Damn this was good!

Hence why I said "codified," not "created."

There's a metric ton of things pre-Pondsmith that I treat as proto-cyberpunk, because they have part of the picture but not the whole thing. The Sprawl trilogy is part of the way there (enough that it slots in neatly to the genre now), but it's not the whole package. Ditto Blade Runner, Hardwired by Walter Williams, Bubblegum Crisis, RoboCop, The Running Man, Akira, The Caves of Steel by Asimov... we could be here for a while if I just rattled off every work that put some ingredients into the soup pot.

Cyberpunk 2020 was what synthesized all of those genre elements into what we, in the modern day, immediately recognize as the cyberpunk genre and not just weird sci-fi noir stuff. It was the point at which cyberpunk went from a relatively loose literary movement, branched off from New Wave sci-fi, to a genre.

e: To put it another way, if CP2020/2077/ER is to cyberpunk as Star Wars is to space opera, then stuff like Neuromancer and Blade Runner slots into the same relative role to CP2020 that stuff like Flash Gordon and Lensman does for Star Wars.

Part 2 Perchance?

Way to go, remarkable regenerative abilities!

Do you have a sub?

Animals retrofitted with human brains

"Congrats kiddo, I can't put into words how happy I am."

Grandpa's words felt like a bomb shell on the dining table.

I swear to god you should have looked at my cousin's face when he heard that. Even his then girlfriend now wife had her mouth open wide. I could even see her fangs.

His parents weren't any less surprised either. I know my uncle was ready to fight his old man if he tried to pull anything funny.

But me? I knew. Hell I trained under that man.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Grandpa raised a toast and then proceeded to slice into his steak.

"So you aren't against this-??"

My cousin asked, his words felt flat in the end. Maybe due to sheer disbelief or perhaps excitement.

"No. why would I?"

"Weren't you a monster hunter back in your day?"

Grandpa's knife stopped half way into his medium rare.

He raised an eyebrow at my cousin before completing this cut and placing the meat into his mouth.

"I still am, kid."

"Then why?"

He looked at me and grimaced.

I grimaced back.

I knew what was coming.

He just got the best possible chance to say his favourite catchphrase. So I joined him as we said it out loud together.

"We hunt monsters."

My girlfriend couldn't understand WHY I seemed to be all over the place when it came to who, or what, I was. Truth be told, some days I didn't get it either. My father and mother seemed pretty average. Him being a Satyr via my gramps and half-witch on my grandma's side might have something to do with it. Mom? Oh, she's a full-blown vampire from the old country. No issue there. She even loves to do the old 'BLEH! BLEH BLEHHH!' joke that still tickles me to this day, honestly! Even I admit that my parents are an absolute blast when family and friends gather during the holidays. Life of the party when they've had a few bottles of wine in them. Heh heh! Still, after all the years my parents have been together even a blind man could see the desires they exude for each other & in which they would always continually relish...whiiiiiich is one of the reasons I moved out shortly after my older brother and sister did the same. Can you imagine what sounds like a full-blown wrestling match coupled with the lewdest porno you've ever heard turned up to full volume coming from the folks who brought you into this world? I can't tell you how many times I caught my dad coming out of their bedroom, sweating like he's run non-stop from the North-end to the distant South-shores, naked as the day he was born, dripping and SMELLING like ALL KINDS of pheromones. 'Mr. Natural' he calls himself, darn the chiseled abs on that old goat! More than once have I also seen my mother naked, too zonked out of her mind to bother covering up after 'big daddy' had another one of his 'best-nights-ever' with his wife/my mom. Once, she caught me looking (not my fault, I swear!) and smiled at me, gave me a wink, blew me a kiss & then continued to float toward the bathroom to 'freshen up.' She'd then hover to the kitchen to make him a roast beef sandwich (cooked rare, still bleeding, duh!) while nude, nude, nude, both her gravity defying 'girls' and 'full moon' clearly visible for anyone with a beating-pulse to see.

Wow.

I, uh...I could SEE why he married her!

