I hate airplanes. I wouldn't say I like the crampness and the amount of people but what I hate the most are the stupid people who bring their infants on board. It felt like actual torture like what is to u gonna do in Austria with a baby? If you are going to travel with a baby at least knock them out before the long hours.
I won't lie I clung onto Charlie like a leach following blind and mindless. All I had to do was look pretty but then I knew I looked like shit.
"I want to go home."
"We just got here—"
"And? I like to go home." I grumble as he grabs my bag. Was my bag twice as big as his? Yes. Did I have two bags? Hell yeah. I almost brought my wheelchair with me.
"All that paperwork and doctor appointments for FishTart would go down the drain..." I roll my eyes but silently agree.
As I push one of my bags and pull the other, I follow after Charlie's foot heavy as I clamber after him. My eyes were heavy, my skin dirty, and my body ready to give out I wanted to be home curled up in my bed like a pig in mud. We turned the corner and found a line of people waiting, I always felt like a celebrity when I saw all these people looking my way, even though I knew they didn't care for me.
I looked around and there in the back, like a hulking giant was König. Charlie had no idea what he looked like, but I think he guessed based on height alone.
"You look tired Maus," He speaks to me.
"I want to keel over and die." His brows pinch together, and he gives Charlie a worried glance.
"There was a fucking baby on our plane... I'm so close to beating that mother up." König looks between us worried in his face.
"Well, you two have fun I'm going to my hotel," Charlie turned around and began to walk off, I grabbed him and yanked him back.
"You're not going anywhere," He turns to me and sighs.
"This is going to be a long ride."
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The air was crisp and the world around me was stunning. I think I took more pictures of architecture than anything else...
But.
Currently.
I wanted to die.
"Colonel!" I shout grabbing onto König, he looks back unbothered, relaxed, well rested. "YOU SAID THIS WAS A HILL! THIS IS A MOUNTAIN!" He blinks at me and turns to Charlie who also looks fine besides the annoyed expression.
"This is not a hill... this is a baby mountain."
"Are you really this out of shape?" König asks, If I wasn't out of breath, I be on top of him bashing his ego in.
"I lot my legs! I am allowed to be out of shape!" I shout, I see König turn to Charlie, gaze asking 'What's your excuse?'
"I'm fine," Charlie hums, taking in a deep breath. "But I wouldn't have hiked this with Flaca, she bitches and complains up and down."
"Look, I don't want my break to be physical labor!"
"This isn't labor," König said calmly, confusion laced in his tone.
"It feels like it! I am not the journey is the prize I am the destination is the prize."
"C'mon, we're almost near the top," I groan and grab onto Charlie.
"You know what," I grumble taking off my prosthetic leg and handing it over to Charlie, "You want me to see the top, carry me!"
König looks at me an amused glint in his eyes, he turns to Charlie before letting out a light chuckle. He picked me up as I handed my other prosthetic legs to Charlie.
"Feel better?" Charlie asks sarcastically. "Do you always need princess treatment?"
"Duh, I don't settle for less," I see Charlie smirk and begin to walk, "Well keep up Colonel I will walk off with her legs."
"You are better not!" I snap at him, "I need to walk later on!"
"Well next time don't give me your legs," I see him jog off with my legs!
"If you don't catch up and he takes my leg I'm going to whine for hours," I grumble to König who looks down at me with an amused gaze.
"You need anything else Prinzessin?" I roll my eyes and grumble, this feels kinda embarrassing.
"No... this view better be worth it."
"Are the legs comfortable?" He asks, I look up at him.
"Yeah, but it's a pain to get it on and off," I feel his chest rise in a low laugh.
"Do you miss your legs?"
"Maybe we should catch up to Charlie and I can get 'em back." König laughs a little more, but I see the guilt in his eyes. "Look, I don't blame you for the loss of my legs... at least I don't have to serve anymore."
"You wanted out?"
"Of course, I never wanted in to begin with, you'll do anything to get your family out of trouble."
