Editing Story:ROAD TRIP! (Warhammer High)/Part Two (section)

===Public Markets===

Remilia and Alex meandered through the little market around the city’s main spaceport, picking through the wares on sale.  Remilia eyed a pair of tiny earrings shaped like drake teeth.  “Man, I know who would love those,” she said under her breath.  She glanced at the price tag.  “Fair…”  She grabbed the earrings and walked up to the counter, paying for them off of her card.  With a quick glance at the receipt – she was still well within budget – she rejoined her friend outside.

“Nice,” Alex said, looked at the earrings.  “For Alpharia?”

“Yep.”

“Do you wish any of your other cousins were here?” Alex asked as they resumed their trawling of the market.

“I wish Miranda were here.  She would be fascinated by the people.  Or Angela and Michael, they’re always fun to be around,” Remilia said.

“Those two are practically joined at the hip these days,” Alex said, looking over at a clothing rack beside him.

“Did Michael tell you his little plan?” Remilia asked.

“Plan?” Alex asked, curious.

“Heh.  Never mind, he’d want to tell you himself,” Remilia said, smiling wistfully.  “Let’s see…Hana would find all the artistic metalworking here appealing, but she’d HATE the climate and the lack of open space.  Farah would be ecstatic to be here.  I know Venus invited her, but she had plans to take a trip to Ganymede and visit her mother’s clan.”

“Her mother lives on Ganymede?” Alex asked.

“No, she wants to go there on vacation then go home to Medusa to be with her mother for four months,” Remilia explained.

“Are her parents separated?”

“Not at all.  Michelle just travels a lot, and she’s Medusan nobility.  After she goes home for a while, Farah’s going to come back to Terra and start college.  She’ll be a year behind us, but whatever.  She’s already picked a school.  I dunno which.”

“Ah.”  Alex decided the clothes were out of his dwindling budget and moved on.

“Splurge, Alex, Fenris doesn’t have any retail on it,” Remilia pointed out.

“True…ah, to hell with it,” Alex said, grabbing the superb leather belt he had spotted and making off to the counter with it.

Moments later, prize in hand, he returned.  He stuffed the belt in his bag and they moved on to another part of the market together.

Alex looked over at his companion.  She was looking a bit downcast all of a sudden, as if talking about her cousins had been depressing.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I will be.  I just miss my family, you know?  And…I guess…” she trailed off.

“What?”

“I envy you,” she said softly.

“For what?  The ship containing my father, which may come crashing down on our vacation at any moment?” Alex groused.

“I envy you Freya,” Remilia confessed.  “My last relationship ended horribly.  I think I just feel a little lonely.  Knowing that Venus and Freya came here with you and Jake, and I…didn’t.”

She looked over to see Alex turn away, pained.  She sighed, regret clutching her heart.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have burdened you.  You’ve got nothing to feel bad for.”

“Neither do you,” Alex said, shifting his bag of goods.

They walked on in silence for a few minutes.  When they reached the end of the row, Alex paused.  “Look…Remilia, I’m not the swiftest bulb in the marquis sign.  I don’t know how to make you feel better.  I didn’t even know you had a break-up.  But…I don’t want to make you feel bad when I’m…with Freya,” he said.  He looked awkward, and his face was pinched.  “We’re going to be together for another two months on this trip.”

“Alex…”Remilia sighed, burying her face in one hand and slowly dragging it back over her hair.  “Please.  You make Freya happy, and that matters more to me than assuaging my own desires.  Jake makes Venus happy, too, and I’m glad for you both.  All right?  I just…I needed to say it.  I can’t get caught up in self-pity, though.”

Alex grimaced.  He thought quickly, trying to remember what Freya and Jake had said before.  “I wish I could help, but…”  He stared at Remilia, who crossed her arms over her stomach and looked down, clearly beating herself up for turning things maudlin.

“Damn it,” she muttered.

Alex sighed and quickly squeezed her shoulders, trying to make her feel better.  She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his broad shoulders, trying to relax.  “Sorry,” she said.  “You didn’t deserve to feel guilty.”  She slid her arms under his and gently squeezed him back.  “If I wasn’t here, I’d be walking on eggshells back home, trying to get shit straight with Dad.  Believe me, I’m better off here.”

“All right,” he sighed, putting it aside.  She stepped back, grinning sadly.

“What is it with my cousins’ guys having innate emotional counselor traits?”

Alex shrugged.  “Maybe Venus and Freya just like sounding boards,” he said.

Remilia chuckled to herself.  “Heh.  It makes things easier.”  Both teens started the walk back to their accommodations in the hotel.

“So, uh…Remilia…has your hearing adjusted to Nocturne yet?” Alex asked cautiously.

“Sure has.  It’s as sharp as ever.”  She smiled over at him.  “I can hear your heartbeat right now.”

“Cool…so…er…how do I ask this…” Alex stuttered.

Remilia sighed.  “I wear earplugs when I go to bed for just that purpose.”

“Oh, thank goodness.  I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself again if I knew I was tormenting you,” Alex admitted.

Remilia chuckled again.  “You’re a sweetheart, but don’t worry about it.  I imagine with Freya you can’t focus on much else.”

“Heh.  Just between you, me, and the sun,” Alex said, leaning in to Remilia, “Freya’s a complete sub when she’s not in crazymode.”

“No way.  ‘Terrify a room full of grown men into submission with a snarl and glint of a fang’ Freya?  ‘Launch Furia across the room with one elbow strike’ Freya?” Remilia asked incredulously.

“She’s a Wolf in public and a kitten the rest of the time,” Alex confided.

Remilia flushed and giggled.  “Shhh, she might hear you.”

Alex glanced nervously over his shoulder.  “Eh…I think we’re good.  But hey, Remilia…you know, I’m no Jake, but if you really want to talk to someone…” he said.

She paused to give him a quick hug across the shoulders.  “Don’t worry.  I know where you are.”  She smiled over at him and felt the guilt gripping her heart fade.  “Thanks, Alex.”