Spectre Writes

Sabine intimidates aquarium patrons, Hazel triumphs over an inferior scientist. Prev

The Space Crayfish Universal Empress hadn't resurfaced since her legion's first foray onto the land, nor had Hazel made herself known. That wasn't how these things worked after all, you couldn't just flaunt the hero's words in their face and then take them by the hand and go "It's me! The person you said the thing to! I did it!". There had to be a chase, the hero had to find you because they understood. Because they cared.

And so, Sabine found herself lurking in the corner of the aquarium's crustacean exhibit, where she had been since they opened at eight that morning. The special guest of the day, Hazel (But not her Hazel) the marine biologist, eagerly explained each exhibit to groups of enraptured middle schoolers on a half-hour rotation, while Sabine watched hawkishly for any sign of her date.

Not that she was assuming this was a date. She was dressed casually, and there was no way for Hazel to have familiarized herself enough with her wardrobe to know that this was the nice leather jacket + band tee + ripped jeans ensemble that she typically wore to impress girls. Or to know that when the aquarium staff had approached her because people were complaining about the scary lady glaring at everyone, she had told them she was just waiting for her date to show up.

That had been almost five hours ago, and she was beginning to think that this lead was a dud. She fished her phone out of her pocket and crossed it off her list of places to look.

---

• Snoop around the pier? Sapphire and Onyx searched for hours, no sign of her.
• Her old apartment? Someone else moved in ages ago.
• Check reservations at seafood restaurants? Romantic? Food sensitivities mean unlikely.
• Museum lecture on aquatic life on other planets? Decent overlap with gimmick. No sign of her.
• Crab expert named Hazel speaking at the aquarium? Picture's not her. Weirdly coincidental? Lesbians like aquarium dates???

She typed out 'No sign of her', and stepped out for a smoke.

"Excuse me, are you one of the Pilot Princess Soul Defenders?"

She snapped her head up, but it was the wrong Hazel, also out on a smoke break between tours.

"Oh. Uh, no." She said.

"Really? I've been wondering where I knew your face from all day, I could've sworn I had it."

"Nope, sorry."

"Aw, that's a shame. I've always had such a crush on Moonstone, you know." She said, smiling.

Moonstone narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'm not her. So..." She started putting together a roll-up. "Good luck with that, I guess."

"Whatever you say, scary corner girl." Wrong Hazel stamped out her cigarette and headed back inside. "If you change your mind, I'm here till six. Maybe I could do something about that permanent scowl you've got going on, hm?" She winked, and let the door close behind her. Sabine lit her cig and silently cursed the seductive power of the nice leather jacket.

"Wow, some people will just say anything to their celebrity crushes, huh?"

Sabine's heart skipped a beat.

"Hazel!" She said, nearly dropping her cigarette as she spun to face her. "Shit, you're really here!"

Hazel laughed, throwing her head back in a melodious cackle. "You've found me, Moonstone. I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Nah." Sabine lied. She had been waiting for months, but what did it matter now? Hazel was back, and that was worth all the time in the world. "Was just worried I had the wrong place, is all."

"Ah. Yeah." Hazel cleared her throat, the confident cackling persona fading as she retreated into her hoodie. "I was pretty sure you'd get it but um, if you want I made a secure messaging app I can put on your phone so we can just... Make plans, next time."

"Next time?"

Hazel turned beet red. "I-If you want there to be a next time!"

Sabine flashed a smirk. "I just might. You wanna head in?"

"Yes." Hazel said, her posture relaxing. "Let's... not take the tour."

"You don't want to gloat?"

"God do I." Hazel said, and a wicked smile crossed her face. "But we're on a date and it would snowball and derail the whole thing, so no."

So this was a date. Sabine threw her arm around Hazel's shoulder and leaned towards her ear. "So I shouldn't tell you that I think it's really fucking cute when you get all supervillainous over me?" She purred.

Hazel stiffened and took a deep breath. "I won't be baited so easily, Soul Defender."

"Of course not." She smiled, and pulled Hazel closer. "Let's go look at some fish, Hazel."