Now imagine those sounds and images in your head for nineteen turns of the warm season?!?

Yeah. Ew.

That's around the time when I decided to become the BEST Paramedic-Healer I could be. To help the local residents with potions, medicine and medical attention? Yes, sure enough...but mainly because I was so very good at biology, math and all the science-magics. The fact that I'd be PAID HANDSOMELY for my efforts and easily be able to afford my own place wasn't exactly a major roadblock, either! True, my place isn't as picturesque as the castle I grew up in, but it's mine. The humans know how to build a good, sturdy apartment building! NONE of my physical forms even so much as warp the floorboards when I'm at my heaviest...and I live on the 5th floor, just below the penthouses! Thank goodness for those wide double doors at the entrance and the balcony! None of that seemed to matter to my current love interest, however. We're arguing for the umpteenth time about my hectic work schedule and me having to explain to her, yet again, why I can't come to one of her vapid parties with all her elf and worgen friends where the main rule for these giggling female revelers seemed to be 'drink until you vomit or pass out!'

Fucking elf lightweights! If you can't handle your ale & lager, don't DRINK so much! No wonder they're all so lanky and pale! Did no one ever tell them about eating a full meal BEFORE binge drinking!? Do you know how embarrassing it was having to show my dragon form to everyone at work? I had to FLY two of her intoxicated idiot friends to the ER one summer weekend because they enjoyed more mimosas than the piles of breakfast foods being offered during the buffet at our favorite local resort by the sea. Scared the absolute shit out of my direct supervisor who had to pull duty that weekend! Then I stood in the thankfully near empty parking lot, fighting the heat and humidity to change to my smaller centaur form so that I could rinse off inside the familiar locker room showers because one of the inconsiderate she-goons PUKED ON ME mid-flight! It was my bad luck that it had to be the big wolf girl who is always putting me down for not staying in the same form 24/7, the narcissist skank!

"For the last time, at day I'm a centaur, at night I'm a vampire, at the full moon I'm a werewolf, when I'm in water I'm a merman, during the hottest day I'm a dragon and at the coldest night I'm a yeti." What was so difficult for these drunken blockheads to understand about that!?

Not five seconds after my usual rant-"BLLUUUUUUUURGH!!"-alllllll overrrrr my left wiiiiiiing!

I sat on a smooth, wooden bench as the calming spray washed over me, letting my thoughts peacefully drift along as the hot, soothing water rinsed the orange-colored muck with that horrid bile aroma off of my person and down the drain. Seeing my lower half, I actually enjoyed how the brightly colored scales glistened in the sunlight from the small window high overhead even amidst so much steam. For a brief moment I was a little selfish, wondering if I could catch a much-desired nap on the worn leather couch a few feet nearby, just past the bathroom entrance. That hope was dashed when I heard the door swing open with a 'wooosh, BLAMM!' and close with a 'squeeeeeeeee, ka-lunk.' Within a minute I saw my supervisor step into the shower room with me wide eyed and aghast, her tall, curvy orc form a beautiful shimmering green vision before my eyes. I sat rigid and unmoving for a full minute before clearing my throat, her floral shampoo scent assaulting my brain and...other...parts...of my surprised and confused anatomy.

"Oh. Hey. Figured you'd be in here after I saw the spit-up all over your back from the wolf chick. Not gonna lie, I've been there before. Friends who drink too much can be a real pain inna ass, y'know?" Squirting more soap in her hands, she began to lather up her ample breasts and I watched enraptured as the pulsing water hit her surprisingly pretty face. It happily flowed through her short, dark, brunette hair, down her muscular shoulders to her flat stomach, around her generous hips and finally raced vertically toward her manicured feet, those long, shapely legs made so by years of running with both light and heavy patients embraced by her solid arms when in need of medical aid.

Waaait a second...did...did she say she figured I'd be in here??

I collapsed to my knees as the weight of Orpheus' body vanished, the pain in my chest and deep within my skull vanished as well. The world felt hazy, and I took a few steps into the thick white fog that drifted around me. I squinted against the bright light that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Was this one of Orpheus' tricks? It didn't feel like one, the accompanying headache was absent. I called out, my voice echoing through the infinite space. "Orpheus, we aren't done here."

