Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Colter
New York City, Planet Earth
While the kingdom searched, the prince they were looking for, had decided to settle down and find peace in this new world he found himself in. It had taken a few mistakes and misunderstandings as he absorbed their culture. How humans talked, how they walked, how they went about their daily lives. He was away from the iron grips of his father; no longer would he suffer his brother’s schemes.
Weeks passed by in this new world, as Colter took in everything. He found himself learning more about humans day by day, he took residence on an abandoned rooftop. The prince noticed various similarities between Ecanus and human customs.
He learned how to dress and hide himself among them, no one noticed he was not from their world. He did get tons of glances from strangers who admired his appearance.
“This world is weird in a lovable way” Colter had said to himself as he observed the people below, “Their ways of courtship are admirable. The way they express their love and adoration with material possessions.”
He had noticed this from watching couples on dates, how one man bent down on his knee and showed the woman a ring and the woman cried tears of joy.
It was a thing to behold, as this world was a mixture of good and evil. There were nights we spotted crimes happening and no one helping them. He had to stop himself from interfering as it would expose him to this world. Colter simply watched and let it happen.
“Their guards aren’t as well-built as ours” he commented one time, watching policemen arrest a mugger. “Their weapons are so tiny; how could it do damage in actual battle?” as he saw them draw their handguns and point them at the escaping suspect.
As the days passed, he also observed Vida and her habits. How she was working at a tavern of some sort, serving drunken and lecherous men who tried to grab her.
His admiration for her peaked when she fought back and told off a drunkard who tried to pinch her buttocks.
“It seems the women in her are as feisty as they come, not tame and weak willed.”
He observed silently, quietly, waiting for the day to come when he could finally show himself once more to Vida.
He had flown under the cover of night to various places in New York City, he dared not venture far as he saw that there were birds made of steel, like their carriages patrolling the night sky.
“I wonder what this Lady Liberty is famous for…” Colter told himself as he saw the towering figure of the Statue of Liberty. He had even stayed for a few moments in her torch and enjoyed the sights.
He had learned of their currency as well, how they used monies to pay for services, being royalty, the prince was never taught the concept of money. Everything was handed and given to him and the crown would pay for whatever expenses that may have incurred.
To him, these humans seemed to be attached to these weird looking pieces of paper that were printed with pictures of men.
Now, in the present day, equipped with this knowledge he accumulated over the days, along with the sketch that made its way into this alien world with him, he wanted to see Vida again. He was dressed like a normal human being, in clean shirt and pantaloons that he had taken hanging from a wire.
“I want to tell you I’ve been having more dreams about you lately” he spoke softly to the drawing of Vida, “Were you dreaming of me too?”
There was also a single tulip in his hand, as he had seen from this crystal that these humans watched from, they called it a ‘television’ that these flowers were given to the person whom you admired the most.
Colter was ready to give it to her and prepared to make his way towards Burn’s.
---
Vida
Burn’s, New York City
The afternoon bustle had just ended and Vida felt drained, sweat had formed on her brows while her usually beautiful brown hair was tied in a severe knot over her head.
“Well that was some shift, huh?” Tessa commented as they wiped down the tables, sounding relieved that the afternoon crowd had already left. But Vida wasn’t paying attention at all, she was still thinking about Colter from weeks ago, wondering how he was doing now.
“I can’t believe that freak tried to drag me into the bathroom for a quickie, at least take me out to dinner first, hun!” Tessa ranted, but Vida still wasn’t listening to her, lost in her own thoughts. Worrying about the man who had lain unconscious in the middle of the streets of New York, the man that literally came from her dreams.
Then, a car had parked in front of the bar, the two noticed this and they went quiet as all focus went towards it. For a split-second Vida thought it would be Colter coming out, but she remembered how he looked and how out of this world he was. She buried her disappointment and continued wiping at the table that she was working on.
Then Tessa’s ear piercing shrieked filled the empty bar followed by repeated ‘Oh my gods’, Peter turned to look at the commotion and shook his head with a smile at the usual suspect.
“Hey Tessa” Vida called out to her, not looking at her friend still focused on the table, it was already clean but somehow, she was still wiping at it, absentmindedly. “I’m right beside you and you shriek like a banshee from those books I read.”
“Bitch look!” Tessa announced excitedly, hitting Vida in the shoulders trying to get her attention, “Look who’s here!”
