Recap: Hercules began to date a fairy named Billee, only to be dumped by her. Asellus began a physical relationship with her boss. Vincent got a job at the stadium. Ayumi decided to go to college.

Ayumi arrived at Blue Llama University with excitement in her eyes. She looked around at her co-ed dorm and chose a room all to herself. She decorated it more to her liking, however, as brown seemed a little too drab a color to surround herself in if she was going to major in Fine Arts.

She sighed and started relaxing on her bed, taking a moment to just soak in her surroundings. Surely, she would find new purpose here! What better way to find a new Lifetime Wish than to place yourself in an entirely new area?

The first two roommates she ran into were named Derek and Asali. They seemed to fight every time Ayumi turned around, but in reality, they were best friends. They welcomed Ayumi with open arms and dirty jokes, helping her adjust to her new lifestyle as quickly as possible.

As more freshmen started piling in, Asali took Ayumi aside and pulled out some textbooks. “Wanna look these over real quick?” Asali asked.

Ayumi smiled. “Okay.”

They started flipping through some pages, glancing at chapters and various pictures. “So what brings you to Blue Llama?” Asali asked.

“Oh… this is going to sound silly, but I’m trying to find new purpose in life.”

“So you do that by spending thousands of dollars going to college?” Asali raised an eyebrow.

Ayumi shrugged. “It was my father’s idea.”

“Me, I’m here because it’s always been my dream to be the first chick in my family to actually make something of herself.” Asali smiled. “I come from a long line of dropouts and good-for-nothings.”

Their conversation was short-lived, as orientation was beginning in a building a few blocks away.

Ayumi glanced at the boards set up for new students and inhaled sharply. This was it. She was going to make something of herself here. This was serious.

That being said, she knew she would have to find a way to make friends if she was going to spend the next year here, so she started up a pool game upstairs.

She didn’t make a huge impression with her fellow pool players, but did manage to get herself invited to a juice kegger later that night.

Ayumi had never even been near a drink in her entire life. She awkwardly stood in the corner of the house at the party until Asali noticed her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm, yanking her towards the keg. “Lemme teach you how to do it,” she said.

“Do what?? What is this thing??”

Asali wrapped her arms around Ayumi’s legs and hoisted her up until she was upside down, hovering her mouth over the nozzle. Ayumi let out a yelp and Asali lowered her into the nozzle. “Drink it!” she shouted.

Ayumi struggled for a minute, choking on the juice coming out of the keg. Eventually, her wings started flapping and she was able to hover herself over it without Asali’s help.

“There you go! Chug!” Asali cried.

A group crowded around the keg and cheered Ayumi on. Ayumi closed her eyes and chugged as much as she could before she felt the room spinning. She stopped her wings and crashed onto the floor, staring up at everyone. There was laughter and clapping, but Ayumi only noticed that her eyesight was blurred.

The whole party was a blur to Ayumi. She remembered dancing for a little while and had a hunch she had gone streaking, but she couldn’t quite recall. As the night approached, she saw everyone starting to retreat either in pairs into dorm rooms or on their own into their cars. Ayumi wobbled out of the dorm and tried to figure out where she was so she could get home.

The streets were spinning, her head was pounding, and her arms felt like jelly. She couldn’t even get her wings to flap properly.

Asali left soon after Ayumi did and saw her struggling to stand up straight. Asali put an arm around her. “First time partying?” she laughed.

“First… time…” Ayumi held her forehead. Her stomach churned. Suddenly, she felt the urge to lurch forward and open her mouth, vomiting all over the sidewalk. She fell to her knees and curled up into a ball. “I’m just gonna sleep now,” she slurred.

Asali picked her up, threw her over her shoulder, and walked to someone’s car. She set Ayumi down in the backseat and pointed the driver in the direction of their dorm. Asali slapped Ayumi on the back, making her want to throw up again, and smiled. “See ya in the morning!” Asali cried. The car sped away towards their dorm.

The driver stopped in front of the building, helping Ayumi stand up and walk inside. Ayumi kept swallowing, her throat too dry to satisfy her thirst. She made her way to the kitchen and broke a few glasses while trying to pour herself some water. Thinking she might also be a little hungry, she pulled out some ingredients from the cabinets and tried to make sense of them. She had seen her Uncle Cid cook so many times that it looked easy to master. All she had to do was throw some things in a bowl and boil some water on the stove. She had never even touched a stove in her lifetime, but how hard could it possibly be?

The wailing of the fire alarm sobered her up quickly enough to realize she had set the stove on fire. Her Brave trait kicked into full gear and she ran towards a fire extinguisher, putting out the fire before any of her roommates came down to see the disaster she had just caused.