"Actually," a voice answered back, causing me to search for the source of the sound, "You are done, this is the afterlife Jacob." He paused for a moment, "or do you prefer Huntsman, I understand that's what you called yourself in life."

"Jacob is fine, I never really liked The Huntsman anyway, that name was Orpheus' gift." I took a few more steps into the mist, searching for any feature beyond swirling white, "Is this all the afterlife is? A swirling mist? I'd expected more."

"No, this is just a template, a blank canvas for you to paint whatever you wish onto. That is the benefit of reaching Ilera, heaven as you call it on earth."

"Ilera, huh, so where is Orpheus. I assume the sanctimonious shit made it here as well?" I thought back to our battle in Time Square, to the blade he had rammed through my chest as I had shot a hole the size of my fist in his. Orpheus healed quickly, but not nearly quickly enough for that sort of wound. He must have died with me.

"Allen did not make it to Ilera. He is in Johera, one of the minor hells, where he will remain until he learns the error of his ways." I chuckled a bit at that, Orpheus, protector of the people, was named Allen. It was such a pitifully mundane name for someone so powerful.

"That doesn't make any sense, how could he be there if I've managed to get here?" I needed to sit down, and as soon as I had the thought a chair appeared beside me. As I sat on the wonderfully comfortable leather chair I'd summoned I asked the voice, "What got him sent there? He was a good man who fought for the good of the people? It doesn't make sense that he would be there while I, the man who stole billions and never spoke an honest word in my life would end up here."

"The difference," The voice said, "is that your crimes were only crimes on earth. You stole, but only ever from those who could afford to lose it. You lied, but only to those in power. It also helps that a good deal of what you stole went to those who needed it." I forgot about that, I'd donated a few billion dollars to charity to ease my conscience about living in luxury while others starved.

The voice continued, "Allen, on the other hand committed more serious crimes though he refrained from the minor ones you committed. He protected only those who did not need it, the wealthy and powerful. He worked in the interest of their bank accounts and hurt a lot of mostly innocent people to protect their investments." The speaker must have seen the look on my face for he assured me, "Don't worry, Allen thought he was doing the right thing, and this counts toward him a great deal, in fact if he had not broken into so many minds and rewritten the memories of so many he might have made it here himself."

"How long will he be there?" I asked. I had never particularly like Orpheus, or Allen I thought with a snicker, but he didn't really deserve to be in hell, even if it were temporary. He'd done what he'd done in an effort to do the right thing, and he'd acted on the morals he'd been taught, not the ones from this strange afterlife. Though I'd managed to avoid the wrong crimes, my choices were made out of self interest, even my massive donations that had earned me such credit were to help me sleep at night. I'd never really cared about the ones who had nothing. Orpheus had cared, he'd done all he could to maintain what he thought was moral rightness, but because he used the powers he'd been born with he would suffer? That wasn't right.

"Not long," the voice said, "Just until he repents, it usually only takes a few decades, though it may take him longer since he likely doesn't understand what he did wrong."

"And you're okay with this? Punishing a man for fifty years for something he didn't even know was wrong?"

"It is the way of things, I did not decide it, and you have no control over it. Best to put it out of your mind."

"What if I switched places with him? Can I not do so?"

"It has never happened before, but it may be possible. I will have to go and ask one higher than I, if you suddenly find yourself with a terrible headache and a pressure on your chest then know that your request was granted."

"Alright, but make sure you tell the bastard it was me who saved him eh?" He'd never believe it.

A few minutes later, the scene shifted into a black deeper than the darkest night, and the headache that exploded behind my eyes was impressive. I settled in for a long, uncomfortable wait where I hoped to discover a way to make myself worthy of the heaven that awaited.

[removed]

Tell us about yourself!

