JMD #78 ~ A Day with Stencil

[.chamomile.]

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cαѕт oғ cнαrαcтerѕ

Brier "Simran" Xianthus ~ older sister of Stencil
Stencil Xianthus ~ younger brother of Brier
Divine Xianthus ~ older sister to Brier and Stencil
Wave Xianthus ~ older brother to Brier, Divine, and Stencil
Minerva Xianthus ~ younger sister to Wave, Divine, and Brier, older sister to Stencil
Merchants
Park Attendants

[.chamomile.]

"Sissy! Sissy" An loud, annoying voice yelled, "Sissy wake up! Wake up Simmy!"

Brier rolled over in her bed, drawing the sheets over her head. Next to her was Stencil, bouncing up and down on her bed, and poking her with his tail. He yanked off the covers, and yelled for her to wake up again, "Come on Simmy we're gonna waste the daylight!"

Brier groaned, looking over at the clock. It was only 8 am, and Stencil was already bouncing off the walls. Tired and sleepy, but awake all the same, Brier slid out of bed. She stretched, hearing the satisfying sounds of her back and shoulders cracking. The bright yellow sunlight was already streaming through her windows, creating long patches of warmth on her floor. Stencil was now sitting in her bean bag, flipping through a book. In an instant he was looking out the window, and then back to bugging Brier. I wish his attention span was not so short. She thought to herself.

"Simmy, get dressed already, I want to go to the Farmer's Market like you promised!" Stencil whined.

"Yes, I know Stencil, just give me a minute okay?" Brier said, letting out a huge yawn.

She flicked through her closet, and chose to don a plain white sundress, a lime green and lilac scarf, and a pair of leather strappy sandals. She also brushed her fur, and put on a spritz of peach body spray.

"Alright Stencil, lets go!" Brier said, glancing over at her younger brother.

"Yay! We're going, we're going!" Stencil cried, skipping down the hall.

Grabbing her purse, Brier followed him, leaping down a spiral staircase and reaching the first floor before him. Stencil calmed down a bit, and held onto his sisters hand. They first entered the kitchen, where Divine, Wave, and Minerva were all sitting at the breakfast bar, munching on cereal.

"Good morning Wave, Divine." Brier greeted them, "Minerva."

Wave grunted, waving a paw at her. Divine smiled, happy to see her sister, "Are you and Stencil going out today?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, we are not going to be back until late tonight." Brier informed her.

Divine nodded, thinking for a moment, "I'm going to hang out with Ara today, do you think I should wear my gold sundress, or the silver one?"

Brier sighed mentally, "Wear the gold one, it will accent the design on your wings. Besides, you look good in it."

Divine sighed, "Oh, I suppose your right." She murmured, going back to her cereal.

"Now you two stay safe, Los Angeles can be a dangerous place, not just because of the Morado's." Wave informed Brier, waving a milk and sugar covered spoon at her.

Brier rolled her eyes, "Yes Wave." She turned to Minerva, who eating Raisin Bran, "Oh by the way Minerva, I replaced all the raisins in there with dead, shriveled up, and legless spiders."

Minerva stared at her wide eyed, and immediately spat out what was in her mouth. A disgusted and horror filled look spread across her face, "But... I already ate two bowls of this..." She mumbled, shivering violently.

Brier and Stencil left the kitchen quickly, laughing silently. Stencil had grabbed himself a bagel and some toast while Brier was talking, and was munching on it quite happily. They walked to her car together, a stylish red, white, and black Mini Cooper, and left the Xianthus Mansion. About 15 minutes later, the pair were cruising down the 405, heading towards downtown L.A.

"What are we going to do today Sim?" Stencil asked, munching on some dried mangos.

"First we will check out the Farmers Market, then we will go up to Disneyland for a few hours, and then maybe we will do a bit of shopping."

"For what?"

"Maybe I will buy you a video game, if you are lucky." Brier said, looking over at her brother and grinning.

