uncharted oneshots

💐mi caballero en brillante armadura-II💐

warnings: panic attack, self-deprecation

1.) Juliana Luna Ruiz

      Sam’s large hand was on my shoulder, guiding me to our destination. My eyes looked around at all of the things in the glass windows. They looked so expensive. One shop had designer handbags, another had rhinestone shoes and pearl necklaces.

    The music was louder than ever, it was definitely a love song. I could tell 'cause it said amos and amor a lot. I ogled at the stores that had decorative red clay painted pots and vases. They reminded me of my mother’s home in Madrid. She lived on a house on top of a hill and her house was surrounded with daisies and heliotropes.

They grow in bunches all around the little cottage home, and her house always smelled sweet. She collected vases that looked like the ones in the store. Red, made of clay and painted with stories of how Spain gained independence in 1492. My favorite was ‘El torero que baila con toro,’(which is Bullfighter who dances with bull.) It was a brown pot painted with a bullfighter tango-ing with a large bulky bull. My mother’s favorite were the ones covered in hibiscus flowers.

 I grabbed my cross necklace fiddling with it with my pointer and thumb finger. Sam noticed the look on my face, slowing his walk down. “You okay?” He questioned, staring down at me with a soft expression on his face. He knows that if I grab my necklace something is usually wrong. That’s my universal signal that I am about to have a panic attack, or it’s the beginnings of one. But I was just overwhelmed. I’m okay right now because I was with him. “Huh? Oh, yes I’m fine thanks,” I nodded at him reassuring him with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

In the distance, I noticed two women chatting amongst themselves, and when they saw us the woman on the left gave a wave and called out to us. When we got closer, I noticed more detailed features. The one girl on the left had long black silky hair and a red scarf draped around her shoulders and the girl on the right had curly hair that was smoothed into a bun on the back of her head. Sam saw them, gave them a warm smile, and waved. “Chloe! Nadine!” He called, grabbing my hand and dragging me to them.

I have met Chloe, but I’m not familiar with the woman next to her. I met Chloe on the trip we went to Osaka, and Sam’s brother Nathan was even there. But that was a while ago, maybe 6 years ago?

    I don’t even know what the hell I am doing in Toledo, in a dress shop with people I barely know and my best friend. I should be mad at Sam but he has pulled this shit many times. He probably won't tell me until we all regroup at the hotel room, because there is a catch. The other woman used her honey-like eyes to observe Sam and I both when we approached. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Nadine, Nadine Ross,” She introduced herself, reaching her hand out to me to shake. She spoke with a heavy South-African accent.

“Juliana Ruiz, nice to meet you, Miss Ross,” I faked a smile because of how anxious I felt meeting new people. I inwardly flicked myself on the forehead, ‘Miss Ross?? She looks like she’d kill me because I called her that!’ My thoughts swam and I realized I still haven’t shaken her hand. I took her hand, shaking it. She clutched my hand firmly. Nadine let go of my hand, watching the interaction between Sam and Chloe because they seem to know what is going on. She didn’t smile, just crossed her arms. Samuel and Chloe began to speak to each other, chuckling every now and then. 

    Chloe gave me a jaunty grin though, which made me feel better. She embraced Sam, Nadine watched broodingly. Sam stood next to me after catching up a little with Chloe. Nadine grabbed Chloe’s hand, intertwining it with her own. Chloe stopped mid-sentence, giving Nadine a smile. “Are you not getting enough attention from me, love?” Chloe teased, sticking her tongue out at Nadine. Nadine rolled her eyes. “Nah, I just hate the idea of what this moron might dress us up as. ‘A disguise’,” She put the last sentence in air quotes, eyeing Sam up and down, seeming intimidating more than the unease that she had just voiced.