Melbourne was practically fuming as she wandered around the boat looking for a quiet place to talk with Tenacius. She had questions that needed to be answered – very important diiiiiire questions. WHY did she feel like her tongue was made out of lead and not flesh and blood and muscle? ”I don’t like this” she told her Pygmypuff friend that she had snuck onto the boat with her and that was using her shoulder like a flying carpet.

”I don’t even know if he’ll come and talk with me Watson…we’ll have to see” she sighed and leaned her hand against the wall closest to the main door to the engine room. Where was he?

Was he going to join her? Was she going to get the answers she wanted? ”I really want to know…you know that” she told the Puff as it chirped on her shoulder likely trying to warn her of the pressing danger of a ghoul that would likely not mind eating the fuzzy pink creature. ”…do you think that’s the reasons he h-hates me?” she questioned her voice cracking as she spoke to no one in particular… ”if that’s the case maybe I’ll never kiss him again…ever…because you know I have options” she sighed her eyes lazily captured by the dull sparkle of her shoes. ”…I mean, I obviously have options I came here with Kirk…and…and then there’s Carl and all gosh their faces are so distracting but so is Layla’s…her face is really distracting but like you get it right Watts? I want to sketch it” she nodded to herself and sighed. Why was she just talking?

Melbourne hadn’t even turned when the door opened. The Gryffindor had honestly attributed the creaking noises to something more akin to the noises a boat would make while swaying on its anchor. Like the metal and the ship were pleading with the anchor to give way, to set sail, to not be tethered to one place anymore but that wasn’t what was happening.

”MERLIN! Don’t sneak up on people” the words hissed out of the Gryffindor’s mouth as she jumped upon hearing him ask to whom she was talking to. ”….um….Watson, my PygmyPuff” she admitted with a slight upward flick of her eyebrow as she turned to look at the nautically dressed friend of hers…still, her heart was racing and balled her hands into tight fists when she watched him in the doorway.

After just looking at him for however long it took for her to blink at him not once, but five excruciatingly slow times she began to speak once more. ”…Tenacius I have a question for you” she said as she started slowly inching closer to him and closer to the light, she needed to see his reactions to map the way the muscles in his face moved and contorted as he thought. She needed to know the truth, everything. ” – have you and Sammy ever kissed? I mean…I’m only asking because she’s…we’ve - ugh” she threw her hand against her forehead in an exasperated manor and frowned at him and the floor and everything around them even the very boat they were standing in. ”…Sammy hasn’t been very happy or friendly with me since last year when you know we kissed and I just was curious…because if you have then she probably likes you” she paused the words were what she truly believed that Samantha Swynford was hopefully in love with her cousin by adoption…not to mention they were in England it wouldn’t have mattered if he had been her blood cousin.

” – if…“ she paused for a moment as she glanced at his face her eyes ”you’re…you” the words were there what she wanted to say but still, she didn’t want to say it. The desire to just disappear into the shadows like a chorus member in a musical made her seemingly do exactly that, her body frozen in place she just looked at him. ”I care…obviously, I’m not heartless but you know that Samantha is absolutely in love with you…why else would she go from being friendly with me to this?” her eyes were stinging as the words seemed to be pouring out of her mouth faster now as she seemed to stand there facing him down. ”…its like I don’t even exist to her anymore – you know...I honestly think that everything would be normal and i'd still be treated like a part of our friend group if...if you hadn't kissed me last year" yes, that was something that Melbourne had come to believe. After it seemed, that Samantha hadn't even noticed or cared when Melbourne had surreptitiously switched dorm rooms...somehow being in the dorm with Olivia Holden had seemed far less hostile than staying with the girl, the friend...th-the former friend that treated her like the bubonic plague personified. Melbourne had had enough of the dead-eyed looks, the glares, and the fact that one Samantha Swynford wanted nothing to do with her. Really, she was even ready to pull back on all fronts to just stop any emotions that she ever had or that were possibly developing.

Melbourne Annika Johanson Sorin-Ward was going to get through this. "if by saying this that maybe we shouldn't have even ever kissed in the first place — which mind you I do think fondly on…and, I care I do I really care” was that a tear…maybe, or possibly something was leaking from the ceiling above them dripping on her face. Maybe the portal monster had returned to snatch her and her alone, merlin she would not mind that at all. ”…you don’t have to worry” she told him as she squared her jaw and tried to look and be as strong as she could. ”I’ll be strong…I’ll make it through this even if with all this you don’t even want to be my friend anymore” she told him the slight fear was there that telling him maybe kissing had been a mistake…she didn’t regret it though, not really she just was so completely hurt and confused as to how she had exactly lost Sam as a friend.

What had she done other than kiss Tenacius?

”…besides, I mean…I’ll manage I even had a date tonight so its not like I’m going to be a l-lost cause” she added in almost a whisper, her voice cracking as the girl standing in the engine room just stood there her arms slowly wrapping themselves around her own waist. It hurt, everything really hurt…why was this so hard to say?