Raymond was in a daze. His cheeks flushed pink as Charlotte broke away from him. Even after 5 years, she still knows how to push his buttons and even manages to cause Raymond to become a bumbling mess on occasion. But Raymond isn't complaining. He was just glad that she had a safe trip and wasn't very cross with him.
He would have returned the favor with a hug and a kiss of his own but she threw a curveball at him. Did he manage to get the tickets for the play tonight? Raymond stared blankly at her for a few moments before regaining his mental faculties and quickly getting his smartphone out of his pocket. A few more seconds passed before he presented the e-tickets for 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.
"Yep. It's for the 8 pm show. Your students are pretty stoked that their favorite professor will be able to watch their performance." It was an amateur production and basically served as the students' thesis but, goddamn if anyone could see the difference between them and actual professionals.
"Glad to see you've not become too much of an ol' fogey while I was gone," Charlotte teased, bumping shoulders with Raime as she strode for the station's exit. She stepped on the darker tiles as she hummed a familiar tune, eyes taking in familiar sights once more.
Putting away his smartphone, he brings the luggage close with one hand before proceeding to fish out his keys. Bringing them up near his face, he jingles them with a knowing smile. Trying to tempt his dark-haired paramour. He knew that Charlotte's one true passion in life was music...but he also knew that she absolutely
loved fast vehicles. After being deprived of her usual joys during her seasonal contract with the Saskatoon Philharmonic Orchestra, he was sure she missed the feeling of the wind blowing past her body at high speeds.
"Welp. No point staying here any longer and everyone is likely at the diner waiting for us to return. We prepared your favorites~." Raymond finished with a sing-song voice.
Charlotte hopped to a stop, spinning to face Raime again. "That sounds absolutely wonderful," she said. "They've had catering during the entirety of my contract at the Orchestra, but the selection was absolutely ghastly! Pretty sure the company outsourced production to one of those food printing firms..." It was a familiar complaint that Raime had to put up with, Charlotte's grousing of the food available in Saskatoon, whether it be too artificial, too bland, or overcooked. Despite boasting consistent productivity 24/7, robots still had yet to truly get to the point of producing restaurant-quality food. Didn't stop them from being employed though, especially in smaller diners.
He chuckled lightly at the woman expressing her grievance against the food served while on her annual contract with the Saskatoon Symphonic Orchestra. Despite the world making good progress with solving world hunger, he felt that the automation of the food industry was an insult to the art. Seeking efficiency over quality. Ultimately making a soulless half-hearted attempt of a dish.
The majority of those who shared his profession would agree with him. Then again...he was sure that the once starving millions now being fed three full meals a day would completely disagree with him.
"...but whatever. Pedal to the metal, Raime! Can't let good food grow old, and I think I finally have a good answer prepared if Mrs. Braum starts asking about her grandchildren as well!"
Raymond, was yet again, caught unaware by the woman. Blood rushed to his cheeks as such a topic was suddenly presented before him. Even more in a public area! He thanked God that there were only a few people present and they, hopefully, didn't even hear her. He gave himself a moment to regain his composure before speaking once again.
"O-oh. Your answer being?" He asked.
Charlotte grinned, patting him on his flushed cheek. "Well, wouldn't you like to know?"
His brain sputtered in an attempt to formulate something to counter the woman's teasing. But try as his brain may, all he could do was leave his mouth half-open. Charlotte clearly had the upper hand in this game of tease. All he could do now is to resign to his fate. Letting out a sigh, Raymond simply smiled at her and just leaned deeper into the hand that patted his cheek.
Teasing him and pushing his buttons to fluster him whenever she fancies was a game that she played on him all too commonly...but at the end of the day, he really couldn't complain. The way that she catches him off guard and the effect of her playful teasing only made it more obvious that she knew him very well. As to be expected of a childhood friend turned paramour.
She was and still is, the one and only person that managed to make him fall hard for her.
To think that back when they were still kids, Raymond had mistaken Charlotte for an effeminate boy; only for him to realize his mistake nearly three months later. Much to his embarrassment and to her amusement.
"So, you wanna drive or you too tired from the train ride?" He asked her. But he had a feeling she'll be happy either way and enjoy the drive back to the diner.
Charlotte hooked her arm around Raymond's. "A lady needs a chauffeur, doesn't she? C'mon Ray, enough talk. Let's get going!"
Without another word, the duo set off to the parking lot.
Upon arrival, Raymond secured the dark-haired woman's luggage onto the bike's luggage rack and, in the process, Raymond handed Charlotte the spare helmet that once was on the rack. After they donned the necessary safety gear, they saddled up on Raymond's bike and readied themselves for the drive to Wakeford.