"You're far kinder than I realize." I rolled my eyes and looked forward as the scene changed, the gentle hills expanded and soon I was gazing down at the valley where the village was. It was breath like a fantasy novel or a day back in the early 40s when times were simple and slow.
"If I was kind, I wouldn't have threatened to gouge your eyes out," König laughs even louder shakes his head, and follows my gaze.
"I still love to see you try."
"Don't tempt me!" I smack him on the shoulder. There at the top taking all the influencer photos was Charlie.
"Selling your soul?" I ask, Charlie looks over.
"I can't help I'm good-looking."
"The face of handsome Squidward on the body of a churro," His smile drops, and he turns to me.
"I hope the Colonel drops your ass!"
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"Wow!" I continue to walk around taking photos as Konrad (König [he drops his one nighty drunk off his ass]) walks behind me. I stared at the green roofs the rusted green statues, and the incredible vibes of this city.
Charlie dipped.
The moment we entered Vienna he kissed me his goodbyes went full white man tourist and walked off letting his male privilege protect him. I swear if I get a call, he's drunk off his ass I will shove my foot up his ass!
"Where do you want to go Maus?" I look over eyes sparkling, and a small smirt on my face.
"Bookstore!" I hustle my ass to the first interesting bookstore, Shakespeare and Company...
"Maus," I froze and looked over, there Konrad was holding over five books. "Is this enough? They are all in German."
"I'll learn German—"
"You can't even speak Spanish." He retorts, I pout and look away, he didn't have to do me like that.
"Yeah well, I learned Russian, German, and Spanish are too different things," I grumble.
"You know Russian?"
"My former dead boyfriend taught me." A few people turn to me shock in their eyes.
"Maus you can't word things like that," Konrad sighs and shifts his weight as people begin to notice us. I look over to see people staring and whispering about us, I give them the autistic stare until they notice me and mind their own business.
"... What you looking at?" I notice an older woman staring at us with a sneer on her face.
I am confrontational. I can't be a wallflower. Because nobody will defend you unless you fight for yourself.
"Geldhure," The woman grumbles. I look over to see Konrad freeze and his body stiffen. My educated guess is she said something insulting. I look at him and at her...
Oh...
"Alte Hexe," I grumble back. Whenever I go to a new country, I learn their curse words or insulting phrases. Her eyes widened and I flipped her off walking off.
"Go back to America!"
"Go back to the kitchen bitch you're an eyesore!" I shout gaining everyone's attention. I will not be adding to the stereotype Americans are nice. I am showing East Coast hostilities!
She walked up to me, and I saw Konrad walking forward ready to deal with this, I pushed him back and stepped forward FishTart walking with me. I move around the shelves of books and stand before her.
"You should respect your elders—"
"I will respect you when your legacy has left a dent in history." I shoulder-checked her and walked on.
"You—" I look over to see Konrad talking to her in a low tone and the woman backed off.
"What did she call me?" I ask him when he steps closer to me.
"Don't mind it."
"I do mind tell me." He looks around and sighs and looks down at me.
"Money whore."
"She's not wrong. Money is life, Money is love." Konrad's mouth falls over as I grab another book and judge fully on the cover before adding to the pile in his arms. "Too bad I got money to pay for these."
"Yet you still won't be able to read it."
"Shush!"
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"Wow," I mumble as we left another pub. It was lively and I was buzzed off my ass.
"Wait— I'mnot.... — finish." I look down at a fully drunk Charlie. His dumbass thought getting into a drinking competition with people who have little to nothing to do but drink and go to football games would lose.
"He has a problem," Konrad said shouldering most of Charlie's weight.
"He's living his frat boy dreams."
"... How American." We continue to walk as Charlie mumbles and slurs his words and stumbles around.
"What do you want to do tomorrow?" I looked over at Konrad and thought for a second.
"Try European bread and Pastries." Konrad turn to me confused as fuck.
"Why?"
"All bread tastes the same."
"Maus!" I look over to see anger in his eyes. "Bread does not taste the same!"
"Yes, it does."
"Then all rice tastes the same."
"Take that back!"