To Be Wanted

The Definition of Perfection

      A couple of days had passed and Jet and I were camping out in the forest near lake Corrisea. I was still recovering from Altridem had done to me and was resting by a campfire that Jet had made, curled up in a ball with my wings wrapped around me.
      Unbeknownst to me, whilst I was resting a building in town had collapsed, presumably a distraction of Altridem's creation, that man will do anything to get Jet away from me.
      Jet makes sure that I am okay one last time before heading off to help out as much as he can. The building had crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris, the foundation had cracked and shifted underneath the base of the building, causing the walls to split and crumble. Most of the people had managed to escape in time, however, two more were still trapped in the rubble.
      Jet knew that he didn't have much time to stand around worrying so he rushes inside, using his enhanced sight to find where exactly they were.
      There were two Sevitans, light brown hair, wearing some pretty heavy makeup and skimpy clothing, clutching at their chests and covering their mouths whilst coughing their lungs out.
      One girl was pinned under a pillar and the other, who was covered in some large cuts on her arms and stomach, attempting to lift the pillar off of her friend. Jet moves some rubble from in front of the doorway to where they were, leaping over some bits of roof and pieces of wall, searching through the dust, now coughing himself.
      He gently nudges the one girl back before lifting the pillar up enough off of the other girl for her to shuffle out from underneath. They were visibly shaken up, already bruising and holding onto one another for dear life, and it appeared that the second girl he helped free from under the pillar had a dislocated ankle.
      Their wings were weak and they were wheezing pretty badly so it was apparent they were unable to fly out on their own, and with one girl having a dislocated ankle, they also couldn't very well climb over the rubble in time to make it out safely.
      Jet scanned every possible exit for a faster route that would be easier for the pair to trek through, however time was running short so Jet had to make an executive decision.
      The ground began to shake and Jet could hear more rooms collapsing, with the dust beginning to fall from the ceiling, he knew that their room was next. He wrapped the girls' arms around his neck and put his arms under theirs, lifted them up and quickly lept out of the room as the walls begin to crumble behind them.
      As he reached the plaza outside the building, the walls completely caved in and the rubble came crashing into the ground, the sound was almost deafening.
      The girls were still hacking up their lungs and it was unclear just how serious their injuries were, however he still also had to return to me before Altridem would have a chance to find me.
      He explained to the girls that he would take them to his camp so that he may treat them there, he wouldn't exactly tell them why he couldn't take them to a hospital. He picked them up once more and ran off back to the lake, trying his hardest not to drop either of them.
      It was around this time that I had begun to wake up from my nap, feeling a lot better having had some extra rest. I wasn't overly concerned with Jet not being in sight, rather more surprised than anything as he rarely leaves me on my own, I mean though, he is his own person and I was still in the camp where should something happen, I could just go back to the lake and head back to see Caliama.
      I wasn't quite aware of Jet's little solo mission until I began to hear voices approaching. I quickly jump to my feet, perhaps a little too quickly since it made me rather dizzy, tucking my wings against my back and turn to face the voices.
      They sounded as though they were female and a little too familiar for my liking. As they got closer and I was able to make out what they looked like, my heart sank.
      "Oh, look who it is! Did you finally decide to get some sun?" One of the girls smirks, her voice mocking and annoying. Jet furrows his brow in confusion.
      "Meiana. Fellesta." I gasp, my jaw dropping. The queen bees of my old school, standing here in front of me, all over Jet with their arms wrapped around him. Jet himself began to look rather uncomfortable with the situation upon seeing my reaction. "What are you guys doing here?"
      "Your friend here saved us! What about you? Sleeping with every guy in town again?" Fellesta laughs. My face drops and I can even see the tears begin to form in my eyes.
      "You know that never happened. You are always spreading rumors.
      "Oh, they aren't rumors if they are true!" Meiana joins in again. She then looks to Jet whom still seemed uncomfortable and now starting to grow mad. "Why hang out with her when you could be with someone so much better, like us?"
      Jet completely ignores what they were saying, he seemed more focused on the tears of hurt that I was beginning to shed. What did I even do to them to deserve this? Just because I am not like everyone else they decided to taunt me.
      I sit back down by the fire, trying to blink away the tears from my eyes, I mean, defending myself was not going to do much against these two, they are fully set on hurting me no matter what, they probably would be a good couple if they got matched with Altridem, no doubt about it whatsoever.
      "What don't you ladies wait here. Serrima and I shall go gather supplies to patch you two up, yeah?" Jet chimes in, faking a smile in an attempt to change the subject and get me away from them for a little while.
      "Alright, handsome. We'll be waiting." Meiana winks at him, I think I actually gagged in my mouth at the sight of it. As I am getting up to walk past them, Meiana comes over and whispers in my ear. "You better keep your hands off our man. He will never be with you. He only wants people who are good enough for him. You definitely are not."
      I say nothing and walk past and they sit down by the fire, shedding another tear and I walk with Jet to the other side of the lake. He places a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer in an attempt to comfort me as I rest my head against him.
      He could clearly see how badly they were affecting me, regardless of how hard I tried to fight showing it. I don't know if it is a god thing or if he simply knows me well enough as I am usually very good at hiding my emotions.
      "How exactly do you know them?" He asks, clearly annoyed by their attitudes.
      "They were bullies in my school. They tormented from the moment I stepped foot in that building because I wasn't exactly like them. They spread rumors and everyone quickly turned against me. They will turn you against me too." I whine sadly. He rolls his eyes, laughing at the thought.
      "They shall never turn me against you, my queen. I could tell, even without knowing your past, that they were spreading lies by how they acted when doing so. Regardless, their attempts at me are for nothing."