The two practically had the road all to themselves...well save for the odd bus or taxi bringing people to or, sometimes, from the train station. But the minimum amount of traffic allowed Raymond to maximize the one and thee quarter kilometer-long straight away before they reached the tunnel that led them to the winding downhill roads that brought them to the sleepy spa town they both called home.
Only the mountainsides and the innumerable pine trees posed as their witnesses to the act of recklessness, Raymond grinned widely underneath his helmet as he readied himself to give Charlotte a proper welcome back present.
"Hold on tight."Switching the bike's mode to sport with a flick of his thumb, Raymond gradually twisted the throttle further and further until the bike topped off to a maximum speed of 200 kmph in just a little over 8 seconds. It didn't even take a minute for them to reach the tunnel entrance!
At one point, the raw torque produced nearly caused them to wheelie for a moment but Raymond's familiarity with the machine and the years of experience handling it prevented any possibility of an accident and kept him in full control.
Not bad for an older generation hybrid motorcycle.
He always enjoyed driving that stretch of road; it allowed him to fully experience the absolute limit of his motorcycle. Admittedly, it wasn't nearly as fast as he'd experienced with his avatar in CaCo, but he can admit it was still quite fast. The length of tunnel prior to the winding roads gave the man more than an apt amount of time to reduce his speed to a more responsible 40 kmph. Allowing them to casually wait out the adrenaline rush whilst enjoying the scenery provided to them.
The view to their right provided them with the scenic overlook of Wakeford and the rest of the caldera. The view always gets tourists and visitors alike. Makes them wonder:'How in God's green earth does a beautiful place like this exist smack-dab in the middle of nowhere?' Any local would answer the question with the same answer. A mix of coincidence, luck, and the collective insurmountable determination of folks down on their luck looking for a fresh start...but that's a story for another time.
The two of them casually drive through the streets of Wakeford without any issue. Simply admiring the peace the ambiance offered.
They take one last turn and see a familiar
building with even more familiar faces of friends and family gathered at the locale. Wide smiles adorning their faces and their hands excitedly waving at the approaching duo. And judging from the aroma they could smell from this distance? They were right on time...despite Raymond's earlier muck up.
The duo parking was the signal for the food to be served, and the guests to properly welcome Charlotte back. It was made more apparent that there was an almost literal smorgasbord of her favorite dishes present in the restaurant. Dishes ranging from traditional foods like Tapas, Gazpacho, and Seafood Paella; to fusion cuisines like their Hanger steak salpicao over rice and their signature staple, the savory churro sandwiches.
Raymond glanced to his grandparents and could easily feel the radiating pride swelling in their chests as the unanimous sounds of satisfaction filled the air. He couldn't blame them. The feeling of pride was mutual...but Raymond couldn't help but feel a yearning in his heart. His grandfather's dream was to raise the restaurant's fame nationwide, it was enough for him to be recommended by Food Network. Raymond's ambition was greater. Wanting to earn the place a Michelin Star and gain international regard. And, God willing, one day he'll get that star.
It was mostly a private event but being one of the pride and joys of the town kinda made her a local celebrity to an extent. Most people would simply admire from a distance or maybe take a few pictures and be content with that. Then again the local paper's reporters weren't normal people. The flashes of cameras and rush of questions came outta nowhere. Practically starved hyenas tired of the routine reporting same old stories with little variation other than the rare times Mr. Miller gets saved by the Canadian Rangers when he goes on the search for the 'Saskatchewan Sasquatch' in the surrounding woodland and stays out long enough for his sons to worry.
"Nothing like a little speeding to make up for being late, eh?" Charlotte said, her legs still a bit shaky from the rumbling of the motorcycle's engine. Had it been luck that Sergeant McKennel hadn't been patrolling the road that day? Naw, it couldn't have been, not when the retirement age traffic cop was right there, three tables away and enjoying a mini-pan of paella with his grandnephew. Charlotte smiled and waved at the familiar roadside rival, before taming her helmet hair, drawing in a deep breath, and whispering to Raymond, "Make 'em disappear in ten minutes and I'll give you something
extra special tonight."
And then, she was off her business face on as she answered questions, entertained reporters, and gave quotable comments on the performance, her performance, and the crowds at Saskatoon, as well as off-handed comments on the increasing automation and globalization of her art form. Zoom
had been skyrocketing in usage for the last fifteen years, and when lightspeed internet was accessible even in a place like Wakeford, even musicians could telecommute now.
Certainly made for plenty of takes that the media could use...and Charlotte made sure to let them know that she was happy to see these reporters in person too, as opposed to the media drones that major news publications used these days for fieldwork.
The tall man hoped that they were on the same page. She was going to do it...right? Of course, she was talking about giving back his limited edition 40th anniversary golden Rayman hoodie! It had been a long three years since it was taken. The tried and tested 'I'm cold. Let me use your hoodie' trick was the one that led his limited edition hoodie to fall into her grasp. Then again she really did look good with it on...