Rolling her eyes, Vida turned to look and saw Harry Fletcher entering the place. He was wearing a tailored suit that matched his luxurious vehicle, it was like heaven’s perfect bachelor and anyone would drool at the idea of Harry coming over to them.
He was carrying a bouquet of tulips; they were countless and neatly arranged and tied with a beautiful pink ribbon. Tessa wagged her eyebrows at Vida who only sighed, feigning annoyance at her friend’s actions. Putting on her best smile, she turned towards Harry who also gave her his gleaming smile.
“Momma needs sunglasses, those pearly whites are gonna make me blind!” Tessa commented from the side, fanning herself.
“These are for you, Ms. Vance” Harry told her, handing her the bouquet, her slightly hesitate made Tessa nudge her towards Harry and in that split second, Vida wanted to snap at her best friend but held back.
“Pink Tulips with a pink ribbon.” Vida breathed staring at it, as she took them from Harry’s hand, Tessa was making hushed shrieking sounds in the background at what was happening. “These are my favorite.”
Harry flashed her another smile, “I’m glad you like them, Vida”
“Like them?! SHE LOVES THEM!” Tessa blurted out, unable to control herself and Vida had to hush her in annoyance.
Her hands shook as she held these tulips, Harry was such a good person, good looking, educated and all that, but she just could not remove Colter from her thoughts.
“So, Vida” Harry continued, “How about it? Want to go out for dinner? My treat, of course.”
---
Colter
Burn’s, New York City
His hair was swept by the wind, as he landed discreetly in a deserted alley near Burn’s. He had found the proper paths to take in order for him not to be spotted flying around the city. He didn’t want that attention. The stress started to build on him as his anticipation of seeing Vida again loomed, Colter was now flustered as he tried to pat down his hair into something respectable. He ironed out his clothes by heating up his palms with his powers.
“Alright, Colter Howard!” He told himself to shake away his jitters, “Moment of truth!”
The alley was completely deserted. A couple wanted to use this as a shortcut, but the moment they saw Colter talking to himself made them decide to take another route, funnily enough, the woman turned back to look at Colter, who she found incredibly attractive. Her boyfriend forcefully turned her away as they walked off.
The thoughts of Vida consumed him like wildfire all this time and it was finally time to see her . He had learned about humans, and he would learn even more, but the yearning for this person who had invaded his dreams burned supreme.
It took priority above all else, he was no longer decked out in what Vida’s friend said ‘medieval’ outfit. He was wearing a black jacket over a navy crew cut shirt that fit and complimented his figure perfectly, also these were taken off an innocent person’s laundry wire.
He slapped himself a few times lightly to psyche himself up and started to make his way out of the alley and into Burn’s.
But as his line of sight reached the bar, he saw Vida facing another man, holding a bunch of flowers that were the exact same thing Colter was about to give her.
“Oh. Damn. That’s a lot more than what I have.” He muttered to himself pathetically, staring gloomily at what he had in his hands. He glanced at the man and he saw that he was dressed well, he was smiling at Vida and she was smiling in return.
“He must be royalty, that carriage in front of the tavern must be his, it looks fit for a king” Colter commented sadly, lowering his head in defeat and putting the flower and sketch in his pockets.
“What were you thinking, idiot?!” his brain screamed at him, “Did you really think you’d win against the other people in this world?”
The sadness boiled over and he felt tears slightly sting his eyes, but he fought them back stubbornly.
“Arrogance and naivety” his brain continued, insulting him, “Humans weren’t made for us.”
The thoughts overpowered him and he felt his world darken, it was as if the walls had collapsed and there was no point in continuing while his own brain berated him for thinking that everything was easy to do.
“I think I should just go home or something” Colter muttered dejectedly, turning away and preparing to walk off, “Or not, father would lock me up forever. I could just live out my whole existence here in misery.”
“This isn’t a fairy tale” he continued, “I was an idiot to think I could have her as soon as I walked in, I didn’t think about the fact that there could be other men in her life. I had stupidly believed that she was some sort of destiny and she was meant to be with me…”
As he prepared to take off, there was a light but firm tap on her shoulder.
Her voice rang in his ears as she heard the words that suddenly brought light from his spiraling gloom.
“Colter, you leaving me without saying hello? You’re just going to walk away?” It was Vida.