Once that incident was over with, she trudged up the stair to her own room, sloppily tore off her clothing, slipped on pajamas, and snuggled into bed. Her head was still pounding and her arms felt even weaker than they had earlier. Her first day at college was certainly full of excitement, but she hoped as she fell asleep that the rest wouldn’t be quite that eventful.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Russel had considered retiring for a few years now. He had completed his Lifetime Wish and was hardly using any of his brain cells anymore at work. Composing music for movies had become second nature. He could do it in his sleep. He had won several awards for his work and been praised by countless names in the industry. It had finally sunk in that he had gotten everything he could out of the job and there was nothing left for him there.

He made the phone call officially retiring from his job with a heavy heart, as he knew he would miss it, but knew that at some point he would have grandchildren, and it was more important to him to spend time with them than at a meaningless job.

Cid, Hercules, and Asellus all congratulated Russel on finally taking that step. Russel grinned as Cid hugged him. “So, big guy, what are you going to do now?” he asked.

Russel shrugged. “When one of you kids gives me grandchildren, I’ll be spending all that retirement money on them!”

Asellus shook her head. “Don’t look at me, Dad, I don’t plan on it.”

Hercules scratched his arm. “Hopefully I’ll be able to get you some,” he mumbled.

When Vincent arrived home from work, he gave Russel his congrats and invited him to watch some television. Hercules and Cid joined them.

Russel wasn’t watching the TV. He was looking around at his family, happily spending time with him doing something as mindless as watching a sports highlight reel. He had an epiphany at that moment, realizing he had developed a new trait over the last few years. He had become Nurturing. He had learned how to identify with his children and had successfully helped them into adulthood. That made him happier than knowing he didn’t have to work everyday anymore.

Much to his surprise, Hercules received a text from Billee asking him to meet her at one of the hangouts in the middle of town. He reluctantly agreed and took a cab there.

She was hovering next to her car, waving at him. As Hercules got closer to her, he noticed a rancid smell coming from her. Evidently, she had not showered in awhile.

“Hey Herc,” she said softly.

“Hello.” Hercules scratched his head. “Why did you want to meet me here?” he asked.

Billee shrugged. “I don’t know, I just thought you and I could spend some time together. Mind if we go inside?”

Hercules nodded.

Once they got inside, Hercules heard beautiful music. He turned his head and noticed an athletic woman playing the guitar. He smiled and bobbed his head to the beat before Billee stood directly in front of him, trying to show off the sexy attire she had on.

“What do you think?” she asked, slowly swaying her torso from side to side.

Hercules blinked a few times. “You look… nice,” he started. He cocked his head to the side. “What’s this about, anyway? I thought you were mad because you thought I only liked you for your looks?”

Billee held her hands out, frowning. “I’m not trying to date you again,” she clarified, “I just thought that there wasn’t any reason we couldn’t still be friends.”

Hercules sighed, pushing his glasses up his face. “Oh… I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Billee, I really liked you. I really thought we had a future together.” He shook his head. “I’m not the kind of guy who is going to agree to be your friends with benefits.”

Dropping the act, Billee lowered her eyes. “It’s only woohoo, Herc, it’s no big deal. We did all kinds of stuff when we were going out, anyway, it’s not like it would be weird or anything.”

“It would be weird. It would be weird for me.” Hercules held his hands up to his face. “I’m sorry, Billee, but I’m not interested.”

She scowled. “So that’s the way it’s gonna be, huh? I basically throw myself at you and you turn me down. What kind of a man turns down free woohoo?? What kind of a man are you, Hercules??” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe this. I’m going home.” She turned around on her heels and stormed out the door.

He started wringing his hands, trying to keep himself calm. He didn’t even realize the woman on the guitar had stopped playing and was standing right behind him.

“What a bitch,” Hercules heard. He whipped around and saw the woman with her hands on her hips. “Sorry you had to go through that crap.”

“Oh, it’s alright. Sorry you had to see it.”

“Don’t take what she said to heart. The kind of man you are is a good one.” She held out her hand. “I’m Diana Ruth,” she greeted.

Hercules smiled. “Hercules Thrones.”

She gasped. “Thrones? No way, for real?”

“Yeah… why?”

“Are you related to Vincent Thrones?”

Hercules nodded. “He’s my brother.”

Diana laughed. “This is going to sound stupid, but, I work at the stadium and I see him all of the time. I’ve got this huge crush on him, but I’ve never been brave enough to talk to him myself.” She scratched the back of her neck. “I hate to ask, but, would you mind talking me up to him? You’d really be doing me a solid.”

