Isle of Ikea, Sunday Evening

[arboreal_priestess]

"So we're not leaving without getting a bed and some meatballs. Everything else is optional, but definitely those two things."

Verity had been threatening to drag Liam to Ikea ever since the giant snowstorm and she'd seen the empty expanse he called a bedroom. Honestly, Liam? A chair? If their physical relationship ever moved past the whole 'glowing cloud of purple light' thing, Verity figured they'd sometimes want a place to retreat to where they didn't have to negotiate with mice for a bit of privacy.

Which they couldn't do with just a chair.

"Also, considering the size of the store, maybe we should have brought along a couple of guide ropes and maybe a GPS," she added as the doors opened and she took in the sheer size of the store. Though maybe having the entire island being named for it should have given her a clue. "Uhhh...excelsior?"

[For the guy!]

Comments

[arboreal_priestess]

"You have an invitation to a haunted castle in Scotland and you're trying to foist a trendy hotel on me?" Verity demanded, trying to sound outraged. Her expression was pure fondness, so it was a little tough, but, hey, points for trying. "Ghosts, Liam. Scottish cryptids! A castle!"

[firstofitskind]

There were... probably no cryptids, either. But no harm in looking, anyway.

"And also a curmudgeon of an old man who owns the place... which, fair warning, you might be drafted to test out a genetically-modified herbal cure or two."

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity waggled her eyebrows at him. "Since you're the sheriff, do I have to convince you I didn't inhale?"

[firstofitskind]

Liam laughed. "Not that kind of herbal cure. And besides, being legally dead means I don't actually have any sort of authority anywhere that's not the island anymore."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Oooh, so I have to wait until we're off the island to say that you're not the boss of me," Verity said with a thoughtful nod. "Though I can think of all sorts of times where it could be fun to have to be the boss of me, now that you mention it."

She gave him a saucy wink, heading over to inspect another bed, waaaaaaaaaaay too much swing in her hips for that to have been an innocent comment.

[firstofitskind]

"Really now," Liam drawled. "Good to know." He followed her over to the bed in question. "I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a bed or an entire living room furniture ensemble," he admitted.

[arboreal_priestess]

"I'm trying to figure out if it's supposed to fold up when it's not in use," Verity said, ducking down to look for springs and detachable pieces. "So, what kind of herbal remedies does your friend experiment with, if they're not the kind that gets you hungry?"

[firstofitskind]

"Last we spoke, he was working on mutating arnica to use as a cure for indigestion," Liam explained, watching Verity's investigations with amusement.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Eeesh," Verity said, giving up and standing. "I know arnica is good topically, if you have arthritis, but it's also toxic. I wouldn't ingest it. What's wrong with slipper elm and celandine?"

[firstofitskind]

"I don't know," Liam admitted. "I'm not sure where he gets most of his ideas, honestly. But I'm assuming the toxicity is why he's trying to mutate it."

[arboreal_priestess]

"I'll see if my mom has anything in her notes," Verity offered. "She's pretty much the closest most cryptids come to a doctor, at least those who can't send one of their own to med school. So she knows a lot about herbal treatments and stuff."

[firstofitskind]

"That'd put you in Alistair's good books for sure," Liam grinned. "Even if he wasn't already inclined to like you just from what I've told him."

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity pretended to gasp. "Mr. Kincaid!" she said, folding her arms over her chest. "Have you been gossiping about me?"

[firstofitskind]

"A little," he admitted. She was a rather significant part of his life on the island, after all. He was also fairly certain she was teasing, but still; "If you'd rather I didn't..."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Only if you don't fill me in right now on what you're saying," Verity said, grinning at him. "I'm nosy."

And also gossiped with Sarah all the time, which meant she hardly had a leg to stand on.

[firstofitskind]

"Well, I told him about your dancing, of course," Liam grinned. "Though now he's disappointed that competition show you were on doesn't exist anywhere in our reality."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Your reality is clearly objectively worse than mine," Verity declared. And this was before she knew about the lack of cryptids, ugh. "If you don't have the very best reality competition show of all time. I'd even say that if I hadn't been on it!"

They were absolutely going to watch clips on Youtube, just Liam wait.

[firstofitskind]

Oh no. What a terrible fate.

“Yeah, but you still have plane travel,” Liam said with exaggerated disdain. “So I think it evens out.”

[arboreal_priestess]

"Yes, but in the World Edition of Never Have I Ever, I can still say that we've never been invaded by aliens attempting to take over the world," Verity retorted. She leaned back and gave him a long, slow, once over. "That does leave us lacking in the sexy savior department, I'll grant you that."

[firstofitskind]

“Technically I was supposed to save said aliens, too,” Liam reminded her.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity leaned over and dragged him in for another hug, resting her head on his chest. "I think being savior to even one species is a shitty thing to put on someone, never mind two," she told him.

[firstofitskind]

"It's complicated," Liam said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "But I do understand why he created me. What he felt needed to be done." Though it still stung a little that he hadn't been able to fulfill that directive.

[arboreal_priestess]

"But maybe he expected too much from a single person," Verity said softly. "He wanted you to do something he couldn't--and you still managed to achieve more than he ever could." She shook her head, hand cupping his cheek. "It's easy to measure the distance between the goal and where you fell short of it. It's a lot harder to measure how far you got, though."

[firstofitskind]

Ha'gel had been responsible for the creation of two species. Liam... had failed to save either, even if he'd managed to ensure humanity's survival.

"Maybe," Liam said, finally. "Got me here, at least. Can't complain about that."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Better not," she said, glaring up at him. "You're the best thing about this whole goddamn island. Probably the whole East Coast. Best thing that's happened to me in a long while, too."