• Where do you live (State / Country)?
• Preferred pronouns?
• How long have you been on Reddit?
• How long have you been on r/WritingPrompts?
• Do you use r/WritingPrompts to read or write?
• Writers:
• How long have you been writing?
• What is your writing motivation?
• What programs do you use to write?
• How fast can you type? Try 1 minute on Aesop's fables
• Readers:
• How do you find prompt responses to read?
• Do you also write?
• if not, why haven't you tried?
• Want to share a photo? See our Photo Gallery!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* See Reality Fiction and Simple Prompts for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

🆕 New Here? ✏ Writing Help? 📢 News 💬 Discord

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

!!!FRUITY!!!

​

I was standing on the beach, sand in between my toes.

My long, silky black and silver hair flowing in the wind. I felt a little tap on my shoulder and I turned around. "Long time no see, cutie." She said. I studied her cautiously. A look of confusion must've went across my face because she asked me, "Is everything alright?" Questioning how this was possible, I quickly pulled myself together and proceeded the conversation with her.

I thought about how she still looked the same after 50 years. I didn't say it to her as I didn't want to be disrespectful, though I couldn't get my mind off of the question. "Are doing anything tonight?"

"No." I replied.

"Well, do you want to do anything while we're alone?" She asked.

I felt her hand touch my hand. Something about her made me feel weird inside, but a good kind of weird. Like the kind of feeling you get when someone nonchalantly asks to sleep with you. I could feel my face getting red. My legs tightened and I looked down at my lap. She leaned into my ear and whispered, "Do I have your consent?..." There was a moment of silence. I got up, taking her by the hand, and walked to my room. I unlocked the door and brought her inside. It was the same room, though in the past few years the owner renovated the place. I put my back to the door and slowly closed it, locking it. I backed her into a wall and put my hands on her waist.

"You have my consent." I whispered. "Do I have yours?" I questioned her.

"Yes darling. You have my full consent!" She responded excitedly.

I pressed my lips against hers and we started to make out. I kissed her in some other places and we ended up on the bed. I woke up in the morning to see her laying next to me. I laid back down and pressed my chest against her back. She warmed up my body and I instantly felt chills go down my spin.

When we both woke up, she explained to me how she wanted to stay here with me. I told her that I would love for her to stay here and we talked some more. Two years go by and we started to date. On our 3 year anniversary I proposed to her. We've now been together for over 8 years and we have 3 beautiful children.

I've been so happy in my entire life.

For the first time ever, the creature's behaviour changed. His grin fell, his eyes widened and his hair stood on end. Then it spoke it's first ever words to me:

"Keep walking, just keep fucking walking and maybe they didn't see us. Keep fucking walking."

This was strange change in the creature's mannerisms sent a chill up my spine. Suddenly very nervous, I kept walking. It wasn't until I was three blocks away that I realised I was alone. As in - properly alone. For weeks, that thing had been following me around like a bad odour, but now it was gone. I looked around, and didn't see it anywhere.

To this day, I still have no idea what any of this means. What was the creature, who was the woman, and why did the creature leave? I'll be pondering those questions until the day I die.

[removed]

It’s good. You can keep writing and feel good about what you make.

It was there, Evan could feel its gaze on the back of his neck. His body stiffed in response to his instincts that were telling him to run.

It's pointless, it would just appear right behind me even if I go to the North pole... Evan thought as he continued ordering.

"May I get another shot of espresso?" Evan told the barista as he pulled out his wallet from his back pocket.

"Sir, your drink already contains 2 shots of espresso, are you sure?" The always smiling barista had a frown on her face.

Shut the hell up and do what I say! Evan remained calm even though in his mind he was already in the process of screaming at the barista. "Yes, I'm sure." He uttered as he suppressed a yawn. He has barely slept since that....thing...appeared suddenly out of thin air. He could feel his mind decaying from the lack of proper hours of sleep. He became angrier, easily ticked off and sometimes violent. Thankfully the violence is just inside his head, but the situation is making him lose a little bit of his mind every day.

"As you wish." the barista added another shot of espresso to his coffee. "That would be 3 dollars."

Evan raised an eyebrow in surprise but still paid. "Why is it so cheap today?"

