Overworked Minds

This is joint-written. And more interesting. Promise.

Niqi jumped onto the boat while Ambree was in the process of climbing up. She leaned against the side. "I don't see what the point of coming along was. You've been damn quiet," she spoke downwards.

Ambree reached the deck and began to pull the rope back onboard; Maki, Mambo, and Micah were already on board and elsewhere. "Mind's working overtime," she replied, tapping the side of her head with one finger. "And my legs were getting cramped from so much cross-legged sitting. I needed exercise."

Niqi gave her a quizzical look. "What were you doing?"

Ambree just shook her head, dropped the bunched-up rope on the deck, and headed below again.

Niqi rolled her eyes and headed over to where Micah was steering the ship back to where they'd come from. "Hey," she said.

"Hey." Micah replied. "You sure you wanna take part in this tournament? With you being... y'know, pregnant... something could happen."

Niqi shook her head. "No. I decided I can't. I'm not exactly ready to announce it yet, at least not until I've gotten actual tests done, and if I did announce it at the tournament, I just know some f****r would forget and end up kicking me in the stomach. And then I would murder him, brutally." She shook her head again, and then looked up quickly, an idea ocurring to her. "But hey - you're not accounted for, are you? Glide has no idea we've picked up someone extra. Fight in my stead." She grinned.

Micah smirked. "That's a great idea. You can watch from the sidelines while I kick people around for you."

Niqi smiled, her tail flicking contentedly. She came to stand closer beside him. "How old are you?" she asked casually.

Micah raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"You mentioned that Earth used to be like that," Niqi said, nodding in the general direction of the island. "You'd have to be up there for a while to know that. Or watching over some remote, uncontaminated area." She flashed a grin. "Don't worry, though, I dig older guys."

"I'm actually just a couple years older than you." Micah replied. "I just found Earth kind of neat, so I talked to Therali about it a lot."

"So that would make you late-thirties, early-fourties? God. We're middle-aged folks, and not acting anything close to it." She stared out at the sunlit fog on the sea. "It's weird, still being normal ages and being immortal. After a hundred, it doesn't seem that big of a deal what you're acting like, but if you're 60 or something? It's just...strange."

Micah shrugged. "If you say so. I'm not really sure why you mortals and former mortals care about the whole 'acting your age' thing, though."

Niqi nodded. "I know. I look like I'm in my twenties, and I still feel like I'm in my twenties, so what does it really matter, right? I'm just...used to growing older." She sighed. "Maybe it should be like this. Maybe everyone should just do what they feel like doing, age be damned. Standards and expectations of the world be damned." She glanced over. "Sorry, existential moment."

"Don't worry about it." Micah chuckled. "I've had my fair share of those."

"Really though, how old are you?" Niqi prompted.

"Forty." Micah said. "Any other questions you'd like to ask me?"

Niqi nodded. "Yeah. I've been meaning to ask about...when you said..." she trailed off. And then she chickened out and switched questions in the middle. "You said you had...premonitions of the future, something like that?"

"Yeah." Micah responded. "I used to, back when I was a watcher."

"What was that like? And what's it like up there, anyway?" The sun had fully come up now, and the fog had thinned. The light was sparkling on the water for an almost endless expanse in front of them, creating a breathtaking view.

"... It was... strange." Micah said after a moment. "Knowing what was going to happen before it happened... I'm glad I don't get 'em anymore, it takes all the fun out of life. As for what the High Plane is like, it looked pretty much the same back then as it does now."

Niqi smiled, and then rolled her eyes. "Specific. I've been up there all of once. Ah, well." She paused. "I'm going to go find Ambree and see what the hell she's so preoccupied with." She took a step away, then paused again. "Unless you'd like to...pass the time a different way."

Micah laughed. "You're insatiable." He muttered, shaking his head.

Niqi grinned. "What? You not up for it?"

"I never said that." Micah replied, heading below decks.

Niqi grinned wider, following him down once again.