"This is gonna be a fun day!"

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[.chamomile.]

The Farmers Market was a bustle of activity. Palm trees and aspens made a canopy of leaves that shaded the row full of merchants and stalls. The smell of fresh produce filled the air, along with the occasional stench of fresh fish. Stencil bounded along the rows of stalls, sniffing at the different fruits and vegetables. Some of the merchants shooed him away, others smiled and laughed, smiling at him kindly.

Brier didn't bother to follow him, she looked at the stalls herself. Stencil would come back to her, he was smart enough to not run off. Plus, the Morado's didn't really know about him, so his chances of being assassinated were slim to none, and Brier had made sure of that. She purchased a quart of strawberries, and some delicious looking raspberries. Stencil was a few stalls ahead of her, politely asked the lady there how much her peaches were.

"Three peaches for $10 young man, would you like some?"

Stencil turned to look at Brier, "Oh, Simmy can we get some peaches please? Look at them, don't they look nice?"

Brier sighed, though not in an unhappy way, "Sure Stencil, they do look very nice." She purchased three of them, and placed them in her shopping bag."I think we will make some fruit tarts when we get back home tonight, what do you think?"

Stencil bounced up and down happily, "I love your fruit tarts Sim, d'you think that we could get some fish too? You could fry it, I love fried catfish."

"Okay, okay Stencil, I will see what I can do."

Brier and Stencil continued down the stalls. They bought a couple of apples, some oranges, lemons and one very large, freshly caught catfish. Brier was almost out of cash, though she still had her credit card, and decided that it was time to head to Disneyland. The day was starting to grow warm, and it was almost 10:00. They had spent about an hour and a half in the Market, and Brier didn't want the food to spoil. On their way out, Brier purchased a bouquet of flowers to give to Divine later, as a gift. She planned to dry them out, cover them in resin and turn them into several necklaces, rings, and/or bracelets. Stencil helped her to put the produce into a cooler Brier kept in the back of the car. It was already filled with ice, and it would keep the food from spoiling for the rest of the day since they wouldn't be returning home.

"Disneyland next, right Sim?" Stencil asked, shutting the car door.

"That's right Stencil, I hope you didn't forget your pass." Brier said, starting the car.

Stencil pulled out his annual pass from in between the seat cushions, "I have it right here!"

Brier chuckled, driving onto the highway, "Lets get going then!"

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[.chamomile.]

Several radio stations later, Brier and Stencil had arrived at Disneyland. The park was bustling with activity, and there were a lot of Dragons out and about. Brier made sure that Stencil was kept close to her; for some reason, she felt unsafe here. Normally, she could relax at Disney, and enjoy the many rides and delicious meals they offered. Today was different, it felt like someone was watching her and Stencil, like someone was planning something terrible. Brier looked around her, there was no one suspicious in sight. Dismissing the feeling for now, her and Stencil continued on their way. The hot sun was making Stencil less energetic, but even its heat couldn't shake off Brier's nagging feelings of being followed, or stop shivers and chills from running down her spine.

"Can we go to the Adventure Park first Sim?" Stencil asked, already heading in that direction.

Brier shrugged, "Whatever you want to do Stencil, but remember to stay close."

Stencil nodded, and dashed off into the Adventure Park. He paced around as he waited for Brier, who was going slower than usual. He wondered what was up, but quickly forgot about it as his attention was caught by a family of Dragons arguing.

"Let's go ride the roller coaster!" Stencil exclaimed, yelling out to no one. Brier was no where near him still, so he dashed off towards the roller coaster ahead of her.

Brier stared wide eyed as he ran off, "STENCIL!" She yelled, running after him. He laughed with glee, thinking that this was a game, "Stencil! Wait for your sissy!"

Brier soon caught up to him, for Stencil had stopped running. He was leaning against the rail, watching the roller coaster as it sped by. "We're going to go on that, right Sim?" He asked.

