I was vaguely aware of the sound of rapid knocking on my door but it was being shaken rather roughly that woke me up with a gasp, my heart in my throat. "Up, up, up, up!" Hudson was speaking quickly and my heart thundered in my chest as I tried to figure out what was going on and where I needed to go.
"What? What's goin' on?" I muttered it, looking around as I sat up on the bed.
A phone was shoved into my face. "My team called me, they don't believe me that there's dragons. They told me it was editing, you need to tell them it's true!" Hudson practically barked it out like an order.
"I-What?" I looked at him, rubbing at my eye with my free hand.
"My team's on the call, you need to tell them that dragons are real." He shoved the phone at me and I struggled to process it as I took the phone from him.
"It's like five in the morning, Hudson, what the fuck?" I looked up at him as I yawned. I pressed the phone to my ear, struggling to keep my eyes from closing again. "Hello?"
"There ain't not way!"
"He's lying!"
"Yooooo! He's still jelly we left his ass!"
"Those are good fakes but they ain't good enough, bro!"
"Stop being a baby, Riviera! We'll see you in a few weeks!"
"I can't believe he's be caught by some deep fakes!"
"He always was our naive baby girl."
"Awwww our baby girl is throwing a tantrum cause she misses us!"
"It's okay, booboo, we still love you!"
I felt like I was being shouted at by a huge group of people and they were laughing loudly and I looked at Hudson. "Ummmmm... what?" I held the phone out for him, clearly the call wasn't for my ears. Baby girl? Riviera? Booboo?
"No. You need to tell them I'm telling the truth!" He pushed the phone back at me, crossing his arms over his chest and I yawned again and gave a slow and tired blink.
"The dragons are real." I said it into the phone and then held it back out as I slowly flopped onto my side. "There you go." I murmured it, trying to burrow into my pillow as the phone was taken from my hand. I was just getting settled when I was picked up off the bed without warning. "Hey! What the fuc-Hudson, put me down right now!" Going from laying down to hung nearly upside down over a shoulder was disorientating as fuck and I squirmed, not sure what else to do before he set me on my feet near the kitchenette.
"Tell them it's true. You need to explain it to them." He held out the phone and I groaned.
"Hudson, dude, it's five in the fucking morning." I looked at him rather imploringly. I was sore and I was still tired. I wanted to sleep for another three hours. "How long have you been up?" For all I knew, big baddy had been up since four am and this was just regular breakfast routine for him.
"I didn't go to sleep, I had to watch videos. Now explain it to them." He shook the phone and I blinked at him as I rubbed at my eye with the heel of my hand.
"What?" I stared at him in confusion, my brain slowly coming on line. "Hudson, how many videos-Which videos did you watch?" He watched more videos? What the hell? The one I had given him was like an hour and twenty minutes tops.
"All the arena ones, then looked at the pictures of you and Tel'bak'gorth, then with the dragon tamer and the warriors. I also watched your saved videos of the after battle down in the lower portion of the arena. I couldn't understand most of it cause it wasn't translated but I understood parts." He listed it all off, nodding as he did so, and I slowly blinked. He had dug around on my laptop to find more picture and videos, specially the ones where we had been having fun and hanging out that I sometimes sent to the others on the Council to show that I was having fun and wasn't going to run screaming from the planet? That thought was fucking embarrassing.
"Okay, Hudson, buddy, dude, big invasion of privacy there. So jot that down. But I gave you unrestricted access, that part's on me. I'm glad I didn't have anything risque on there." I yawned again and opened my eyes wider as he waved his phone. I could faintly hear chattering and loud laughter coming from it.
"That doesn't matter. It wouldn't have been anything I haven't seen before. Now tell them!"
I stared at him hard as he expectantly held the phone out for me to take. "Dude... what the hell?" I scrubbed at my face and then looked at him again.
"Tell them. I cannot take the ribbing when I know I'm right." He looked so open and expectant that I found myself reaching for the phone, more awake than anything at the moment.
"Hudson, buddy, we're going to be talking boundaries after this, okay? I hope you realize that." I pointed at him and he nodded quickly, watching me intently as I pressed the phone to my ear.
