FACT: THE FANGIRL FATES: Sabrina Twila AND I NOW ARE THE OWNERS OF THE AFTER LIFE AND NAME "THE TRAGIC TRIO" (LUKE, ETHAN AND BIANCA).
(This thing is longer than I expected...)
That is all.
-Jaz
~~~~
The Tragic Trio: "Its Good To Be Persistent"
"I can't believe you of all people is my roommate."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. As you've said at least fifty times today."
Ethan shrugged and adjusted his eyepatch before laying back on his bed. "So what are we supposed to do for the rest of eternity?"
"According to this pamphlet of 'Things To Do For The Recently Dead' there's some restaurants not far, a bowling alley- ooh there's a movie theater nearby."
Ethan shrugged. "We're dead got nothing to lose. Let's go see a movie."
~~~~
Luke and Ethan got their tickets to Angry Birds and then headed for the concessions stand. At the stand stood a girl in silver with a black apron on top. Her hair was in a dark braid and she wore a green floppy hat. She gave them a forced smile. "Welcome to the Isle of The Blest Movies, Where our movies are best! I'm Bianca what can I get for you today?"
"But we aren't on the Isle of the Blest..." Ethan pointed out.
Bianca shrugged. "Tell my boss that. So what can I get you?"
"I'll take a medium popcorn and medium Coke," Luke told her she nodded and punched it in register in front of her. "Are you hunter?" Luke asked her quietly.
"The silver gave it away?" She chuckled. "I wasn't a hunter long though... Anyway what can I get you Eyepatch?"
Ethan raised his eyebrow and smirked a bit. "I have a name."
"And I don't know it. I'm Bianca, he's clearly Luke Castellan everyone knows who he is and you are Eyepatch."
"I'm Ethan. But you can call me Eyepatch I guess."
"Can I?" Luke asked.
"Shut up Luke I was talking to someone who matters," Ethan hissed to Luke. Luke looked offended as Ethan smirked at Bianca nervously. "I'll take a large popcorn, some M&Ms and... A medium orange soda."
Bianca nodded. "Would you like to change that to a large for just fifty cents more?"
"I still can't believe Elysium has money."
"Duh, why else would I be working here. I may get free rent but mythomagic cards are expensive!"
"And sure I'll take a large."
She presses a few more buttons before heading to grab the items.
Luke turned to Ethan. "You do realize she's a hunter right?"
"She was a hunter. Fair game now."
"I'm not a game," Bianca said slamming the popcorn down sending pieces of it flying. "That will be $25."
Ethan blushed and handed her thirty dollars.
"I'm keeping the change," Bianca told him.
Ethan gave a nervous laugh. "Of course..."
"Enjoy your show."
~~~~
After the movie Ethan feeling bad headed back to the concessions stand to apologize to Bianca but sadly it appeared that her shift was over.
"We should come back tomorrow," Ethan told Luke as they left.
Luke rolled his eyes. "How about next week?"
"That's too long," Ethan whined.
"We don't know if she's working tomorrow," Luke reasoned. "We do know that's she'll be working this time next week."
"A week is so long!"
Luke groaned. "I can't believe you of all people is my roommate."
~~~~
"Hurry up we're going to be late!" Ethan complained walking ahead of Luke.
"What do you care?" Luke yawned. "You don't want to see the movie anyway."
"Shut up and walk faster!"
Luke rolled his eyes but complied with the demand. When the got inside Luke bought the tickets and then Ethan dragged him to the concession stand. Once again Bianca stood behind a register.
"Hey," Ethan greeted as they approached. She blinked and focused her eyes on him. She opened her mouth but Ethan spoke first. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted last week. You aren't a game."
Bianca raised an eyebrow. "And you are...?"
Ethan blinked his mouth wide open. Luke snickered behind him. "This is better than movie." He was promptly elbowed in the ribs.
"Nevermind," Ethan said trying to regain his composure. He hadn't been expecting all the lines he had rehearsed in front of the mirror earlier to fail him all in one go. "Can I just get a large popcorn and large orange soda and some M&Ms?"
