^^ the Ship ^^

--- Diana Monroe ---

The bat swung lazily in my hands, spinning over my knuckles with ease, and I watched the pitcher as I strolled towards the plate.

The people in the outfield spread out evenly, knowing not to bunch up.

The pitcher, who had just seen me, as I stopped at the plate, groaned softly. "Not this chick..." he grumbled.

I smirked and set the bat on my shoulder, digging my cleats into the dirt. "Bring it, wimp!" I snapped at him, and grinned when he growled and ignored his catcher's warning, pitching a sizzling fastball.

I tensed the muscles of my forearms, then my shoulders, and biceps, leveling the bat, then rotated my hips smoothly, following through.

The ball slammed, dead center, into the bat, and disappeared, clipping the edge of the score-board, and then audibly smashing a car's windshield.

Coach Feral groaned at the newest addition to my collection of glass bills, and I dropped my bat, trotting around the bases leisurely.

I bowed sarcastically to the pitcher. "Thanks for the slow pitch. Nice and easy." I winked and gathered my bat, jumping into the dugout.

The coach patted my hair, and then leaned back. "That's coming out of your pocket, Monroe." He said simply.

"Always does, coach. Good thing I get good discounts by now." I grumbled back.

The rest of the game was over quickly, because of my team. I didn't even bat again until the third inning, where I scored a run, and then the fifth, where I got a double, the ball coming off the score-board.

When the game was over, I changed into my normal clothes, and walked into the parking lot, my bag over one shoulder.

The bag attached to the boot of my dirt-bike, and I mounted it, driving away from the stadium, and towards home.

My father greeted me from the kitchen, not looking away from the beef he was carefully cubing for dinner. "How was the game?" He asked.

"We won. They almost made us Mercy Rule, but the umpire wouldn't let them." I grinned.

He chuckled softly. "Don't get cocky. You know any one of those kids could out-pitch you any day."

I grumbled. "No fair. I'm a hitter, not a pitcher. I'm just the muscles of the team." I laughed softly at my own joke.

He smiled. "Good that you know that. Speaking of brains, good job. The school called, told me you'd gotten all your grades to B's, just like you promised." He nodded approvingly.

"And don't forget my A in Science." I smirked.

"A 90 is not an A. It's an A-." He said stubbornly.

"We don't have -'s and +'s anymore, pops. Get with the times." I said faux-sadly.

He frowned. "No more sass, or no steak for you." He said simply, daring me to give him any more lip.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Not the steak!"

"Hmph. Go shower, change. You stink."

"You shouldn't tell a girl she stinks, pops!" I yelled as I walked up the stairs.

"Hmph." He grumbled.

I showered thoroughly, taking my time. I didn't mind being dirty, but sweat was different than Mud or Dirt or Clay. Sweat crystallized, just like salt-water, and that was just uncomfortable.

I walked downstairs, towel-drying my hair, and blinked at the woman sitting on my stool.

"Ah! There you are. Diana, this is Willow, a... friend of mine from work." My father grinned guiltily.

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Cool. You have a friend. And you called her for dinner. In our house."

He nodded. "Exactly."

"Do I need to eat upstairs, give you two some space?" I smirked.

He blushed. "Don't go there, Diana. She's a good friend from work, that's all. I just wanted you to meet her, and she wanted to try my famous beef stroganoff."

I shrugged and sat next to her. "Okay. Hello, Ms. Willow. I'm Diana Monroe."

She shook my offered hand. "Hello. Do you always give your father a hard time about women coming over?"

"You're the first one in seven months. I bother him more when he's not trying to date... or 'meet friends'." I shrugged.

She snorted. "You're right, she does speak her mind. But no, I'm not dating your father."

"Ahh. Darn. You're kinda pretty. I coulda got used to you being around." I shrugged, and made myself a bowl of stew, then her as well, leaving pops to fend for himself. "Thanks for cooking, pops."

He sighed and sat down with his own bowl. "Please stop with that nonsense."

"You need to get laid. It's a biological fact. And I want siblings. You don't even have to get married... oh! That's even better! Cause then I could ignore my half-siblings, if they turn out to be brats! I'm a genius!!!" I grinned.

He rubbed his forehead. "Sorry, Willow."

"I've had worse meal-partners." She shrugged, and tasted the stew. "Ooh! I need your-"

"You won't get the recipe. He won't even give it to me." I sighed.

She pouted. "Damn... ah well. It's delicious, Caleb!"

"Thanks." He blushed. "Everyone always goes crazy, fist time they eat it. Every time after that, though, it's just stew."

I smirked. "Cause you don't put any magic in the second batches." He cut his eyes at me swiftly, while Willow chuckled, thinking I was joking. I finished my stew, and nodded. "You two behave!" I grinned, and trotted up the stairs, brushing my teeth thoroughly, then plopping onto my bed.

About an hour later, I was throwing knives at a target on the wall when there was a tentative knock on the door.

I hummed and opened the door, looking at Willow. "You needed something?" I asked, curious.

She sighed. "Can we talk?"

I shrugged and opened the door further. "Sure. The computer chair is safe."

She chuckled and sat down as I closed the door.

"So what's up?" I asked, absently tossing the last two knives in my hand at the target without looking.

They thunked into the bullseye, and she flinched, placing a hand to her heart. "Oh! Ahem... I thought we'd talk, just us girls." She tugged on a thread on her shirt, looking at the floor.

"Sure." I shrugged, and sat on my bed.

"Uhm..."