I was bombarded by laughter and rapidly thrown around jokes. "Can y'all shut up?" I asked it and there was more laughing but it quickly dissolved into 'oooh's
"Did Riviera get himself a lady friend?" The clear voice suddenly caught everyone's attention and I rubbed at my face listening to the chorus of 'Lady friend?' that followed.
"Are you all done so I can speak?" I wanted to get this done so I could go back to bed and them oooh-ing and aww-ing was not helping me at all.
"Oooooh! She bossy!" Someone called it out and there was more laughter and jokes.
"Bossy bossy? I need me some of that!" Someone else called it out and it was followed by more laughter.
"So where did he find you? Did he pluck you off the street like an orphan kitty? Did he wrap you up in a lil blanket too and give you forehead kisses?" The teasing was more than clear and I gave an amused snort, looking at Hudson as I raised my eyebrow.
"What?" He looked so confused and I gave a low laugh, shaking my head. Jesus, I had no clue that buttoned up, stern Hudson had such crazy friends.
"How did he find her?"
"She didn't say so shut it!"
"Stop hogging the phone, Jetski!"
"What does she look like?"
"I don't know, Timmay!" At the name there was a chorus of people saying it just like I could recall from the old cartoon South Park. "I can't see her, dumbass!"
"Oooooh facetime!" Someone called it out and the call was picked up as they started chanting for facetime.
I held the phone back out for him as the chanting for facetime grew louder. "You deal with that. Let me find my scales." When he didn't take it I walked over and pressed the phone to his chest and let it go. He scrambled to catch it as I moved over to my storage units and grabbed the one with my personal stuff in it.
"No! I'm not doing facetime." Hudson said it with a bit of irritation. "Why? Because you don't need facetime, Ham." He started pacing as I put the small container on the table and opened it. "Dependapotamus? What are yo- No I didn't get married, dumbass. That's the asset I'm protecting, not my girlfriend." I did my best to ignore the conversation, despite how amusing it was to see him so flustered. "Yes, I know Jetski is attractive but there's no use comparing us bo- Absolutely not! I will not be letting you facetime so you can hit on her!" The strain in his voice had me giggling slightly as I pulled out the beautiful blue and gold wrap that Liress had given me. "No I'm not cock blocking, Jetski! And don't you say a word, TruckNuts."
I shook my head with a smile as I carefully unwrapped the soft material, uncovering a small, roughly palm sized metallic red scale with a beautiful orange tinted mother of pearl underside. I set it off to the side and uncovered the next one, and then the other eight I had wrapped in the material just for safe transport. I had left my nesting scale back on Torin, along with a few more personal items and souvenirs, I had collected. Mare-aidee had almost objected until I told her they were a reason to come back, if a small one. She seemed happier to have me leave some things after that.
I brought the beautiful wrap to my face and breathed in the slight smokey scent of incense that clung to the fabric and reminded me of Liress and Hint but the sweet, earthy smell of Torin was also mixed in. It made my chest ache and I wanted to go back. I hugged the material to my chest with a sigh and then carefully arranged the ten smaller scales on the table. I had brought them back to give to my family and to remind me of Torin, of why I wanted to go back.
"Holy fucking shit! Are those-" Hudson came over quickly, staring down at the scales in what looked to be awe. I carefully put the wrap back into the box before I picked up a scale. "Shut the fuck up." Hudson barked it into the phone before set it on the table as I held out the scale towards him.
"Dragon scales. It's one of Tel'bak'gorth's tail scales. Tail scales shed the easiest and are the quickest to collect after a battle for the warriors to sign." I gestured with it and he stared at the scale with wide eyes. "Go ahead, you can hold it." He reached out almost hesitantly before gently, oh so carefully, took it from me. It looked extra small in his hand. "Second human to ever touch a dragon scale, second human to ever talk to an alien. You're doing pretty well for yourself, boss." I grabbed another one and rubbed my thumb along the smooth inside of it. "The grog say that if you touch the inside of the scale, you can still feel the fire that runs in the veins of the winged horror." I pressed my thumb to the inside of it and I watched as Hudson did as well.
"Holy shit, it's warm!" He did almost an excited happy dance as he said it, holding the scale carefully as he stared at it, a beaming grin on his face. "This is the coolest thing I have ever held in my entire life." He glanced at me and I nodded. "I don't wanna break it. Like what if I drop it?" At that I snorted and flick tossed my scale hard enough on the table it bounced and skipped across the top of the table and hit the wall before coming to a spinning stop. He nearly choked at that, clutching the scale I gave him to his chest as if in horror.