No, Ray! Focus! This was one in a thousand chance. Don't let it go. He mentally berated himself as he excused himself and made a beeline to the third floor.
The third floor mostly consisted of free space or guest rooms but also functioned as the building's attic. Scrounging through the boxes for something in particular; old fireworks to be specific. If there was one thing exponentially more interesting than interviewing a local celebrity, it would be crime, accidents, and disasters.
Wakeford, however, isn't a sleepy town for nothing. Having kept its position in the top 10 safest places to live in the province for roughly 15 years straight. Hell, even Lt. Gov. Myra Ostell personally came to town to give the award a few months ago.
Luckily, Raymond didn't want or need any of those to happen. All he needed to do was
simulate a scenario. What way than with a long-range drone, unused fireworks, his tools, and his own creativity. Making the decoy drone may have taken longer than he would have liked, but it was done none the less. Now for the hard part. Raymond had to light the extended fuse, fly the drone to an inconspicuous location to land, drop off the payload, and fly back. All within the remaining time.
Raymond paused for a moment as he ascended to the rooftop of his home. Thinking that this was reminiscent of a notoriously hard mission from the Grand Theft Auto series...but less malicious, dangerous, and crime-related. But he had little time to entertain the thought any further, his window of opportunity to maybe get his limited edition hoodie back was closing.
It was now or never.
Was a perfect crime harder to pull off in a world with high-tech tools for taking in evidence, or easier to pull off, when one had a bevy of tools to assist in their criminal activities? Over the chatter of the crowd, the high-pitched whine of four blades spinning couldn't be heard at all, and Charlotte's own little entourage made sure that the only person who noticed that Raymond was no longer around was his mother.
On all four directions of the road, the streets were empty, and the explosives-laden drone made it to the center of an abandoned construction site. A family from Toronto had commissioned the previous house to be torn down and rebuilt as their vacation home, but either there were financial problems or legal issues because five months ago, the money stopped being sent, so the construction crew stopped working. Now, it had become a popular place for what few Wakeford teens to sneak into at night, sharing cigarettes and alcohol, and conversely, as private property, it was a pain for the police to deal with.
During this time of day, however, the camera on Raymond's drone didn't catch any people, and the payload was delivered into an empty metal drum. So long as the metal hadn't become too fragile, the fireworks would explode upwards, and noise would be amplified manyfold within the drum's space. Perfect for a perfectly harmless crime. At least he wasn't shooting reporters
with fireworks.
A moment later, an explosion sounded a few blocks away from the diner, loud enough that it could have been mistaken for thunder if not for the current weather conditions. All the reporters in the diner jumped at the sound, eyes scanning through the windows for a sign as to where it had come from, and even ol' McKennel was setting aside his meal, heading on over to see what exactly was happening. Just like that, the crowd within the diner became a couple magnitudes quieter, and Charlotte...
Well, Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle.
Guess CaCo really did change you.
Raymond flinched at the thunderous sound.
"Shit...hope I didn't break anything important." He muttered to himself as he maneuvered his modified drone to a hidden location to let the odd curious onlookers time to lose interest and for the police officers to be in their cars and have their eyes on the road instead of the sky.
Once the drone returned, the tall man quickly disassembled his modifications and did his best to return the items back to where he had taken them. It seemed like the perfect crime. Nobody had gotten hurt, his goal had been met, and no witnesses. A giddy smile was on his face when he reached the third floor. He was a petty criminal mastermind 2038 will never know!
It was then fate decided to kick Raymond in the boingloings.
There standing in the hallway leading back to the second floor was his mother. Arms crossed and an unamused look on her face. But what scared him the most was the slipper she held in her strong hand. Even for Wakeford's cold clime, Raymond began sweating bullets.
"H-hey mom..." There was no response from the vice-matriarch of the Moreno family. Ray swallowed the lump in his throat. The women of the Moreno clan always seemed to inherit unnatural powers. Ones that have been passed since the ancient times in their land of origin. Even after a hundred years away from the homeland, the powers were still present and just as strong.
The 6th sense to bullshit and an uncanny ability to wield improvised weapons masterfully.
Maybe he can still talk his way out of this.
"I can expla-" There was barely a second before a resounding slap of slipper against flesh echoed throughout the adjacent floors followed by the muffled sounds of an ear blistering lecture.
Soon after the two Morenos descended back to the first floor. The taller man's cheek bore an oddly shaped red mark reminiscent of a slipper, his shoulders slumped down slightly, and his eyes held a look of victory mixed in with defeat. A
single tear ran down his cheek as he took a seat and did his best to enjoy the festivities.
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