The barista shrugged. "I don't know, the owner came in the morning telling us to make a 30% discount on everything."

Evan only smiled and then walked away, he still had 15 minutes before he needed to be at work, he would sit down and enjoy his coffee before going to the company. He found an empty place and sat down, he spied the creature to his left, Evan looked at it. It was an ugly thing, Its skin was green as grass, scars adored Its exposed body. But his body wasn't the worst thing about It, but Its face was the root of the problem. Those big red eyes that didn't move an inch. Its nose, or in better terms the lack of one, it was like it was completely sliced off by a blade. Nails and small metal roads adorned Its face and pierced lips that were always grinning showing Its sharp teeth.

What an ugly bastard. Evan has tried to talk to it multiple times, but the creature would only look at him and grin. Evan didn't even know what gender it was, there was nothing in Its crotch region, just flat skin.

Evan looked away from the monstrous creature and looked outside the window, it was a nice day, cold, but it was expected, winter was here after all. The ringing of the front door of the coffee shop brought his attention to the person entering the shop.

Gasp. Evan almost spilled his coffee all over himself, but he didn't even notice that because of the woman that entered the shop. She was young, maybe early twenties or late teenage years. She was pretty but not anything special, but that wasn't what interested him, what interested him was the creature following the young lady. It was almost identical to the one following him except for the red skin color, purple pupils and the small horns on top of its head.

What in the actual fuck is going on? Evan was losing it, he was not alone in having these creatures following him? What were those creatures? What do they want?

Evan's gaze went back to the young woman and found her looking at him with a look of horror on her face. Their eyes connected and it was like a shared understanding went through them, they both don't know what these creatures are.

Evan felt a chill down his spine, it was like death was looking at him, he looked at the direction the feeling came from and the woman's creature was looking at him and moving Its fingers in a weird way, if it was any normal human then their fingers would've broke but not this one weird being, Its fingers followed Its every command and nothing happened to them.

"Finally we meet, Zlanoth, you've become uglier than I remember." A coarse voice speaking in a weird tongue that Evan understood for some reason came from his left. Evan looked and it was none other than the creature that has been following him for weeks on end without speaking a word.

The red skinned creature cranked Its neck and stared at the green one. "Ah, look who do we have here? Nogroth the Unblessed, I wondered where you disappeared to, I thought you were plotting something, but it looks like you went back to your old hobby of stalking mortals." Evan caught the eyes of the woman, she was also shook, her eyes were drifting from the red skinned creature to the green skinned one in rapid motion.

Evan realized how weird it looked that two adults were looking at each other without speaking, so he gestured for the woman to come to his table. The woman hesitated but she came eventually, she sat down and didn't initiate conversation, neither did Evan as they were more focused on the two creatures arguing.

"I always hated that title, the Unblessed, it makes me sound more pathetic than I actually am. Not that you would understand, Zlanoth of the Hundred Souls. Talking about my hobby, why are you following this mortal girl, want to add her to your collection?"

"Don't compare me to your filthy hobbies, you were always the one who kept mortals as pets, not me."

"Then, why are you following her?"

"It seems not having horns really did affect you, can't you feel it inside her? The girl is a descendant of an angel, her soul will probably help me get a lot stronger."

"Don't you think it is bad manners to talk about eating someones soul when they are a couple meters away?"

"So what? She doesn't understand us anyway, for her we are probably only growling, what a pathetic race...."

They don't know we can understand them! Evan felt like this was big news, but it was not time for it, the woman whose soul was to be eaten was starting to cry. Evan knew exactly what he had to do, he grabbed his things as fast as he could and then started power walking toward the exit, leaving the woman behind.

It is not my problem, she is doomed, I can't change anything... Evan repeated these words the whole time he was walking toward his job, the sound of the woman begging for him to stop and help her was thrown to the back of his head.

POP!

Out of nowhere the creature following him appeared in front of him with a grin adoring Its face. Evan dropped on the floor from surprise.

"So you do understand us, don't you, little Evan?" The creature spoke again with that coarse voice.