She nodded and grabbed the items. Luke opened his mouth but Ethan cut him off. "Buy your own food."
"Excuse me? I bought your ticket. The agreement was I buy the tickets you buy the food."
Ethan ignored him and handed Bianca the money to her with a smirk. "Keep the change."
"I know where I've seen you!" She exclaimed suddenly.
"You're the guy who mows my lawn right?"
Ethan sighed and shook his head before walking off dragging Luke with him.
"Hey, I didn't get my popcorn!"
~~~~
One week later the two boys stood in front of the olive skinned girl's register once again. Welcome to the Isle of The Blest Movies, "Where our movies are best! I'm Bianca what can I get for you today?"
"Large popcorn, M&Ms and a large orange soda," Ethan told her. "And with that I'll also take number?"
Bianca gave him a look as if to say, 'Really? Are you that stupid?' She was about to respond when Luke interrupted.
"I feel like I've met someone like you. At least he looks like you."
Her attention shifted to him immediately. "Nico? My little brother? How is he? Is okay? Is he still really skinny? I mean I only talk to him now and then and I don't think it's really good for him."
Luke blinked. "Umm, yeah. Nico Di Angelo. Hades kid, skinny, wears black um... I don't know much about him personally..."
"Makes sense. Sorry for bombarding you with questions like that... Um what were you ordering?"
"A medium popcorn and a large Coke."
She smiled. "Would you like Captain America's face on your cup for a dollar more? Iron Man is on it too but whatever."
(^That is something I've actually said to someone while at work.)
Luke chuckled "Sure." She nodded and went to get their food.
When she did Ethan punched Luke in the arm. "What the Hades? I'm the one trying to get her number."
Luke shrugged. "I was curious also she's Nico Di Angelo's sister and Hades' daughter man."
"So? I shall die for love."
"You're already dead. And you've only known her a couple weeks."
"What's your point?"
~~~~
"Any thing else for you two today?" Bianca asked when the returned for the fourth time.
"Well..." Ethan started. "It seems that last time you forgot your number with my order. Wanna fix that?"
She smiled and took out a pen. She scribbled something on the back of the receipt and handed it to him.
When they got home Ethan dialed it immediately. It rung only once before a voice sounded.
"Welcome to the Rejection Hotline. It seems that you've been Rejected! RE-JE-CTED REJECTED! REJECTED REJECTED YOU JUST GOT REJECTED! RE-JE-CTED REJECTED!"
Ethan slowly hung up the phone. "Luke did you eat all the ice cream?"
"No why?"
"I need it. And I need to rent a copy of Titanic."
~~~~
Ethan walked away from the concessions stand after being shot down once again. When he and Luke sat in their seats Luke turned to him.
"Ethan this is the fifth time we've come here and failed. Look I know I owe you-"
"SHUT UP AND EAT THE POPCORN!"
"But you're eating my popcorn..."
~~~~
"We need jobs," Luke told Ethan when they got home.
"Why?" Ethan groaned.
"Because we were given a bunch of money to start off with but given the amount we've already spent on movies alone and the amount that we will have to spend until you finally grow a pair and ask her out properly we will be broke in no time."
Ethan threw a pillow at Luke which Luke dodged easily.
"There's a job agency not too far away. Probably an hour or so walk. If we time it right we can catch the bus."
"Are we going now?"
"Yup."
~~~~
"Alright boys. Thanks to the forms you've filled out, looking through them, and speaking with you both over the last couple days I have some jobs in mind for each of you. For you Mr. Castellan I suggest the job of Shrine Maintainer. It is what it says basically. You go in and over the course of the day you clean one or two shrines and then your done. They pay is good and I figured it would be good for you since you seem like deep down you want some sort of punishment for what you have done. I say this works for you."
Luke blushed slightly and skimmed through the packet on the job description. "I'll do it."
"For you Mr. Nakumura I feel you would be a good salesman. So for you I suggest a cashier at the bakery.
Ethan shrugged. "Sure sounds good I guess."
"Wonderful you both start tomorrow."