Sabine was, admittedly, uninterested in the aquarium after overhearing the tour so many times while she waited. She was however quite content to admire Hazel as she flitted from tank to tank, observing the denizens and absorbing the information on the displays like a sponge. She lingered, predictably, on the crayfish.

"So... Crayfish?" Sabine asked. "I hadn't heard anything about... Crayfish, showing up in Canada."

Hazel quickly scanned their surroundings for anyone potentially listening. "You wouldn't have. The Empress is too... specific, for my tastes. No room to go where inspiration takes me."

"Then the pier, that was all for me?"

Hazel's face was tinged with red, and she pretended to focus harder on the exhibit. "Yes," She hissed, "I made hundreds of bumbling crayfish minions that I now have no idea what to do with, because I thought it might make you smile."

"It did." Sabine said, and it made her smile again hearing it. "So who are you normally then?"

Hazel opened her mouth to answer, and then clamped it shut as another aquarium-goer entered earshot.

"Not here." She said tersely. "But I'm settling in well. Good uh, work/life balance."

"Good. And your... Boss doesn't make you..... Work overtime? Fuck, I don't know." Sabine shook her head at the mangled metaphor.

"She calls, but I don't have to pick up the phone."

"That's-" Sabine started, and was cut off by her phone ringing. The ring. She sighed.

"I wish I could say the same."

"It's okay, I knew what I was getting into." Hazel smiled, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Go save the world, Soul Defender."

Sabine lingered in the moment, letting her phone ring just a little longer. Then she picked it up, and she was Pilot Princess Soul Defender Moonstone.

"What, goddammit? I'm on a date."

She stomped out, and Hazel noticed Biologist Hazel look away to pretend she hadn't been watching the two of them, and she felt unbearably smug. She walked out to her car, made sure the doors were locked and the windows rolled up, and let herself laugh, head swimming with taunts about her superior intellect and charm. By the time she finished she had six and a half ideas for how to make the entire city jealous of her for seducing the hottest pilot princess, which she promptly filed away under 'too risky' (subheading: high probability of getting dumped).

• Sabine

  made it back safe
• can't call, pilot princess "afterparty" at ihop
• Hazel

  Sounds fun.
• Glad you're okay. <3
• Tell the Pilot Princesses that Robo-Grandmaster says hi.
• (Don't do that.)
• Sabine

  i wasn't going to lmao
• onyx still gives me shit about that i don't need any more
• Hazel

  Sorry...
• Sabine

  not your fault she refuses to understand nuance
• sorry i had to run out on our date
• Hazel

  It's okay!
• I had a nice time. :)
• Sabine

  me too
• you back in canada?
• Hazel

  Yeah.
• Sabine

  shame
• i was kinda hoping i could witness more
• what was it
• "empirical perfectionism"?
• Hazel

  *Hazel is typing...*
• *Hazel is typing.....*
• *Hazel is typing.......*

"Oh my god is that her? Are you texting your daaaaate???"

Moonstone stuffed her phone into her pocket as Amethyst cooed and tried to peek over her shoulder. "No. Fuck off."

"It issss! Guys she's texting her date! What are you talking about show us show us-" Amethyst was entirely within Moonstone's personal space now, and she bristled with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"Nothing." She hissed. "Fuck off, Am."

"Leave her alone, Amethyst." Said Onyx, and Moonstone would be happy for the reprieve if she didn't know it was going to be followed up with some absolute horseshit. "I'm just glad she's finally over her ex."

"Don't start."

"I'm just saying-"

"Don't. Don't say anything." She seethed.

"So what's her name?" Asked Sapphire, trying to steer the conversation away from a fight.

"Why do you need to know?" Snapped Moonstone.

Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "Why do I need to know... her name?"

The color drained from Moonstone's face. She had been too reluctant to talk and it was backfiring. Amethyst gasped.

"Is it someone we know?!" She squealed, and Moonstone scrambled to salvage the situation without exposing Hazel's identity.

"No! No, it's not. You wouldn't know her, she's..." Moonstone hesitated, realizing the stupid cliché she had backed herself into.

"She's from Canada."

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