"A...are you going to eat my soul too?" Evan asked weakly and in a quiet voice.

"Eat your soul? Ahahah, do not worry, my taste is different from that ugly bastard. But that doesn't mean I won't kill you, unless....."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you follow my missions and achieve them all." The creature smiled in a wicked way that sent shivers down Evans spine but Evan at that moment was ready to do anything to live, even if it meant the sacrifice of his humanity.

"Anything, I would do anything!"

The creature smiled, but Evan could see disgust in Its eyes. "You lot are truly a pathetic race. Now for your first mission, kill someone by the end of the day......."

Nice story.

Plot twist: it's a descendant

Thanks guys :) I won't force it, if more comes to me I'll write, otherwise I fear any quality I've produced will take a sharp nosedive!

Conflict has always been around, ever since the beginning of the universe itself. It's the nature of life. It'll never change. And those two embodied it. Even as children, they argued, even if it was over the smallest things. As they grew, their fights did too. Devastation and destruction followed them both. It only made sense that they would end up in hell.

The hero - Sandra Berks, more commonly known as the ghost - was worshipped all throughout her life. She'd never known anything different, for better or for worse. I never understood it - there didn't seem to be anything too special about her, other than her abilities, invisibility and indestructibility. All she knew how to do was fight. There wasn't an ounce of peace in her body. Always needed someone to chase, something to do, and took it out on criminals.

The villain was hated universally. Charlie Dagger was relentless. He protected anyone, good or bad, which unfortunately brought about his downfall. Everybody knew his name - mostly for protecting the world's worst. He argued that there was good in everybody. It hurt, watching him sell his life away just to see a shred of good in others. Although, he didn't seem to mind. He was infamous, fighting until the bitter end, just for others. And he was shunned for it, locked out of society. Not even his mother cared for him anymore. Yet there wasn't even a slither of hate in his heart. As pure as you can get.

See, I'm a guard. Neither angel or devil - perfectly neutral. Not many see my fate. I watch over individuals and decide where they go. Now, it'd been a few years since I'd heard either of the duo's names. I still remember the contoversy surrounding my decision to send Sandra to hell. Tragically, Charlie passed while fighting, protecting a single mother with two sons.

"Hello, Charlie."

"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" He pressed, looking at me with fear and distress.

"Unfortunately, you passed. A shame, really." I replied. I'd done this thousands of times before.

He looked at a loss for words, "..How'd I die?"

"Doing what you do best. Protecting others." I gave him a look of reassurance, but it was met with sadness and confusion.

"I don't understand. I'm a villain, aren't I?"

"You tell me."

A silence filled the void we were stood in. It wouldn't be long before I'd have to take him to heaven.

"I killed so many people. I murdered Sandra Berks, damnit. Destruction follows me, wherever I go."

"There's a thin line between heaven and hell. You taught me that."

Silence returned.

"I'm going to heaven?"

"When you're ready, yes. We have all the time in the world. This is the afterlife after all. I'll answer any questions you have, should you need me."

"I don't belong there. I'm a murderer, after all."

"Yes you do. It was you who believed there was good in everybody, right?"

"At best I'm a murderer and at worse I'm a war criminal."

"So what? Sandra Berks is in hell. And you did the world a favour. If yoy didn't start that war, the third world war would have started. Now come on, take my hand."

Reluctantly, he did so. A bright, white light blinded us both. The next thing we knew, we were in heaven. The sun shone brightly and perfectly white, pearlescent gates opened.

"Welcome to heaven."

He sighed, then turned to face me. "This isn't some trick, is it?"

"No. Do you need anything before you enter?"

"Can I see Sandra? Apologize maybe?"

"If you must, I suppose. Although she can't go into heaven with you." I clicked my fingers, and Sandra appeared, dressed in an oversized, stained, once white shirt and muddy shorts.

"What the hell? What now?" Agitated, she looked at us both, slightly disgusted.

"Sandra?" Charlie asked tentatively, probably worried for her reaction.

"What do you want?" She snapped, "I was in the middle of something, so you better make this quick, you dick."