~~~~
Ethan placed the muffin monstrosity on his head and grimaced at his reflection in the mirror. A giant muffin hat.
"Do I have to wear this?" He asked.
"Of course it's part of the uniform. Are you saying you don't like my wife's fashion sense?" His boss growled.
"Nope. Nope. That's not what I'm saying," Ethan said quickly. "I just think I'm more of a... Umm... A cupcake hat kind of guy."
"Those were my second choice," the wife told him. "Maybe I can get some and people can pick which they want?"
"Sounds great honey," the boss smiled. "Don't you think Nakmura?"
Ethan nodded quickly. "What could ever be better?"
~~~~
"Hiya newbie. Since its your first day you'll have one shrine to clean. It's kinda of dirty but it won't be too hard for you. It's a smaller one well compared to Zeus's at least. Grab some supplies there if you need more just come back.
Luke nodded and grabbed a bunch of cleaning supplies before following his boss up the small hill. They passed shrine after shrine before stopping in front of one.
"Here ya go newbie. The shrine to Artemis."
Luke facepalmed. "You have got to be kidding me."
~~~~
When Luke got home he was covered in soapy water, weeds, leaves and more.
"Suddenly I think your day might have been worse than mine," Ethan laughed taking off his muffin hat.
"Shut up. I'm gonna shower."
"It was your idea to get jobs!" Ethan called after him.
"I wasn't the one who blew our money!"
~~~~
"Welcome to Isle of the Blest- oh it's you two."
"The Rejection Hotline?" Ethan asked her.
Bianca shrugged. "It seemed funny."
"It wasn't."
"Yes it was," Luke chimed in. "He eat ice cream and rented the Titanic to watch."
"Shut up Luke!"
Bianca cracked a smile and laughed a bit. "Same order as the other thousand times you two have been here?"
"Course. But I'll take your actual number this time."
"You're persistent. I'll give you that much."
"I consider it a strength of mine."
"I was thinking more along the lines of weakness."
"It's good to be persistent."
"No it's not. But either way the answer is no."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"Is it because you're not interested or because your a hunter."
"I have no need for a boyfriend right now."
"There's a difference between need and want."
"Very good. You know english. $25."
~~~~
"Will you go out with me?"
"Ooh the direct approach this time," Luke commented to which Bianca gave a chuckle.
She shook her head. "The answer is the same as it was seven weeks ago."
"Seven weeks ago you told me you weren't a game."
"Wow you have a good memory. But fine since you tried to direct approach I'll give you a direct answer, no. And it still costs $25."
~~~~
"How do you do it?" Ethan asked Luke when they got home.
Luke flopped on the couch. "Do what?"
"Make her smile and laugh. You always do it and I never can."
Luke shrugged. "I'm funnier."
"Lies."
"I am still a Hermes kid."
"Whatever. How do you do it?"
" Easy. I make your mistakes known and she find them hilarious."
Ethan opened his mouth to respond when an idea popped in his head.
~~~~
"Okay let's make a deal," Ethan offered walking up to the counter where Bianca stood.
"Oh joy," she said rolling her eyes.
"Since you always laugh at things Luke says, if I come here and get you to laugh. You go out with me."
She held back a laugh. "You have yourself a deal Eyepatch. Your usual will still cost you $25 though."
~~~~
When they got home Ethan noticed that Luke was oddly comment. No snide remarks about his fail of a love life. No complaints about seeing the same movie again.
"What's wrong?" Ethan asked Luke who poked at the Chinese food hey had bought for dinner.
"Nothing," Luke told him as he twirled Lo Mien on his fork.
"You can tell me."
"Just drop it Ethan."
"Dude we are stuck living together for the rest of our afterlives. I'll find out eventually."
Luke sighed. "Fine. Let's say that you finally manage to get her to go out with you. What then? You guys date be happy? You both move into a picture perfect house and get married have picture perfect kids and then what? Where does that leave me?"
"I don't think we can have kids. We're dead."
"That's not the point! Where am I in this picture perfect family?"
Ethan shrugged. "All picture perfect families need a dog."
