. The fools. They should give up on the whole thing. Three Blades? Might as well detonate one of those dirty bombs Reunion had in the city center. Few casualties, and less fallout,” Lappland said, sounding disgusted. Apparently, there were lines even she wouldn’t cross.

“Not your fault,” Texas told me. “Had to be done. Will come up in the Lateran conference. War will happen. Only question is, who’s involved. Not us. Not you.”

“Wait, you mean-”

“Move on, Bones,” Lappland told me with a shake of her head. “Siracusa was already sick. You just hastened the destruction. Palermo, it is quiet here. The Signori dei Lupi are ensuring that, so do not worry. Mon3tr is seeing to the rest.”

I decided that for once, maybe ignorance was bliss. I might be able to cure magic rock cancer, but I couldn’t do shit about a country tearing itself apart and cursed cities. “Yeah, I guess I have to figure out how to do the proposal. Ingrid said it should be showy and dramatic, but that is so not my expertise.”

Lappland’s face was instantly shoved into mine, her breath hot on my face. I couldn’t see her teeth, but I could tell that her lips were spread in a wide grin, so I assumed her fangs were bared in a smile as well. “Showy and dramatic!? Hahahah, ah, my friend! You have come to the right woman! Whatever it is you need, I can get it! Fireworks? A marching band? Fear not, for Lappland Saluzzo knows above all, drama!”

“Well, uh, that depends. Can you play the accordion?” I stammered. 

Lappland jerked back, and sounded highly offend. “Can you play the accordion he asks. Tsk. What kind of a woman does he think I am? Come, Zaaro.”

Then she vanished, as apparently Zaaro grabbed her and they took off. Hadn’t even realized the wolf lord was there. 

“Is she always that extra?” I asked as we stood in the middle of the street.

Texas snorted softly, while Exusiai giggled.

“Uh, honestly, man, I think that was her trying to be normal,” Odda told me. 

“Oh.” I considered that briefly as Odda started pushing my chair again. “Well, at least she’s out of our hair for-”

There was the sound of a yowling cat, a crash, and then, from the rooftops above me, someone started playing the accordion and singing. It sounded like music from the Godfather, but holy shit was it profane! I’m not going to try to repeat it, but Lappland was singing very sweetly about a lusty phidia girl and describing her huge tracts of land in lurid detail, and what she did to all the wagoneers whenever they passed through her town. 

There was a sudden banging sound, and then I heard an old woman’s voice yell, “Shame! Shame on you! Singing like that out in public! Saints and angels, I ought to wash your filthy mouth out with soap!”

“Haha, sorry, grandmother, my friend, he simply did not believe I could play the accordion!” Lappland laughed, her outline looking down below her at where I assume the angry old woman was. 

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, you can’t! That disgusting song is meant for taverns and houses of ill repute, not my rooftop!” 

“Ah, then perhaps you would prefer this more?” Lappland asked, then started playing what sounded like church music to me, which was confirmed when Lappland started crooning, “Come Law Save Us.”

It was so beautiful that even though I sure as heck wasn’t raised in church and was only there for Bob and Larry when grandma took us on Christmas and Easter, I found tears in my eyes, and had to dab at them with a corner of my shirt. 

“Yes. That is much better. You should come to church and play that on Sabbath!” the old woman said, sounding mollified now.

“I am afraid the priest would toss me out for being a devil! Hahaha, thank you, thank you, you have been a wonderful audience!” Lappland cackled, then jumped down and landed beside us, taking a sweeping bow. “Well, how was that? Think I can play the accordion now?”

“Not bad, not bad,” I admitted. “Now we just need a mandolin, some spaghetti, and a chef’s uniform.”

There was a rustling sound as Lappland rummaged in her clothes, and then cried, “Ta-da!” posing proudly. 

I cleared my throat. “Um, I’m blind. What has she got, exactly?”

“A chef’s hat,” Texas deadpanned. “And a white apron.”

“Ah, sorry,” Lappland said, sounding mildly embarrassed. “Slipped my mind. But yes! I have a chef’s uniform, and I make mean spaghetti if I do say so myself! I must say, this plan of yours, it is sounding more and more intriguing by the moment Dr. Bones! You simply must enlighten me! Haha, ah, this shall be a WONDERFUL performance!” 