"Sure Stencil," She panted, "Just stay close!"

He smiled, "Then lets go ride!"

California Screamin', the name of the roller coaster, was Stencil's all time favorite ride out of the entire theme park. Every time Brier brought him here, or he went with someone else, he always had to ride it at least twice: once when they got there, and once before they left. Stencil was already getting in the line, which was unbelievably long. "Stencil," Brier began, "We should get the quick pass right now and ride it later."

Stencil groaned, "But Simmy I always ride this ride first!"

Brier gestured at the line, "Look at how long the line is! We can go ride the Ferris Wheel first, and then we will come ride this one once its time for us to use the quick pass."

"Okay, that sounds good." Stencil said, after thinking for a moment. Brier got the quick pass for them while Stencil watched the coaster cars go be with glee.

As soon as the quick passes were put in her purse, Brier and Stencil ran off towards the Ferris Wheel. The lines were short for the moment, and the day was hot. Even though they had only been there for about half an hour, they could start to feel the heat of the day, and sitting down in a nice, cool and shaded cart sounded very, very nice. After a few minutes wait, Stencil and Brier were sitting in one of the purple, moving carts, and were soon traveling up and around the wheel. They were silent, neither of them feeling the need to talk. The view from the top of the Wheel was gorgeous, they could see everything in the Adventure Park, but none of Disneyland.

"Can we get ice cream later?" Stencil asked her, quietly staring out the cart.

"Yeah, we can go to that Corral place and get two waffle bowls." She answered.

Stencil nodded his head in agreement. When their cart stopped at the bottom, the two of them got out, and headed towards California Screamin'. Brier checked the time on her phone, it was already 11:47. Stencil would be hungry for lunch soon, and so would she for that matter.

"Come on Brier!" Stencil yelled. He was already standing in the quick pass line, and the regular line was still as long as ever.

Brier walked over to him, feeling though as if someone was watching her again. Turning around quickly, she caught a glimpse of a dark colored Dragon disappearing into a souvenir shop. Brier narrowed her eyes, wondering who it was and what they were up to. Her first thought that it was one of the assassins that the Morado's occasionally sent after her, but how would they know that she was going to Disneyland today? Shrugging it off again, she caught up to Stencil and together they cut to the frontmost part of the line. Once they were settled in the cart, sitting right next to each other in the front, the attendants came to check the harness. They gave the go, and whoosh, they were off. Stencil was laughing and yelling happily as they climbed the first hill, and screamed as they flew down it. Brier had done this tons of times, and wasn't as prone to screaming as others might be. Their cart was zooming up the second hill, underneath the cover of a roof, when suddenly the cart stopped. Brier looked around her, just as curious and worried as the other riders were. She wondered for a brief moment if physics had broken, but then it hit her: the assassins. They had somehow made this cart stop, and they were here, hiding, but ready to strike. Brier looked up, and noticed a clear substance eating away at the metal roof. It was acid. She could also hear the footsteps of someone walking along it, their claws scraping at the metal.

Stencil noticed it also, and instantly created a dome of water around the cart. The roof fell down a few minutes later, and slid down to the right of the ride. The assassin was not fazed, and began to throw knives through it. Stencil, unable to hold the water much longer, closed his eyes from exhaustion. None of the other riders were sure of what to do, and were screaming not long after. The assassin moved in front of her, a knife and gun in each of his paws.

"Looks like another Xianthus is going to die today." The assassin said, grinning maniacally.

Brier, constricted by the harness, wasn't sure what to do. A moment later, it exploded around her. A black jewel sitting behind her had destroyed it for her. She growled, facing the assassin, and they began to fight. She was able to knock the gun out of his paw, but not the knife. He was slicing at her with it, occasionally taking bits of her fur off and scratching her skin. In one quick motion, Brier lashed out at him with her leg and kicked him off the ride. He fell down and hit the ground with a loud, and sickening dud. Several ride attendants were running along the stairs towards them, lifting the harnesses up and ushering people off the ride.