It was a strange request, sure, but Hercules didn’t mind. Vincent was’t going to be meeting anybody on his own anytime soon, so he would probably be doing him a favor by introducing him to Diana. “Why don’t you just come over? I’m headed home anyway. You’ll get to talk to him face to face.”

Diana covered her mouth. “Shut up. Are you being serious?”

She hugged him hard, cracking his back in a few places. “I owe you one, man, I mean it. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask!” She pulled away and rubbed her palms together in excitement. “Shall we go?”

Vincent had been entrusted to look after Ayumi’s animals, since Asellus refused to go near them and Hercules was too afraid of getting bit. Vincent didn’t particularly enjoy the chore, but he made due.

He methodically went to each cage and gave her pets the appropriate amount of food. He even tried talking with them to make sure they weren’t lonely, but that became a little awkward and he stopped after a few attempts. He wasn’t a big fan of cleaning the cages, but he did it anyway. Out of all his siblings, Ayumi was his favorite, so he would endure the uncomfortable cleanings to keep her pets alive and healthy.

Later that night, as soon as he sat down to unwind, Hercules walked through the door and called for him to come over.

When Vincent turned around, he saw a woman standing next to Hercules. He could tell she had an athletic build, even through her outerwear, so he assumed she wasn’t with Hercules. Vincent cleared his throat and tried to casually act as if he was checking out his muscles. Hercules rolled his eyes, for Vincent was not discreet at all and didn’t fool anybody.

Diana giggled. Vincent pulled his arms over his head and stretched, straightening his posture as he walked over to where they stood. “Hey there, Herc,” he said, keeping his eyes on Diana. “Who’s your friend?”

She extended her hand to him and shook it. “Diana Ruth,” she said.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. “That name sounds familiar… hey, do you happen to work at the stadium?”

Diana tried to hide her gasp. “Y…yeah!”

“I thought so! You’re a… um…” Vincent pointed at her, racking his brain trying to remember where he had seen her before. “You do concessions, right?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I saw you cleaning up after games every so often. You have to wear that goofy outfit.” He stifled a laugh. “I thought I heard people calling you ‘Diana’.”

Hercules watched as the two fell into a long conversation as if they had been waiting to speak to each other for years. He lowered his gaze and wandered off into his bedroom, laying on his belly on his bed, hiding his face in a pillow.

There was a spark between Vincent and Diana. It probably wouldn’t be long until they started dating each other. Hercules had also started to think that someone was involved in Asellus’s life, as she was hardly coming home at nights anymore. She tried to hide it, but everyone knew. There was a man in her life. Hercules knew he was a little jealous, for he had been so unlucky in love for so long. He was starting to think it would never happen for him.

He took off his glasses and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall asleep. Maybe he should stop looking for a mate and just focus on winning the ranked chess tournament? He needed to stop putting so much effort into finding a relationship and just let life play itself out. If romance was in the cards for him, then it would happen on its own.

Whether that was true or not, it was a better thought than assuming he was simply undateable.

Vincent and Diana moved their conversation outside and started playing basketball. Diana wanted to prove she wasn’t afraid of the cold, so she changed into her athletic clothing. Vincent was not that brave and kept his outerwear on.

Diana couldn’t make a basket, but Vincent found that adorable. She looked so cute trying to make a three-pointer. She would crinkle her nose when aiming to make the shot. She even tried to get her own rebounds, only to slip and fall into the snow, laughing.

Vincent couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. There was something about her personality that just brought a smile to his face that he couldn’t wipe off.

When Diana started shivering, Vincent led her inside. One thing led to another, and before long, Vincent and Diana were warming themselves up on Cid’s bed.

Asellus was rarely ever home.

She did manage to take advantage of her ‘situation’ with her boss and used it to force him to promote her every week. In the beginning, she was only staying over nights. At this point, however, she would spend the night and then stay at his house for most of the day.

In an odd manner, Asellus and Octavio had actually begun to develop somewhat of a friendship outside of his bedroom. She tried to play fairy tricks on him and he would cause them to backfire, for he had learned her behavior and knew what she was planning before she thought of it.

“You’ve failed again, Thrones,” he said after one such event.

Asellus shook her head. “Knock it off! You can’t keep avoiding my tricks forever!”

“No, I can’t. Because you don’t live here.”

Asellus froze. She held up her hands. “Ohhh no, don’t start that. I don’t feel that way about you.”

Octavio raised an eyebrow. “Sure, sure. You don’t feel that way at all.”

She clenched her fists and put them by her side. “I don’t, and neither do you!”

“How do you know how I feel, hm?”

“Rowell, don’t start this. This is strictly woohoo, and nothing else.”

“You should move in with me.”

Asellus’s eyes widened. “Hell no!”