I laid out my plans, feeling rather embarrassed, which had Lappland cackling and Exusiai gasping with delight. “That is so sweet, Bones! Oooo, Lucia will love it!”

“I’m still confused about what the spaghetti is for,” Odda said, scatching his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” I told him. “Do you think we can find someone who can play the mandolin?” 

If nothing else, that stuffy old bird can, a menacing voice growled, and I jumped and looked around wildly. Of course, I couldn’t see Zaaro, but it still scared me. 

“He can sing too! I’m certain dear Texas can sweet talk him into it,” Lappland chuckled. “Now, just when are you planning on unleashing this scheme to woo the fair maiden, eh?”

“How the heck is he going to play the mandolin with flippers?” I asked, then shrugged. “Wish I could see that. Anyway, here’s what I was thinking…”

After that, we caught up with Sussurro and went to the hospital, where she yelled at a bunch of doctors, and I healed a bunch of people, then worked off my meth addiction by trying to make Sussurro 2.0: Smoler and Angier. I’m still torn up about marrying Lucia and leaving her and a kid behind, but I guess that just means I have to not die. 

Anyway, the next morning after baby making session part 2, we delivered Murmura back home. Her parents refused to come outside, so Ingrid went in and had a “talk” with them. I’m not sure how much violence was threatened, but Murmura was accepted back into the fold, and was also promised to be available the day after tomorrow for the wedding. 

After that was a lovely brunch with Sora and Texas at a small cafe. I had a couple of mimosas and these quiche type things called frittata, and toasted bread with cheese, tomatoes, and some herbs. Lucia had a brunch torte, while Texas had chocolate croissants, and Sora had crepes with whipped cream. 

It was fun to get to know Sora, who was as bubbly and chatty as Texas was stoic and taciturn. 

“Did you ever hear about how Celenia and I met?” she asked brightly while we ate. 

“Something about her delivering you to a concert, only you were in a box or something?” I said, dredging up a bit of half-forgotten lore. 

“Haha, sort of! You see, I overheard some overly zealous fans of a rival idol planning to hire a gang to kidnap me. I needed someone reliable to rescue me, and I’d heard that Herr Graf Pangwen had started a logistics company with the legendary Last Texas! I, um, well, I have a bit of a romantic streak, and I had this vision of a noble liberi man with a monocle and tophat, and this mysterious but beautiful assassin rescuing me!” 

“Well, you’re one for two on that one,” I remarked.

“Hehe, you’re blushing, Celenia! Well, the gang did kidnap me, and I was tied up in this car! Then, Celenia burst in, and defeated them all with her swords!” 

“That’s not true. We just found you in the trunk of a car. The gang ran before we got there,” Texas said.

“Well, in my memories, you heroically swooped in and fought them all off, before picking me up in your arms and carrying me away to safety! Hehe, you told me it was a part of building ‘corporate culture!’ That’s when I knew I had to join Penguin Logistics! I had a crush on you even then!” 

“You should have told me. I liked your songs. You were cute.”

“I think it’s better I waited, honestly. I had some growing up to do, and you were still healing. Besides, I didn’t realize you were a lesbian for almost six months! And, um, well…I-I sort of had to keep my preferences quiet. If it had gotten out early…let’s say my career would have been ruined a lot sooner.”

“Hmm. You’re right,” Texas agreed.

“I heard you insisted Texas take you to buy a microphone while the gang was still after you,” Lucia said, and Sora laughed. 

“I did! She very heroically protected me and got my equipment so that the show could go on!”

“Just wanted to do the job,” Texas mumbled. 

“Oh, as is that all?” Sora teased. 

“No. Wanted to see you smile. Always liked your smile,” Texas admitted. “You didn’t know I was a lesbian. I did.”

We talked more after that, with even Texas telling a short story about her life as a young girl in Columbia, though I got the impression it was heavily edited to avoid the nastier parts. Lucia told us about her life in Palermo, and somehow managed to make her parents sound like decent human beings instead of walking garbage. 

“My father and brothers would take me down to the shore, and taught me how to surf. I remember falling in the water over and over again, but my father always picked me back up and told me to try again. My mother would watch from the shore, and when I ran to her, soaked and shivering, she always wrapped me in a towel and told me how brave I was. I miss those times, and them.”