"I just wanted to say sorry. I mean, I killed you. And you were admired by just about everyone. And you're in hell. You don't deserve it one bit."

"Was that it, Dagger? I couldn't care less. Actually, Hell's not even that bad." She replied nonchalantly.

"You're a HERO. You should be relaxing, in heaven," He argued, "And don't call me that."

"Again, I really don't mind."

"But you should! You're suffering in hell. Maybe if I didn't kill you, you could have gone to heaven..."

"What don't you get? I don't want to be in heaven!"

Charlie pointed at me, "You! Is there any way we could.. swap places? I should obviously be in hell."

"Not a chance. I'm not letting this devil into heaven. I do respect you, though. Even when you're dead, you want to give up your chance to finally rest to someone else, who doesn't deserve it one bit."

The ocean truly is an amazing thing. Every morning and every evening I find myself getting lost in its endless waters. It seems to be the only thing in my life that hasn't changed.

"Are you listening to me Agent Murphy? It is very imperative that you-"

"Pay attention, I know Clark. And stop calling me Agent, I've been retired for ten years. Can you just finish your little assignment already? I do have a resort to run."

"Well lucky for you I am just about done. We just need to go over a brief course on classified materials."

"I have been with this little club since it was still the OSS. Don't you dare try to talk to me about how to keep a secret. If that is all you have, we're done here."

I could tell he was angry as he stormed off, part of me felt bad, the other part didn't care. I was just glad it was over with. I took an elevator down to the lobby. It's pretty empty for the most part, November always seems to be our slow month. Often times I put on a friendly face and greet the guests. But today someone has caught my eye. A face I haven't seen in a very long time, one I shouldn't be seeing now. I figure I may as well act as I always do.

"Good morning sir. Welcome to the Six Palms Resort! I am Sean Murphy and I'm the owner. Would you like some assistance with your bags?"

The look he gave me was filled with all kinds of emotions, joy, sadness, maybe even some regret.

"You're still alive, I thought if anything you would be old. Yet here you are."

"Well sir, why don't we get you to your room? If you have any questions I'd more more than happy to answer them for you there."

Leading him from the lobby, I could feel my heart flutter. It seems he really is who I thought. I don't know what this means, but for the first time in a long time I feel excited about something. We both went into his room and placed his luggage on the bed. I turned to him and before I could say anything, I was wrapped in his arms. I was awash with emotions but in that moment I could only say one thing.

"Sasha, I missed you."

We spent the entire day in that room. The last time I felt this way was 1972, the last time I saw him. That next morning I woke up beside him. He was already awake, looking at me.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Sasha, yesterday was amazing. But I think we should talk."

His slight grin dropped and he proceeded to do exactly as I said, talk.

"You are the only person who even understood what I have gone through. That summer in 1972 was the only time I felt I could talk to someone. That is why I never said anything to the KGB, I didn't even report on the Cuban nationals like I was supposed to. I spent so long wandering the world. I took a chance, hoping you really were like me. And now I see that you are, I am tired of roaming. I just want to stay here, with you."

Listening to him talk made me almost break down completely. I had felt the same for so long. This will be complicated, especially when I try to explain this to Clark. But I am willing to take this journey with Sasha. We've been searching our whole lives for something like this. When we met it was impossible, we're were on different sides of a ideological war and regardless, society wouldn't have accepted us back then. But now, everything has worked out for us. I can finally start my life, and I'm so excited.

Holy. Flame. Thrower.

Ha! Great take!

"So... you're saying that your body knows what the coldest day of the year and the hottest day of the year will be?"

""Er, yes, now that you mention it. That does seem strange." He scratched at his chin.

I pressed him. "That means you could be a weatherman with magical 100% accuracy!"

His face screwed up. "At least, for those two days."

"For the whole SEASON!" I shouted, excited. "Once you go dragon, we'll know when to harvest, when to plant, when to stop planting..." My mind spun with the implications.

"Huh. A magical weatherman. I guess I never thought of it that way. Thanks, person that knows basic things about how the world works!"