~~~~
Ethan walked into work the next morning and placed the muffin on his head as he stood behind the counter.
His boss came up to him confused. "Damn Nakumura. What happened to your face?"
"Well... I may have pissed Luke off a just a bit..."
"What did you do?"
"Called him my dog?"
Laughter broke out from behind him and he saw Bianca standing there doubled over with laughter. "I'm sorry," she wheezed. "I just-" she burst out laughing again.
"I made you laugh," Ethan told her with a smile.
"I'm not working it doesn't count," she told him still fighting back laughter. "So shut up and give me a chocolate chip muffin."
Ethan smiled and did as he was told.
~~~~
Ethan walked up to the counter where Bianca stood. Before he could open her mouth she spoke.
"No. You owe me $25."
Ethan deflated.
~~~~
"Failure again," Ethan sighed flopping on his bed.
"Why are you even surprised?" Luke asked him.
"I just don't know what I have to do."
"It's simple. Just-"
"Make her laugh."
"No. Be yourself."
~~~~
Ethan took a deep breath as he walked up to the counter. Bianca smiled slightly and waited ready to enjoy whatever spouted from his lips today.
"I'm sorry," was not at all what she expected to hear. "I'm sorry," Ethan repeated. "I've been an idiot. So bad I'm close to Luke-level-idiocy. But-"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Luke put in.
Ethan ignored him. "But I don't know why but I can't stop thinking about you. You're on my mind all day. When I eat. When I sleep. When I'm at work-"
"When he showers," Luke muttered.
Ethan elbowed him in ribs before continuing. "I don't know why. I've never felt like this before. But then again I've never had such an awesome yet scary yet beautiful girl around before. So I'm really sorry for being a Luke- I just- um- well I- even though we don't have real conversations- I still um- I think I might even um- be in um- love with you? But um- I- wh- why- why are you laughing?"
Sure enough Bianca was laughing. She was doubled over laughing hard. "I'm sorry!" She said between laughter and breaths. "You're just too adorable and funny when you ramble!"
Ethan blushed slightly but smiled. "Adorable huh? And not to mention I made you laugh. We did make a deal. You owe me a date."
Bianca nodded and tried to take calming breaths.
"Lucky for you then I was about to send Bianca home early since it's not busy today," Bianca's boss said appearing behind her.
Bianca smiled. "Wait here by the theater. I need to punch out."
She came back a couple minutes later and brought concessions with her. "Ready?"
Ethan nodded. "I've been ready for weeks."
Luke sighed. "So this is my punishment. Cleaning Artemis' shrine and third wheeling."
"Aw, don't worry Luke. We can come back to tomorrow and I can get us free tickets to the new X-Men and we can go without Eyepatch here."
(IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE SAY NOTHING I HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET)
Luke nodded. "Sounds good."
"Hey what about me?" Ethan asked her.
Bianca ignored him and continued talking to Luke. "How do you live with him?"
"It's the guilt mostly. I am the reason he died. This is probably part of my punishment too."
"Hey!"
"But honestly Rebirth sounds better and better each day."
"You can't do that," Bianca said shaking her head. "Then I'd have to deal with him by myself.
"I'm right here ya know!" Ethan shouted.
Luke shrugged. "Your point?"
"Shut up. But you aren't you supposed to be leaving?"
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? So I can finally have a date with her."
"I'm not leaving I bought these tickets."
"Come on man."
"I'll sit in the back or something but I'm not leaving."
"Don't worry Luke," Bianca said laughing slightly. "You can do as you please. You aren't his dog."
Luke fixed a glare on Ethan. "Are you trying to die again?"
"She overheard when I told someone else."
"You two are a handful," Bianca commented. "Come on, preferably before we miss the movie."
"He started it!" Luke pointed out.
"You kind of started it when I died."
"I was possessed! Trust me. I wish you hadn't died, then I wouldn't be stuck with you."
As the two continued to bicker Bianca rolled her eyes but smiled at Ethan. When they separated and sat down in their seats Ethan turned to her. "I was right you know. Its good to be persistent."