Then, she turned to me, and gave me a smile that melted my heart. “But, I have a new family now. And I am glad to have it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“We’ll be friends, and sisters, always,” Sora promised, then laughed. “Celenia, you have to say something, he can’t see you nod!” 

“Yes,” Texas said, clearing her throat. “Always.”

After that, we parted ways, with Red and Rosmontis taking Lucia and I around the city. I got to do a super cool Professor X impression, as Rosmontis used her psychic powers to push my wheelchair around, even lifting me up and down the stairs. No one appreciated that I told Rosmontis to “make it so, Number 1” though I guess that’s more of a Star Trek reference. Stupid Trekkies. They ruin everything. 

“Are you sure you are not bored by this? You cannot even see the sights,” Lucia said as she walked beside me. 

“I might not be able to appreciate the architecture or the vistas, but it’s fun seeing you so excited and hearing about growing up here,” I told her. “So yeah, let’s go around. Happy memories only though.”

Fortunately, there were plenty of those. Lucia hadn’t had a half bad childhood, similar to mine it sounded like, with her running around the city with friends, and getting into a lot more trouble than I ever managed to hear her tell it. We went down to the beach, changed into swimsuits, me with Lucia’s help, and I got to relax in the surf while Lucia told more stories about playing with her brothers and friends.

“You know, it’s funny how similar our lives are,” I commented. “This is a lot like growing up in SoCal. Heck, our lives were pretty great until we got infected with Oripathy around the time we graduated from medical school.”

“Mmm, I never thought of it that way, but I suppose you’re right,” Lucia agreed. “Do you regret it, even now?”

“No. Because if I hadn’t come to Terra and gotten Infected, I never would have met you,” I told her, and we kissed there in the salt and sand. 

“For dinner, I was thinking we could go to a bistro I know in my old neighborhood,” Lucia commented when we got changed to head back to rest at the hotel the others were staying at.

“Actually, I made plans for us. We’ve got reservations back at the hotel on the rooftop. Private chef and everything,” I told her. 

“Oh, really? Well, I suppose I’ll have to see what you have planned,” Lucia said, and I could see her tail wagging excitedly. She probably knew what I was up to, but she was playing along. 

We ended up taking a nap, or at least I did, when we got to our room. We had what seemed to me to be a very spacious and nice room, and Lucia commented about how good the view was, so it had that going for it. The bed was also extremely comfortable, though instead of fooling around, I just passed out after a fresh injection of morphine to hold off the pain. 

It’s always there now, the pain. It hurts to do much of anything. Even limping around the hotel room is tiring. Oh well. I think about the lives I’ve saved, especially Lucia’s, and I don’t regret it. Well, maybe a little. 

We woke up, and I couldn’t feel the sun anymore. Lucia described the sunset to me, golden rays sparkling on the lake as the sun set into the waters, and we sat together, holding hands for a while. Then we took a shower together, the shower was big enough that this had to be an expensive hotel room, but we needed it. 

After that, it was time for dinner. We headed up to the roof, and I was very satisfied to hear Lucia let out a little “Oh!” when the door opened. 

“Ah, Dottore McCoy, and Dottoretta Sussurro. We have reservations for you,” a smooth and cultured voice said. I squinted, but I could barely make out whoever it was, so they weren’t an infected. 

We were led to a table and seated, while live music was played. By the voice, I could tell it was Sora singing, and Lucia described the scene for me. 

“Sora, Lappland, and Emperor are on stage. Lappland is playing the accordion, while Emperor is playing the mandolin. I don’t know how he manages it with those flippers of his, but he plays beautifully, don’t you think? Wow, I knew Sora could sing, but the three of them together, it’s beautiful! James, did you plan this?” 

“Who, me? Nah. What’s it all look like?” I prodded. 

“Everyone is here! Even Murmura! There are lanterns strung up on lines all around us, and you can see the lights of the city spread out below us. Everyone is dressed up, even Exusiai and Odda! There are waiters and waitresses, though I don’t recognize them, and- oh, Saints and Angels, Doctor Gattuso, is that you?!”

“It’s me, Doctor Sussurro,” a deep man’s voice said. “Though please, it’s just Enzo tonight.”

