The Defiant

New Roomie

Sparrow

When we got back to the FI headquarters, I was exhausted. 

Somehow, we managed to convince sixteen people to come with us. 

Well... Estel convinced sixteen people to come with us. And she did it by using her powers...

But it was still exhausting. 

I had to create a reality for every single one of those suited punks we came across to assure they didn't see our hoard of people walking across San Francisco, and that took a shit ton of concentration. Then, I had to stay awake for the plane ride back and make sure none of those people we were trying to save decided to work against Estel's spell and freak out. 

Even taking a shower was tiring, and the whole time I stood under the water washing off the grime, I wanted to curl up on the floor and take a nap. I plopped down on our bed and let out a long breath.

Now was Maralynn's turn to sort out all the newbies and give them the rundown when Estel's spell wore off. 

Josiah had volunteered to help assign rooms, so I had to be alone for a few minutes. 

I closed my eyes and drifted off for too short of a time before I heard a knock on the door. 

My eyes shot open, and I sat up hurriedly. I swung my legs off the bed and skipped to the door, excited to have Josiah back so I can have his boobs as pillows. Or maybe... 

I grinned mischievously, painting a reality in his mind so that when he opened the door, I would be bare-ass naked. 

I swung the door open and looked at Josiah.

...

Not... Josiah...

"Ahhh!" I yelled, breaking my spell and slamming the door shut as Saya— not Josiah— stared with wide eyes at what he thought was my naked form. 

I cringed and bit my knuckle before opening the door very slowly. 

Saya had his hands over his eyes and stood stiff as a board. 

"I- I thought you were..." I stammered quietly.

"I'm, uh, sorry!" he yelled. 

"No!" I said, "I'm sorry, I thought you were Josiah. That was... that was not real. I'm clothed."

He lowered his hands, cautiously scanning me. 

"So... do you usually greet Josiah naked?" he asked, astounded. 

I blushed. 

"No- no. I just wanted to... Never mind," I stalled, deciding it was probably better not to reveal what I wanted to do with Josiah. 

"So, why are you here?" I asked, changing the subject. "Did you need something?"

He pointed down the hall. "They ran out of rooms, and Josiah said I could stay with you two until they build a new hotel- I mean, housing unit."

I rolled my eyes. 

"It's a hotel. Maralynn just doesn't want her 'housing unit' to sound less professional than it actually is."

I looked back into our room- the mess that was there. 

"Um, can you give me a minute to clean a little?" I asked. 

He nodded and gave a curt smile. 

I closed the door lightly and then spun around to face the horror. 

First, I gathered up the pile of dirty clothes that had formed shortly after we went to the nearby town and got a few cheap things under the watchful eye of Maralynn. I shoved them all in the tiny closet before pushing it closed. Then, I looked at the takeout containers on the TV stand.