Unpredictable

Chapter 39--- Querencia

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Querencia (noun)
Spanish
Meaning: a place where one feels safe, a place from which one's strength of character is drawn
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(Three Days Later)

Rose leans against the edge of the rail on the Bounty's poop deck, the wind pushing against her hair. The stray wisps of brown and white and the wind have their fun dancing, and the closing light of the day bathes her angles in a golden glow. She hasn't stopped being beautiful, even if I've tried to stop thinking about it.

I wring my hands and tug on my lip with my teeth. Anyone else, this would be a perfect opportunity to prank. But last time she tried to send her sword through me— but that's when it all started, and I didn't die, so all's well that ends well, right?

I hum behind her, thumbing the friendship bracelet I made. She's already got three on her arm that Kit made her— little specks of color among all the black she wears. All made with my supplies, mind you, supplies that are hard to get because I don't actually have an income as a ninja.

By the way her shoulders stiffen and her head tilts to the side, I can tell she's heard me. Sighing, I trot forward. I hide my bracelet in my hand.

"So, two things," I come up by her side, leaning my back on the railing, trying to look as confident as I wish I was. "One, Sensei wants to see you. He's got something for you."

Rose nods, her eyes burning into mine. I lean away from her, eyes sliding to the left, and, like a fool, start fumbling over my words. "And, um, number two, I uh,"

"The bracelet." Rose raises an eyebrow and holds out her hand. I plop it in her outstretched hand and nod like my head's on fire, blushing.

"It's just a friendship one I promise and Kai said if you wear it for a week he'd give me twenty dollars 'cause we made this bet and stuff so I thought maybe—"

"Lloyd," She slips it on her wrist, next to the others, her fingers turning over the beads a tad. Her lips curve in a relieved grin, eyebrows pushing up and together. "I'm honored to wear a mark of your friendship."

My shoulders drop, and I rub the back of my head. "I, yeah, me too."

"Wait," She looks so serious. "Here," she starts fumbling with her hair, then lets it loose. She hands me a simple black hair tie. "There you go. Now we're both friends."

I stare at it for a moment, then laugh and put it around my wrist. The wind picks up and swooshes her hair behind her, and mine into my face. Her hair is stick straight, with odd little bits popping out at places and a lot of wisps heading every direction. It goes down further than I suspected it would, a bit beyond her shoulders. Her ears perk out, pointed.

She turns again to the deck and looks below. I glance at the ground, then draw back, my eyes zeroing on the big black scar in the scenery. It's old, but not too old. "Katara..."

"That was Asterisk. When I first confirmed that Katara was back. I got a call from an old friend, but I still wasn't sure until..." She waved at the ground. "Now she's gone again. Everything's changed, and it's only been a little over a week."

I put my hand on her shoulder. I'm wearing a friendship hair-tie, so that's okay, right? "All we can do is rebuild and hope for the best. Besides, all the change isn't so bad, is it?"

I bite my lip, withdrawing my hand. Rose sighs, turning away from the wreckage to look at me, eyes warm even as her face has cooled to stone. "No. I suppose not."

My heart thumps, and if I could throw the organ off the deck, I would. I blush and swivel away. "Come on, let's go see what Sensei wants."

I guide her below the brig, opening all the doors for her. Inside Sensei's room, the others are waiting, each in their gi, hoods down and uncharacteristically serious. Nya's in her Samurai outfit, holding Kit by the shoulders, a bit apart from the others. Kit waves, suppressing a full smile, her arm covered in an insane host of matching bracelets of bead and colored string that don't go together to all. The smell of incense and tea is palpable, and I try not to gag. Rose doesn't flinch.