“Then you must call me Lucia!” she half laughed, half cried, getting up to hug someone who I couldn’t make out well. “James, James this is Dr. Enzo Gattuso! He was my professor at medical school, and my mentor!  Doctor, that is, Enzo, this is James, my boyfriend. He is also a doctor at Rhodes Island. He, ah, he has been instrumental in our new oripathy treatments.”

“We’re acquainted. I am afraid I no longer live in Palermo, so I missed your demonstration yesterday, but I arrived here today in time to see you. At the invitation of this young man here, actually.”

“I had Exusiai look up old contacts of yours who would be willing to get in touch with you again,” I admitted. I had gone through a lot of names: Former classmates from high school, her brothers, old teachers, but Dr. Enzo Gattuso was the only one who had responded to my queries. It was pretty heartbreaking, but I was glad the old man could make it. He lived in a town a few days away from Palermo, and had hurried here while we were still in Volsinii. 

“I don’t want to bother you too much-” Dr. Gattuso said, but Lucia insisted that he sit down with us, and called Murmura over to give her a hug before she ran off to play with Lisa again. 

After that, Lucia and Enzo reminisced about her days as a medical intern for a while, and I got some details on the Palermo Incident. 

“I’m not sure how I wasn’t infected. I was out there myself. Maybe I was more careful with my protective gear. Probably, I was just lucky. But I remember when I saw you, Lucia. I broke down crying. You had such a promising career, and I thought it was all over,” Dr. Gattuso said, and I vaguely saw his head shake. “But, I was wrong. You’re one of the best young doctors Siracusa has produced in a very long time. I daresay that if anyone remembers this tired old bag of bones in a few decades, it will be as your teacher. You’re going down in history as the doctor who helped cure oripathy.”“That’s James, not me,” Lucia protested, but it was my turn to shake my head. 

“No, you did a lot of the research and helped get the word out. I was just stupidly lucky. Mostly to end up with you. Speaking of, where’s our spaghetti?” 

“But I didn’t order-” Lucia began, then I smelled cooked pasta and marinara sauce. 

“Your spaghetti, Signore, Signora,” a waiter said.

“Well, I suppose I will leave you two to your meal,” Dr. Gattuso said, getting up and leaving.

“But, there is only one plate,” Lucia said, sounding confused. “Although it does look very good.”

“Well, we’ll just have to share,” I said, and fumbled for a fork. Lucia guided my hand to it, and we started slurping up the pasta noodles.

“James, I have that one,” she told me as I tried to suck down another tasty bit of pasta.

I beamed at her, and she laughed. We were going to do it!

Right on queue, the music changed, and Emperor began to sing as Lappland pumped her accordion.

Oh, this is the night

It's a beautiful night

And they call it Bella Notte

And we did it! We did the Lady and the Tramp Spaghetti kiss! It was pretty awkward, admittedly, but it worked! Lucia laughed, and then took my hand as the band’s playing got closer and closer. Now, Lappland and Sora began to sing, 

Look at the skies

They have stars in their eyes

On this lovely Bella Notte

I fumbled at the box in my pocket, but managed to draw it out painstakingly, as I went down on one knee. Lucia gasped and put her hands to her face, blushing furiously, her tail standing up stiff behind her. 

“Doctor Lucia Sussurro, you’re the most beautiful and wonderful woman I’ve ever met,” I told her, as the trio continued to serenade us. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, for however long it may be. I don’t have a whole lot to offer, but whatever I do have, it’s yours. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“Yes!” Lucia cried, and helped me put the ring on my finger, before getting down on the ground with me and kissing me fiercely as our friends all applauded and cheered. 

“What song was that? Did you write it yourself, just for me?” Lucia asked me, clinging to my chest and sitting on my lap after I’d been helped back into my seat. 

“Uh, not quite,” I admitted. “It’s from a movie called Lady and the Tramp. It’s, er, Disney, from Earth. Always liked the sappy romance scene where they kiss, and are serenaded by a couple of Italian chefs. And since we’re in not-Italy…”

“How do you know it wasn’t not-Siracusa?” Lucia laughed, then kissed me again, before hopping off my lap to show off the ring to everyone. 

