Aether's Legacy | Elysium [Dreamnotfound]

Stowaways in a Caribbean Cruise

George awoke with a pillow to the face and a grinning pyromaniac looming over him like he was on the brink of smothering him. The sunbeams infiltrating the room from the window above the nightstand highlighted his face in such a way that made him look like a murderous maniac (he was half of that). Outside, the ship bellowed in horror with its echoing horn.

"Stop!" With a shriek, he sprung up to block Sapnap's next attack and shoved him away. "I'm awake."

"Change." Sapnap smacked his face with the pillow again and then walked back to his bed. "We're gonna go get breakfast."

He tossed the pillow aside and flung him a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

"Where did you even get these?" George inspected them with a grimace. They looked one size too big and smelled like they had been buried somewhere deep inside an attic for a century.

Sapnap shrugged and pulled off his shirt to slip on a band tee that most definitely wasn't his own.

"Skeppy got them. I didn't ask how, but I'm sure you can guess. Now hurry up. I'm starving."

"Fat arse," George responded and this time used his pillow to block Sapnap's attempt at smacking him with a laugh.

Ten minutes later, they were wandering the halls of the ship. Animated voices, bright laughs, and huge beams surrounded them everywhere they went.

As they walked, George found himself observing the travelers. A family dressed in fourth of July outfits even though the holiday was still a month away. A young couple snapping pictures of the dolphins that were leaping in the distance (their lively squeaks brought back traumatic memories from the previous night). A group of teenagers messing around by the restrooms who were being closely monitored by a security guard (thankfully, they were stealing away any attention he might've given George and Sapnap).

"Where are Dream and Skeppy?"

"I think they went to steal— I mean, uh, find us some passes for the dining hall. Dream said to be chill and not draw attention to ourselves or something."

"And they left me with you?" George sent him an unimpressed look.

Sapnap rolled his eyes and replied, "Look, dude, you don't gotta be jealous of my fire skills. Don't worry. Your powers are almost as cool." Grinning, he waved a dismissive hand, and it was George's turn to roll his eyes.

"George! Sapnap!" Someone called out behind them. When they looked over their shoulders, they spotted Dream and Skeppy heading toward them with their arms full of food.

"Where did you get that?" George asked while swiping an apple from the top of Dream's stack.

"The buffet, duh," Skeppy replied.

"Let's head to the deck. Just... try not to make a scene." Dream sent Sapnap and Skeppy a warning glare, and George made fun of Sapnap's offended expression.

The deck was louder than the rest of the ship. Amid all the chattering, there was the sound of bartenders at a tiki bar performing fire tricks and the vivacious sway of Caribbean music in the air. A newly-wed couple was performing an energetic routine on the dancefloor and there was a crowd cheering them on. The surrounding stimuli made his skin buzz with energy, and the beams all around him were contagious. Despite the amount of commotion, it felt strangely normal to stand in the middle of the deck with not an ounce of attention aimed his way.

For the first time, nobody knew him. Nobody feared him. And for a fleeting moment, George let himself close his eyes and imagined what it would be like to live in that kind of world.

They found a table by the pool in an area that wasn't as crowded. There were only a few kids splashing in the water, and their parents were sitting and chatting away in the chairs nearby. As they settled down, they indulged in their stolen breakfast, which consisted of croissants, fruits, and bacon (which Sapnap called Techno when Dream went to take a bite).