Of all my demon spirits, I need you the most. I'm in love with your ghost.
Another sim_spiration prompt that I'm getting to late. I hope you enjoy.
Spider Jerusalem stood at the bow, the wind blowing in his hair. He didn't quite know why he had chosen to set foot on this ship, but he did know that he couldn't stay where he was. A wayward tear made its way down his cheek, to his chin and down his throat. He didn't bother to wipe it away. It was a relief to cry.
The mist that surrounded the ship started to clear slowly and Spider could make out the familiar coastline. Bluewater. There it was.
"It may look the same, but you'll find it’s a world of different."
Spider turned to face the familiar voice, "I know that, Toshiko."
Toshi leaned next to him on the rail, "I hope you do. Interdimensional immigrants sometimes have trouble with it. They'll see someone they recognize like a former lover or their best friend and expect things to be the same as they were in their own dimension." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, you don't- I mean you're not involved with any of the stock locals are you? I mean, there's no mention in your dossier, but-"
"No. I know one of the locals, but it was never like that. Anyway, there's nothing from my old life that I'd want to copy here."
"That's better for you and everyone involved."
The two stood in silence for a long time as the shores became more vivid. The water that had once seemed still became individual waves lapping the sand. The graffiti on the dock became words instead of colorful smears. And the people on the dock. Oh, the people…
"Why me?"
Toshi raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
Spider shook his head, "You know what I mean. Your ship doesn't come to my shore very often and it never takes on people. Why?"
"When we began this enterprise, the godde-uh-overseer of this dimension was pretty flexible about how we operated...with one exception. She had a list that she gave us. A list of those who should never be brought here. Some were for emotional reasons. Some were for their connections to…other dimensional overseers. Still others are there because of how dangerous they are. There are a few on the list who are especially vicious. We don't make stops in their dimensions if at all possible. The danger is too great."
Spider bit his lip, "Lemme guess, in my Bluewater, you're avoiding a blonde, about 5'11, goes by the name of Cypress?"
Toshi nodded an affirmative. "We had to retrieve someone from your dimension. No way around it, but we were very careful."
"Which still begs the question, why me? Why didn't you kick me off when you realized that I had stowed away?"
"Jack said that he owes you for something. He never leaves his debts unpaid."
Spider's eyebrows bunched in confusion, "I don't even know who Jack is!"
Toshi smiled, "Another time and another place, Mr. Vetinari. Once you do enough traveling like this, you'll find you leave a lot of ghosts in your wake."
With that, Toshi left to prepare for docking, leaving Spider to ponder all those demon spirits that always seemed to surround him. The tears began again, this time they seemed boiling hot as they streamed. How could he think that things would be different just because Cypress wouldn't be there?
They can't be different if I'm the same...
This is stupid…
Drusilla was just being nice…
Thinking that I could have a family anywhere…
I might as well be in love with a ghost…
Spider Jerusalem stood at the bow, the wind blowing in his hair. He didn't quite know why he had chosen to set foot on this ship, but he did know that he couldn't stay where he was. A wayward tear made its way down his cheek, to his chin and down his throat. He didn't bother to wipe it away. It was a relief to cry.
The mist that surrounded the ship started to clear slowly and Spider could make out the familiar coastline. Bluewater. There it was.
"It may look the same, but you'll find it’s a world of different."
Spider turned to face the familiar voice, "I know that, Toshiko."
Toshi leaned next to him on the rail, "I hope you do. Interdimensional immigrants sometimes have trouble with it. They'll see someone they recognize like a former lover or their best friend and expect things to be the same as they were in their own dimension." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, you don't- I mean you're not involved with any of the stock locals are you? I mean, there's no mention in your dossier, but-"
"No. I know one of the locals, but it was never like that. Anyway, there's nothing from my old life that I'd want to copy here."
"That's better for you and everyone involved."
The two stood in silence for a long time as the shores became more vivid. The water that had once seemed still became individual waves lapping the sand. The graffiti on the dock became words instead of colorful smears. And the people on the dock. Oh, the people…
"Why me?"
Toshi raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
Spider shook his head, "You know what I mean. Your ship doesn't come to my shore very often and it never takes on people. Why?"
"When we began this enterprise, the godde-uh-overseer of this dimension was pretty flexible about how we operated...with one exception. She had a list that she gave us. A list of those who should never be brought here. Some were for emotional reasons. Some were for their connections to…other dimensional overseers. Still others are there because of how dangerous they are. There are a few on the list who are especially vicious. We don't make stops in their dimensions if at all possible. The danger is too great."
Spider bit his lip, "Lemme guess, in my Bluewater, you're avoiding a blonde, about 5'11, goes by the name of Cypress?"
Toshi nodded an affirmative. "We had to retrieve someone from your dimension. No way around it, but we were very careful."
"Which still begs the question, why me? Why didn't you kick me off when you realized that I had stowed away?"
"Jack said that he owes you for something. He never leaves his debts unpaid."
Spider's eyebrows bunched in confusion, "I don't even know who Jack is!"
Toshi smiled, "Another time and another place, Mr. Vetinari. Once you do enough traveling like this, you'll find you leave a lot of ghosts in your wake."
With that, Toshi left to prepare for docking, leaving Spider to ponder all those demon spirits that always seemed to surround him. The tears began again, this time they seemed boiling hot as they streamed. How could he think that things would be different just because Cypress wouldn't be there?
They can't be different if I'm the same...
This is stupid…
Drusilla was just being nice…
Thinking that I could have a family anywhere…
I might as well be in love with a ghost…