“How about, move in with me or you’re fired?” Octavio crossed his arms.

“You can’t do that!”

“You’ve been blackmailing me with your alluring body for weeks now, why shouldn’t I be able to blackmail you?”

“Blackmail or bribe?” Asellus closed her eyes. “No, it doesn’t matter. I’m not doing it. You’re a good lay and all, but I don’t want to live with you. You’re my boss.”

Octavio looked away from her. “If I fire you, then I’m not your boss anymore, am I?”

Asellus took a few steps backward and stomped upstairs, grabbing her pants and slipping them on. She muttered a few curses under her breath before returning downstairs and petting Poppo on the head. She glared at Octavio and pointed a finger at him. “You think you’re the only guy I’m bedding right now?” she taunted. Octavio’s expression held steady. “Please. I’m not a one-man kind of girl. I am ashamed you would think otherwise.” She headed towards the door, putting on her shoes. “If you fire me, there is no way in hell I’m going to live with you. I need a man who has a spine for pete’s sake, a man who isn’t going to let me just walk all over him.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s right, I said it!” Asellus hovered above the ground. “You’ve been giving me promotions left and right because I threaten you with exposing our… ‘relationship’. You’re a wuss. You’re a pansy. You would make a terrible leader of evil. It’s a damn good thing I’m around to take the title away from you.”

As she placed her hand on the doorknob, Octavio stomped over to her. He slammed the door shut just as she tried to open it. She landed back on the floor and stared at him. He leaned over her, placing his arm right above her head, keeping his body just barely away from her own. He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “Not only could I end your career in an instant… I could absolutely ruin your idea of the perfect man in a split second. You think I’m a good lay now? You haven’t seen nothing yet.” He lightly touched her waist with his fingertips, slowly moving them up her side. “I could show you the best time of your life, crushing any inkling of an idea that there is someone better than me for you out there. I can make you mine. I can make you crave me.”

Asellus kept silent for a brief second. She inhaled deeply, fighting her heartbeats against her throat. She shook her head. “You think that turns me on? Please. I’m out of here.” She shoved him away from her and exited the house, taking a few steps away from it before pausing to catch her breath.

When Hercules made the final phone call for his ranked chess tournament, he was stunned to hear his own father’s voice on the other end. Russel walked outside and sat down at the chess table, tapping the board a few times.

“Dad? You’re my final opponent?” Hercules stated.

Russel nodded. “I’ve been practicing on my own for a couple days,” he answered, “since I’m retired, I have a lot of time to do things.”

“I… I don’t understand…”

“Well, we had a great time playing for fun, I thought this would be a good way to end your journey.” Russel pointed to the other chair. “Have a seat.”

Hercules scratched his arm, anxiously staring at the chessboard. He was not expecting the one game that would determine whether or not he would gain the title would be against his own father. “O… okay…”

The match went well into the night… but only because Russel would take a very long time to figure out his next move.

Hercules wound up winning pretty easily, he just had to endure a few hours of gameplay to get to that point.

The match ended and Hercules sighed in content. He had won. He had just achieved his lifetime wish. All he needed to do now was report his winnings to City Hall to retrieve his certificate. He hugged Russel as tightly as he could. When they pulled apart, they burst into laughter.

“You were awful,” Hercules cried.

Russel wiped tears away from the corners of his eyes, trying to catch his breath in the middle of his laughter. “I know, I know. I wanted to be a part of this tournament just so we could play together, I didn’t think I’d be your last opponent!”

They shared a few more chuckles before Hercules slowly became serious. Russel caught on to the change in atmosphere and held his own composure. “I think it’s time for me to move out,” Hercules said.

Russel slowly nodded. “I understand, Herc.”

“I think I just need to get out on my own now and start my own life… maybe find a woman to have a family with.”

Russel placed a hand on Hercules’s shoulder. “You are a good son, Herc. You have done a lot of good things in this world. You will have a happy life no matter where you are or what you do.” Russel walked inside the house, motioning for Hercules to follow.

He led him to his room and pulled an envelope out of a dresser, handing it to Hercules. He opened it and gasped. “Dad, no! This is too much!”

Russel held up his hand. “It’s just to get you started. Help you find a good house to live in. Don’t worry, I have plenty of money. I’ve been saving this for years.”

“You have?”

“Ever since our little talk, I have been putting money aside just for you.” Russel held out his arms and hugged Hercules again, closing his eyes and smiling. “I love you, Hercules.”

“I love you too, Dad. Thanks for everything.”

The next morning, Hercules left the Thrones household, determined to start a life all his own. He bought a nice house on the edge of Moonlight Falls, hopeful for a brighter future than the unfortunate past he had to endure.