"They aren't worth having as scales unless they're durable, boss." I picked up another one and tapped the edge of it against the table. "It takes a lot to break one of them." I held mine up, gesturing with it as I leaned my hip against the table.
There was shouting from the phone, it was muffled and Hudson looked irritated as he picked it up, still pressing the scale to his chest with his other hand. "You guys can all fuck off. Make fun of me all you want cause it doesn't matter because I'm holding a fucking dragon scale." He hung up the phone with a triumphant smile before he hunched forward, looking at the scale intently, carefully checking the edge and the rough outside before the smooth inside. "This is so cool." He breathed it out before looking at me. "This is really from Tel'bak'gorth? Like really really?" He looked like a little kid that had been told he was getting a puppy and I nodded.
"A genuine scale from her. Yek'tak, her handler, picked most of these out for me." I gestured to the table and the remaining scales. "Each one is from a battle I watched that had her participating in it. With the exception of my nesting scale that she gave me herself but that's back on Torin." I glanced over at him and couldn't help but smile at how in awe he looked.
"This is the coolest thing I have ever held in my entire life. I hope you know that." He said it with all sincerity and I looked at him carefully, my eyes narrowing slightly.
"If you promise to never wake me up like that again and go to bed..." I pointed at him with the dragon scale in my hand. "You can have that one." I gestured to the one in his hand. He inhaled, his eyes widening. "But you can't wake me up like that unless there is an actual emergency and you need to get some sleep." Him pulling an all nighter wasn't a good thing. If I got him to have like four or five hours that was good enough for me. At least he wouldn't be dead on his feet.
"I promise. Like promise promise." It came out of him so quickly as he nodded rapidly. "I absolutely promise!" He seemed to hold the scale tighter, pressing it harder to his chest. "Absolutely. I will go to bed and I won't ever wake you up like that again unless I absolutely need too." He reminded me so much of an excited little kid that I grinned.
"Good." I gave a slow nod and his phone started vibrating on the table. He seemed to ignore it as he stared at the scale, flipping it over in his hands, checking out the weight, that excited little smile on his face. "Answer your phone, boss man." I gestured to it as I pulled out the wrap once again and started to wrap up the scales.
"Fuck you guys, I gotta dragon scale!" Hudson practically crowed it out, holding his dragon scale up next to his face and I rolled my eyes with a smile when I realized he was on facetime more than likely with his team.
"What? No way!" The words came out of the speaker and there was a repeating chorus of the words and he nodded.
"Fuck yes, I do. You see it? You see how pretty it is? That's right, it's all mine." He seemed to be teasing them with it as he waved it in front of his phone, a big, goofy grin on his face.
"It could be fake!" Someone called it out and Hudson rolled his eyes.
"Ham is jealous I have a dragon scale and he doesn't." It came out of him in a sing song way and I chuckled, laughing to myself as I reached over the table and grabbed the one I tossed.
"Yah well you're still pissed I nearly took out a legion of your troops on our last game night." Someone, probably the one he was calling Ham, said it loudly.
"You could take out everything and wipe me from the campaign and I wouldn't care because this right here," He waved the scale slightly. "Is worth it."
"Could be fake!" There were other calls of it being called fake and Hudson made a sound of disgust in his throat.
"Matthews." He barked it out before he held his arm out in front of me, the phone facing me and I could see numerous faces fighting to be front and center. "This is Captain Matthews, she's the one who went out to space and found aliens. Including dragons. Get fucked." He said it rather smugly and I laughed slightly, rubbing at my face. I looked atrocious, my braid was coming undone and I had bags under my eyes.
"I'm a mess. Sorry for that but I was dragged out of bed without warning. I'm going back to bed after he's done gloating." I vaguely gestured at Hudson as I grabbed another scale, setting it on the wrap.
I could see there was scuffle with the phone as someone tried to swipe it. "Bring that closer!"
Someone managed to snag it because the screen was filled with face and mainly one eye. "Where the hell did you find that one, Riviera?"
