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The next day, everybody seemed to be busy with something. Kai spent his time training with Lloyd at the dojo in the city, under the watchful eye of their new co-sensei: “Grand Sensei” Dareth.
“Watch your form, little serpent!”
“Ah- …what did you just call me?”
“Think about it. Your gi is green, like a viper! Strike like one, and you’ll never lose!”
Lloyd rolled his eyes, but did inadvertently follow Dareth’s advice. A swift kick below the belt knocked Kai to his knees, leaving him breathless.
“Nice job, Lloyd.”
Lloyd chuckled and helped Kai stand up.
“All in a day’s work.”
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Meanwhile, on the deck of the Destiny’s Bounty, Zane found themself training alone. Yes, their joints were still sore and achy from the exertion from the Ninjaball Run, but they couldn’t let themself “decondition” and lose their stamina.
As the night grew later, Zane’s intense training soon transitioned to solo rehearsals for the college flag team. With a big game coming up later in the week, they had to keep up with all of the quick choreography. This wasn’t just flag twirling and looking pretty: Zane’s status on the team meant they were trusted with mind-bending acrobatic tricks and contortion feats that made everyone else’s head spin.
“One more time.”
The sun set behind them as they ran through the last number. As one of Metallica’s most popular songs played, Zane ran through the slow pace of the beginning. And once the guitar sped up, so did their movements. The flag twirling against the vibrant sunset made for some of the best photos Cole had ever taken up to that point, perfect for his own Photography class.
“Nice…” He whispered to himself.
Jay sat next to Cole on the upper deck, not paying attention at all to the shuttering of the camera. Instead, he was transfixed by Zane’s buttery smooth dance moves and the waving of the flag in the mild breeze.
“Why are they ending with “Enter Sandman”?
“Because it’s one of their most recognizable songs?”
“...it’s overplayed.”
“...Jay, you don’t even like this band.”
“That’s the point!”
As the dance finished up, Jay finally turned his phone’s video camera off and laid against the floor. Zane began to wrap their flag up and used their other hand to grab the small speaker they were using.
“That was awesome!”
Cole’s yell startled Zane, but that soon settled.
“How long have you two been up there?”
“...the whole time?” Jay replied. “Look, we were bored. And you’re gorgeous.”
Zane blushed, but rushed up to their partners.
“I see. Come on, it’s getting cold.”
“Alright, alright…”
Jay and Cole stood up, each holding one of Zane’s hands. Once Zane put their equipment inside, Cole led them to the kitchen where Nya had just finished building her ideal bahn mi sandwich.
“Oh, hey! There’s tomato soup on the stove. And everyone else is just making their own sandwiches. Help yourself.”
She winked at Zane, pointing to the pot of tomato soup. Zane nodded and grabbed a small mug, filling it with soup before making their way to the table. Before sitting down, though, they made sure to grab their Torah. Nobody else seemed to notice, so it was the perfect time for them to get some reading done before everyone else piled in for dinner.
“Ok… where was I? Tehillim - Chapter 89…”
Zane flipped to the specific chapter, and Wu sat down with his bowl of soup. As he began to nibble at his plain grilled cheese sandwich, Zane settled into their reading.
“A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. The kindnesses of the Lord I shall sing forever; to generation after generation I shall make known Your faithfulness, with my mouth. For I said, "Forever will it be built with kindness; as the heavens, with which You will establish Your faithfulness." I formed a covenant with My chosen one; I swore to David My servant-”
As they finished reading, Lloyd settled in next to Zane with just a slice of toast to dip in his soup. While he ate, he peeked over at Zane’s reading.
“Mom? What does countenance mean?”
“Huh? Oh, that depends. As a verb, it means “admit as acceptable or possible”. As a noun, it’s either “a person's face or facial expression”, or “support”. I think in these two verses, it’s that last meeting.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
Zane settled back in as Kai sat to the far end of the table. Next to his bowl of soup was a stack of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, the smell of which pissed Jay off for a reason Kai couldn’t quite grasp.
“Seriously? How can you eat that shit? Pigs don’t even chew their own cud!”
“How is that relevant?”
They continued to argue, but Zane drowned it out. Nya sat to the other side with her assortment and read the last of Zane’s chapter just as they finished up. Zane chuckled as they noticed her, but wasn’t angry in the slightest.
“I just think it’s neat.” She replied. “Oh, before I forget: I’m making my offering to Medusa tonight, and I have some extra seaweed. Wanna join me?”
“Yes, actually. I don’t have anything else planned.”
“Sweet. You know… she actually really likes your offerings.”
“Is that the case?”
She nodded, and they both settled into their food. As everyone got comfortable at the table, Zane noticed the sunset peeking out from the window. They abandoned their soup to notice the colors in the sky shifting to welcome the night’s darkness, instantly feeling relaxed and at ease.
“A perfect end for the perfect night.”