"I will pay for the damage to the harness, and anything on the ride." She said, speaking to the manager.

"Thank you for your generosity ma'am, I am so very sorry about all of this!"

"It is fine Sir, stuff like this happens to my family all of the time. Do not worry about losing our patronage either," Brier said as the manager began to look very worried, "We still love this park. Now if you will excuse me and my brother, we are going to enjoy the rest of our day at Disney!"

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[.chamomile.]

Brier grumbled under her breath as several people stared at her and Stencil. It wasn't that big of a deal, they had only been the subjects of an attempted assassination.

Well, that is not really normal for these people. Brier concluded, watching as Stencil stopped for a minute to gaze up at a ride.

They had ridden pretty much everything in the Adventure Park, and they were ready to head over to the Disney part to get some ice cream and to ride some more rides. The afternoon heat was getting to them, and it would only get worse as it reached its peak. It seemed to take forever to get to the ice cream shop, and though the inside was cool, Brier felt that it wasn't cool enough.

"Two Waffle Cone Sundaes please." Stencil stated politely to a Dragon at the counter. He set down some bills on the counter, and Brier went to grab a seat on the floor.

Stencil practically flew over to the table and set down the ice cream, eating it like he had never had it before, "Slow down Stencil!" Brier chided, "You will make yourself sick eating like that."

She dipped into her ice cream herself, enjoying the deliciousness of the sweet, cool treat. She decided in her head that they would leave soon. The commute back home was long, plus she didn't want to risk another assassination attempt here, or drive home in the night when she couldn't see anything. Stencil was already finished with his ice cream and was itching to go.

"Only a few more rides okay Stencil?"

Stencil nodded, clearly shaken by the assassination attempt, and tired from the heat, "That sounds good Sim. Why don't we go on Splash Mountain and then go?"

"Okay," Brier said, finishing up her food, "That sounds good to me!"

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Not long afterwords, Brier and Stencil were on their way home. It was only about 4:00 p.m., but a two hour drive home awaited them, and they were both very tired. Stencil had fallen asleep in the backseat, stretched out all over the leather seat. Brier was beginning to feel tired herself. Playing with Stencil took most of her energy away, and Stencil never seems to run out of any.

In a couple of hours, although it felt like years, Brier pulled into the drive of the Xianthus Mansion. She parked in the garage, and woke Stencil up. He walked straight in, leaving Brier to carry in all of the food they had bought earlier that morning. It wasn't much, and she didn't blame Stencil for forgetting, he was just asleep after all. Brier dragged in the cooler, and began to place the produce in the fridge. Not long after, Wave, Divine, and Minerva came walking in. They all looked concerned, except Minerva, who looked rather happy.

"Stencil said you guys were attacked today." Divine stated, sitting at the breakfast bar.

"Mhmmm." Brier responded, placing the flowers on the table.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Wave asked, "Were you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm fine, and so is Stencil." Brier told him, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, "No one else was hurt either, just the roller coaster and the carts."

Minerva looked disappointed, "Too bad, I thought he might have taken out your brain or kidneys or something."

"Yeah, well, I fought him off. A black jewel destroyed my harness and I kicked him off the ride, literally." Brier said, laughing silently at her cheesy joke.

Divine sighed, looking relieved, "Well, we're all glad you and Stencil are safe."

"Yeah, I would not have wanted him to get hurt." Brier had finished putting away the food, and was ready for bed. The bouquet of flowers, now sitting in a vase of water, was beginning to feel heavy in her arms.

"Go to bed Brier, you look worn out." Wave told her.

"Okay," Brier yawned, unwilling to argue with her brother, "Good night." She steered clear of Minerva, who she figured might try to trip her, and headed towards her room.

This day certainly is journal worthy! She thought as she snuggled under her sheets in her PJs, I hope I will be able to remember all of the details.

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