"What? Let me see!" There was another scuffle and another face appeared. "Oooh pretty girl!" He called it out and lifted it up. "Riviera found a pretty girl!" Wolf whistles followed and I chuckled as I shook my head.
Hudson let out a small groan as he pulled the phone away. "This is why you're all single."
"I thought that was due to the crippling addiction we all have to buying and painting mini figurines we use to play math wars with." Laughter followed the rather droll statement.
"Ew, it's Riviera." Someone made rather accurate gagging sounds. "Show us the lady!" That caused another chorus to rise up.
"No. You're being gross and I won't subject Captain Matthews to more of that. Shame on you all." Hudson shook his head in what looked to be disapproval.
"Oh shut the fuck up, Riviera. You aren't so innocent yourself." Someone shouted it and Hudson rolled his eyes.
"I don't pretend to be. I just know that Captain Matthews is far too good for all of you nasty bastards." He shook his head again and I paused in what I was doing, giving up completely on putting the scales away. This conversation was too good to pass up listening in on.
"I just wanna lil sniff. Just one!" Someone made exaggerated sniffing noises at the phone and Hudson made a face as I snorted with amusement.
"Can someone punch him for me?" Hudson asked it crisply.
"Dibs!" Someone shouted it and there was the sound of someone clearly fighting, or wrestling, one of the two.
"Thank you, Timmay." Hudson smiled as he called out the name and there was a repeated chorus of the name said in that specific tone through the phone. I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched. "But I only answered because fuck you. I have a dragon scale." He lifted it again, waving it back and forth. "It's so pretty. So precious." Someone from the other end made a very accurate Gollum impression as they mimicked the words.
"Still could be fake!" It was called out and I held out my hand, motioning with my fingers. Hudson seemed a little unsure but when I motioned with my fingers again, he handed it over.
I lifted the phone and grabbed another scale, lifting it up. "Planet LHS 1140 b, located forty-nine light years away from earth, orbiting a red dwarf star. I arrived to it six weeks after my initial take off from earth." I seemed to have caught their attention as I waved the scale back and forth. "Planet is life bearing and contains a multitude of prey animals, predators, intelligent life known as the grog, and a semi-sentient species the grog have called the winged horror. Or as I like to call them. Dragons." I smirked slightly as I flipped the scale with my fingers. "This is a tail scale from Tel'bak'gorth I got after I watched her in the arena. And if you touch the inside of the scale," I flipped it so they could see the orange mother of pearl inside, "you can still feel her fire." I paused slightly before I shrugged, tossing the scale back onto the table. "Or I could be making it all up and edited everything. That's your call really." I winked at them before handing the phone back to Hudson.
"She winked at me!"
"Dumbass, she clearly winked at me!" The argument started and I chortled, going back to putting the scales back into the wrap so they wouldn't damage anything else in the box.
"And this is why you're all single." Hudson said it with a rather fake, aggrieved sigh. "You can't even blame it on crayon eating like the marines."
"It's the paint fumes we huff from painting the mini action figures for the math wars." Someone shouted it and there was raucous laughter.
"Wait I'm supposed to be painting with it and not eating it?" Someone else called it out and I snorted as laughter exploded from the phone, even Hudson was chuckling with them. I finished wrapping the scales up and setting the wrapped bundle in the box before setting it back in the storage unit.
"You promised to go to bed, boss." I pointed at him and he glanced at me before nodding.
"I need to go. It might be down time for you guys but I need to sleep." Hudson said it rather seriously, despite the smile on his face.
"It's five in the fucking morning there, Riviera! It's time to rise and shine." There was chorus of people crowing like roosters and Hudson chuckled but shook his head again.
"Oh shut the fuck up. I'm going to bed with my dragon scale and you guys can suck it." He flipped off the phone with a smile before ending the call. There was a moment of silence before he glanced at me and cleared his throat. "Sorry about them and anything you might have heard that was highly unprofessional." He gave a stiff nod, his cheeks just a touch pink.
I slowly nodded as I moved towards him. "It's all good..." I walked by and patted his shoulder gently "Baby girl." I laughed loudly as he cursed a long litany against his team and I shook my head. "Go to bed, boss. I'm glad you have friends you can relax around." I gave him a lazy salute before I slipped into the bedroom once more and flopped on my bed. More sleep.
I needed more sleep.
I could worry about the day later.