“Not bad,” Ingrid said, coming up next to me. I could see her now, the same clear outline that the infected had. Lisa had faded. She didn’t glow anymore, becoming a faint blue ghost, sort of like Sussurro had been before her permissions were reactivated. “The original song and band was a nice touch. Would have been better if it was more of a surprise, but then again, I don’t think anyone would ever be as shocked as I was when my husband proposed to me.”

“How come?” I asked curiously.

“Well, I had kidnapped him again, and he was being tied up at the moment. Also,naked. He told me if we kept meeting like this, he would have to marry me. I laughed at him. Then he slid out of the ropes and produced a ring. I still can’t believe I said yes. Or that he was swallowing our engagement ring on a string. I asked him if he did that every night, and he told me only when I visited. The rogue.”

“Well, I just didn’t want to do it at Celenia and Sora’s wedding. Would have felt tacky,” I said. 

“True. For a man, you did not do too badly. Now, I must seei this ring you purchased.” Ingrid left to go coo over the ring, and I heard Emperor chuckle from next to me. 

“You did good, kid. You’re just lucky I knew the lyrics to that song already.”

“Wait, really?” I asked, shocked.

“Sure. Know all them old Disney tunes. Best one’s still Part of Your World.”

“Wait, how the fuck do you-”

“Told ya, kid. All this shit came from Earth. Long ass time ago. Leaves the question of how the fuck you got here, but there was a lot of stuff in old databanks. Including Bella Notte. You didn’t do half bad trying to sing it for Lappland, for someone who couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, anyway. Anyway, congratulations. When you plan on gettin’ hitched? Turnin’ this into a double feature? Texas and Sora would be game for it.”

“No, this is their special day. And there’s a few people I know Lucia would want here. Me too, actually. Andrey, for one. Tuchanka and Ash too, and especially Gavial. But Myrrh and Myrtle too. Probably Warfarin, much as Lucia wouldn’t admit she likes that crazy old vampire. And Kal’tsit, for sure.”

“Hmm. Well, good luck. Don’t wait too long. You ain’t long for this world, kid. Not if you keep abusin’ yourself like you has been. Fuck. We’re going to Victoria next. Gotta look up Gawain and some others. That old pussy Miss.Christine said she’d be there too. I’m going to bat for you, boy, so don’t make me regret it. Just glad you did right by Lucia. She’s a good kid too. Aight. Peace. We out.”

I heard the slap slap of the Beast Lord waddling off, and Lucia came back to laugh and hold my hand, as our friends surrounded us, and Murmura loudly demanded to be our flower girl “Since Lisa gets to be Sora’s!” 

“Well, we need a ring bearer, think you could handle it?” Sora asked, and Murmura was instantly all in on that plan, her sister’s wedding forgotten since it would be in “Forever.” 

Heh. 

That night, Lucia and I lay together, and I could see her examining the ring as I held her. 

“It’s beautiful, James. I love it,” she whispered, and her tail wagged against me to show the truth. 

“We should get married when we get back to the landship,” I said. 

“Yes,” Lucia agreed. “Absolutely. We’ll make the arrangements.”

We made love slowly, gently, though I could tell Sussurro wanted to go harder and faster, I couldn’t quite manage it. Still, it seemed to be good for both of us. 

“I hope we have it before you start to show,” I told her, and she laughed and then cried. 

“I hope I am. That I already have a child. What should we name them?”

I thought about that. “I’ve never really thought about that. Do you have ideas for names?”

“What is your father’s name? And mother’s?” Lucia pressed.

“Eh, my dad’s name is Frank, and my mom is Helen. Not a fan of those. What about Salk for a boy?”

“Salk?” Lucia asked, confused. 

“Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine in my world. Polio was a horrible, ravaging illness, that killed children by the thousands, and horrifically crippled others. The survivors had to be put in iron lungs, a horrific fate. Then, Salk came up with the vaccine. And he just…gave it away. Didn’t even patent it. He could have been rich. Instead, he saved millions.”

“That would be a wonderful name,” Lucia said, kissing me. “And a girl?”

“Do you have a name?” I asked.

“Hmm. I’ll think about it,” she told me. 

Of course, later, we’d both decide on Kal. We just didn’t know right then.