      "You are just trying to cheer me up. I mean, who wouldn't want to be with them, everyone in my school did. They are, as everyone seems to claim, 'Perfect'"
      "Well, perhaps someone who is not into women...?" He turns to me with a grin on his face.
      I pause dead in my tracks. I stare blankly at him, putting two and two together. Did he just- Jet is- Is he? No, he couldn't be, I mean, he doesn't look it. He has not treated me like he was... Has he? My mind is thrown all over the place, thanks a lot, man.
      "What... You're...?"
      "Haha." He chuckles. "I might have been around for five thousand years, my queen, however I know what I like." He seemed so cheerful about it. A lot of the guys in my school who are gay actually are very reserved about it.
      "My oh my. Jetimel Fierlen is gay." I start laughing, a big grin forming on my face. "And they have no clue!"
      "Not many people are aware of it. Queen Taima was, however. She was always supportive of it, even if nobody else was at the time."
      "You were aware even when you were little?"
"Sort of. I knew that I felt differently to men than I did to women. Women were more like friends, they were nothing particularly special to me, the men however made me feel strange.
      I couldn't describe it then, I can now. I asked Queen Taima about it as I knew it was different than most in Iveska experienced and she explained it to me. I remember her saying that she was proud of me for talking with her about it."
      "Wow, that is amazing." I smile.
      "Thank you. That, my queen, is the reason that I am not even fazed by their attempts to swoon me." He grins at me.
      I think I was a bit relieved that he was in fact gay, I mean sure, I was a tad disappointed as he is a genuinely nice and attractive person, however at the same time, he is over five thousand years old and, if I am correct, the only way that he is able to die is if someone were to kill him.
      He can't die to sickness or old age, and I have no clue whether or not I myself am immortal, Queen Taima was, however I don't think I am as I was born from mortals.
      Though, I will admit that the idea that those stupid bullies cannot have him either does cheer me up quite a bit so that was a plus.
      "We really have to help them?" I whine.
      "Yes, your majesty. No matter what your past with them holds, it is your duty as a queen to assist your subjects. Though, it is my hope that, if they really have hurt you as bad as you have described, perhaps we will not have to encounter them again after today."
      We collect a bunch of moss, which would surprise you how many uses this stuff can be made for, some kelp and some powder made from crushed coral.
      Jet seemed to be thinking exceptionally hard about something, though what exactly I am not quite sure. He looks back up at me, a faint smile on his face as he works on whatever he was making.
      "You know, my queen, perhaps we have a different perception on the definition of what perfection is."
      "What do you mean by that?"
      "You claimed those girls to be perfect, however, they are atrocious. It is my belief that those who could ever be granted the title of 'perfect' are those who put others before themselves, worry about the wellbeing of those around them, generally kind or selfish. I would say you fit better into that category than they do."
      I blush, finishing collecting my portion of the supplies we needed. We head back to the campsite where Meiana and Fellesta sit joking around and laughing until I come into eyesight once more.
      They give me a dirty look whilst I help Jet mix together an ointment which he then puts on their cuts and bruises before popping Fellesta's ankle back into place. He then puts a little of the ointment on her ankle before wrapping it in some of the longer strands of kelp, acting as though they were bandages.
      They smile brightly at him, clearly enjoying the attention that the god was giving them, and I could tell by the look on their faces the next thing that would come out of their mouths.
      It was rather funny really, they were so into him however they had no clue of his sexuality. I suppose they are so ignorant because they would get into a week-long relationship with some of the guys at school and it would immediately end after they have slept with them. That whole thing about sleeping with every guy in town? Takes one to know one.
      "So, handsome, as you have had some time to think, who is it that you pick?" Meiana inquires, winking to her sister.
      Jet looks between then, turns and looks to me and I give him a hysterical smile, which he returns, before looking back to the twins who were practically squirming in anticipation.
      He sort of bobs his head around to make it appear as though he had been thinking before saying his final choice.
      "Hmmm. None of you." He grins.
      "What! Why?!" They exclaim in unison, sounding almost as though someone ran over their dog and blamed it on them.
      "Because, as it happens, whilst you two were trying incredibly hard to impress me, I do not think the thought crossed your mind to the possibility that I might not be into women?"
      Oh. My. Stars. Their jaws hit the ground so fast, they probably killed a bug in mid-flight. They could only to manage a few stutters, trying hopelessly to find a way to blame this on me, like perhaps I am so ugly it turned him gay or something like that. Knowing them, I wouldn't be surprised if they did utter those words. It was utterly priceless and I love it.
      "But- You- How? You are too gorgeous to be gay!" Meiana finally managed to form through her disbelief.
      "While that is a lovely compliment, the fact of the matter stands. I am. And even if I were not, while you two ladies do look lovely, you have been exceedingly rude to my friend, a friend who just so happens to be destined to rule over Iveska. Or did you not notice her wings when we turned to go gather supplies?"
      They look around him at me, narrowing their eyes in annoyance. I turn and flash my ombre wings at them and their eyes widen.
      Once more, they had this dumbfounded look, I don't think it quite clicked with them what exactly they had just seen. I was holding back my laughter with this huge grin plastered across my face.
      "I think this should be a lesson to be careful who exactly you bully. You never know what they shall grow to become." Jet smiles at me.
      "This changes nothing." The twins then glare at me.
      "You are so right. You will still harass anyone you deem to be less than you and I will still have to be nice to you. It's just the way of the world." I laugh.
      Jet offers to help the pair up, however, they simply lift a hand and totally diss him before flying off. Jet looks to me, then to them, and back to me and we both just burst out laughing, tears running down our cheeks.
      Like, seriously, they acted like the world was about to end when they learned I was to be the new queen, and I could tell, though they likely would never admit it, I believe that it changed their view on me. Even then, whether they change or not, I really doubt that this is a memory that I will forget any time soon.