"Lemme guess: pops is worried I don't have a proper female role model, and I don't know anything about such things." I said simply.

She nodded. "Got it in one. I don't really know if I'm the best role model, but if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. I think I can do that."

I smiled. "I appreciate the offer. And if I don't understand something, I'm sure I'll ask. I'm not shy."

She smiled. "I've noticed. Two conversations, and you've cut through to the bone of about three different topics most women won't touch with a ten-foot pole."

I laughed dryly. "You learn to be stubborn and outgoing, when you're the tallest and strongest girl in your entire school. Or county. I had to make friends somehow."

"And how's that gone for you?" She asked curiously.

"Friends? Well... the female Volleyball team, most of them, are good friends. We share practice times. And the girls in the basketball team are all tall, so I don't feel as out of place there, even if they're not close friends." I hummed.

"All sports teams, huh?" She smiled.

"The cheerleaders to, I guess, but the snooty ones think I'm too... frank?" I hummed again, and then shrugged. "I'm kind of picky, about my friends, so all the ones I have are pretty cool."

She nodded slowly. "Well that's good... and you're almost 15, right? Do you know anything about..."

"Sex? Only from a biological standpoint. I'm too tall for most boys, and girls don't really interest me." I shrugged.

She frowned. "Well... no, I was going to say-"

A car honked outside, and she flinched.

"You scare too easy." I said calmly.

She laughed. "I suppose you're correct. Nothing to be done about it, though."

"Meditation helps." I said wisely, and then retrieved my knives from the target. "I guess that's your ride?"

She nodded. "It was nice talking to you, Diana. I don't get to talk so easily with people very often."

"From the mouths of babes." I winked, and let her out.

She snorted as she walked down the stairs. "She's sassy, that's for sure. And honest. Not a bad mix." She said to pops.

He sighed. "And... the other stuff?"

"She'll be alright, Caleb. A late bloomer, is all. Give her my number, though. She'll probably start soon, and she'll need female support. You're lovely, but that doesn't help." She said softly, and kissed him sweetly, then started walking away.

I yelled in victory, and then hid in my room again.

Pops groaned. "Little sneak."

Willow chuckled and skipped out, sliding into the back seat of a cab.

I hummed and stowed away my knives, then sat on my bed, looking at the constellations that Ma had put on the ceiling, a long time ago.

They weren't the normal constellations, and according to the map of stars I'd looked up a thousand times, they were complete nonsense, but they were laid out so intentionally.

I traced the World Snake, setting my thumb at his fangs, and then straightened my hand, looking at the dip between my middle and pointer fingers.

That led me to the Buddha, and turning my hand slowly led me to Ganesh, and then to Venus, and finally to what I was looking for, the one that was always moving in my mind. The only way to find it was to map the stars, one by one, and find it between them.

The Valkyrie was always moving amongst the other stars, like she was supposed to, in the stories.

Pops leaned against my door, and looked where my hand was pointed, easily picking her out of the stars, without mapping, something I would never be able to do. "You alright, kid?" He asked softly.

"I'm alright. Not upset or anything... just missing her." I shrugged.

He nodded. "I understand. I've got fried plantains cooling, if you're-"

I was already darting past him, sliding down the rail of the stairs, and snatching at the plate of fried deliciousness, dusted in sugar and cinnamon, just like I liked.

He followed, laughing, and sat me down, while I carefully blew on one of the plantains to cool it faster, not wanting to blow off any sugar.

He ate one bravely, ignoring the heat, and I growled at him. "Cheater!"

He shrugged. "I can't help that I'm a Fire Giant, kid. Not cheating: Natural Advantage." He refuted saucily.

I frowned and zapped him with my fingertips when he reached for another. "Sorry. Natural Advantage." I smirked. 

"Oho, that's how you wanna play it?" He cracked his knuckles, and half of the plate instantly set itself on fire.

I yelped and snatched a few of the unburnt ones, downing them regardless of heat, and moaned in happiness.

He laughed and ate the flaming plantains, winking at me when I stuck my burnt tongue out at him.

---

I tossed and turned the night of my 15th birthday.

Dreams of an endless gray sea, made of smoky glass and silver sand, tossing like real waves, kept me from a peaceful rest.

I sank deeper into the dream, after midnight struck, and suddenly I was on a boat, sailing across the glass sea.

A crew of other people, faces covered in shadow, hauled on the ropes as I shouted orders in a language I didn't remember.

I wrenched on the wheel, and we suddenly sailed around a massive... something. It exited the glass slowly, its Hide scratched and bleeding profusely, though it's blood looked like liquid silver, not normal blood.

It opened a cavernous, disgusting maw, and screeched, then dove towards the ship.

I pulled a spear off my back, throwing it at the beast with a long arm that bulged as thick as a grown man's thigh.

The spear turned into Lightning, and the beast screeched again, turning away, and diving into the dull grey of the glass sea.

I laughed, and taunted the best in that language again, while my companions laughed and spat their own additions to my insults over the side.

Then, as I was gripping the wheel again, the beast leapt out of the sea, directly to my left, catching me in its jaws, and taking me into the glass sea.

I screamed in pain and rage as it's fangs dug into me, though I ignored the glass that was paradoxically only scratching my skin.

I felt the venom work into my blood, and growled in perfect English for the first time.

"SUCK ON THIS ONE! I SAVED IT SPECIAL FOR YOU, VELES!" I snarled, and then pulled a golden apple out of my pocket, allowing him to swallow me, then chomped on the apple with a cry of savage, ancestral fury.