(I’ll get around to Su and helga’s banner later, maybe, if I feel like it.) EDIT: Fuck that, this ship ain't worth it lol. [hr] Even though it was a new day, Su found her thoughts drift to her time with Chloe. There was a lot more to her than met the eye, but it was probably for the best if she limited her interactions with her going forward. Otherwise, it was just a matter of time before Chloe got hurt. She hoped that kiss on the cheek would make her not feel like she wasted her time. That wasn’t the type of thing Su did too often. [i][color=PeachPuff]”When was the last time I kissed someone like that? Twenty years ago?”[/color][/i] It was probably not worth worrying too much about. Right now, Su had to figure out this game she was going to play. Su did not fully understand the appeal of minigolf. She knew it had something to do with the crazy obstacles that normal golfers never get to face. If you had become accustomed to putting balls over green hills and around sand traps, then putting around windmills, jumping dolphins, and other exotic obstacles probably had an appeal. But it all felt superficial to Su. A gimmick to trick the player into thinking they were playing a more exciting version of golf. But it was the same for the most part.  At least, that was what she thought [i]looking[/i] at the game. She hadn’t played it yet, instead choosing to examine all of the equipment before playing a round. Su was looking at one of the golf clubs, which was noticeably smaller than a normal one. [i][color=PeachPuff]”I guess that’s why it’s called minigolf.”[/color][/i] She got on her hands and knees and looked inside a windmill. [i][color=PeachPuff]”Looks like a tough shot.”[/color][/i] Maybe she would have to play this game to fully understand it. Fortunately, she had the foresight to invite someone to play with her. Helga came over and crouched down to look at the hole Su was peering into. “Are there mini people in the windmill?” She asked jokingly, and giggled as she stood back up. “So we swing these clubs at balls, huh? Why do so many sports revolve around balls anyway? That’s super weird.” This was going to be a long game.  Su placed the ball on the turf. [color=PeachPuff]”I suppose the reason why you see balls so much is because it’s a perfectly uniform shape. It has the same effect regardless of which side you hit it on, and it rolls the best.”[/color]  “That makes sense,” Helga nodded. She patted Davish’ head as the dolphin came over and spoke the same spiel it had done to earlier players. “Yeah yeah, balls in holes, get points. This ain’t boogie board science. Anyway let’s start.” She placed the golf club on the field, lifted it up...And slammed the golf ball so hard it got stuck in the blade of a windmill. [color=PeachPuff]”Um.”[/color] Su stared on, wide-eyed. “Oh, whoops! I got a bit too excited,” she smiled awkwardly, handing a new ball to Su before watching her putt. [color=PeachPuff]”R-right, my turn.”[/color] She felt awkward being hunched over in a swimsuit, but this was probably to limit the power of your swing. Not that it weakened Helga’s shot much. Su gave the ball a gentle putt and rolled the ball up to the windmill. She had great hand eye coordination, but she was unfamiliar with the club and managed to bump into the windmill instead of passing under it. [color=PeachPuff]”I don’t think you can play your last ball where it is.”[/color] She passed the club back to Helga.  “I guess so. Let’s see if I can control it better this time.” She made a new swing, and this time it rolled fast on the ground, passing by the windmill blades in one go. “I think I’m getting the idea; it’s about accuracy. This is actually pretty cool.”  Su nodded. But as interesting as the game was, she had a reason for meeting up with Helga. [color=PeachPuff]”How did things go with Penny? Were you able to confirm Mika’s story?”[/color] Helga’s face turned a bit softer. “Yeah. It’s just like Mika said, really.” She held her arm as she reminisced about the encounter. “She did have Amber’s ship.” Expecting Su to get mad, she immediately followed up: “But she didn’t steal it on purpose. It’s more like, she happened to inherit it, I think. She didn’t go into details, but she has obviously taken good care of it. She really didn’t seem like a bad person. Now that I think about it, she might have been the robot girl who joined us on the Justine gig...But like a lot cuter,” she happened to add, smiling about it a little bit. This was not good news to Su. Regardless of how Penny got the ship, it wasn’t hers, and Helga had returned without it. Had she even bothered to ask for it back? Su let go of a deep sigh. [color=PeachPuff]”I’ll have to talk to her myself.”[/color] She took the club back and eyed her ball. She was pretty close to the windmill, but just beyond was a straight path with moving shark fins that threatened to block any incoming shots. [color=PeachPuff]”I was going to apologize for taking Chloe away from you, but it sounds like you’ve hooked yourself up with another girl already. I’m glad.”[/color] Of course, Su didn’t look glad. Not that Su was one to smile very much in the first place. Helga blushed a bit at Su’s words, and chuckled. “No no, it’s not like that. She just took me on a cruise around the islands, that’s all,” she said, basically admitting to have gone on a date of sorts with Penny. “Are you worried about me finding a new girlfriend here, Su?” Su lower lip quivered until she pursed her lips. [color=PeachPuff]”I think you should do what makes you happy.”[/color] She didn’t like where this conversation was going. Romance was a sour topic for Su, especially when it was one of her own friends mocking her. Which wasn’t to say Helga wasn’t [i]partially[/i] correct. She did her best not to let her irritation show.  She swung her club, and the ball flew past the windmill and most of the sharks before clipping one of the fins. She did manage to roll to the other side of the obstacle, but her ball had lost all of its momentum by that point. [color=PeachPuff]”There.”[/color] she handed over the club again. Helga swung the club again, watching as it nearly passed by every shark fin except the last one. “Almost had it, bummer.” When Su went to take her swing, Helga moved to stand right next to her, her eyes following down the club. “Hmm...” She pondered audibly. Su stood up and placed a hand on her hip. [color=PeachPuff]”What is it, Helga?”[/color] There was a hint of irritation in her voice. Helga’s eyes slowly drifted to Su, a playful smile on her lips. “I think your swing could use a bit of improvement. Here, let me help.” She went behind Su, and took hold of her hands, directing her arms to grip the golf club. “See, you hold it like this...” She calmly explained; Su would notice their cheeks were nearly touching from their close proximity. “And then, you bend your waist like this.” Su groaned, and she could feel her face changing colors. This was happening a lot over this vacation. She hated how weak it made her feel. [color=PeachPuff]”Thank you. B-but I’m still ahead!”[/color] She averted her eyes from Helga and muttered under her breath. [color=PeachPuff]”Just trying to disturb my concentration.”[/color] The obstacle ahead held the final hole in this particular game. A statue of Dan’s head emerging from a giant wave. His nose was a narrow ramp that lead up to the blow hole on the top of his head. What made this shot tricky was that the hole was on top of the crest of his head. Too little power and you couldn’t climb the ramp, too much and you’d fly over the hole. The wave behind the statue was steep and would punish any ill-prepared shot by rolling away from the goal. Unlucky golfers would find their balls thrown back into the shark obstacle. Since Su had the lead, she decided that it would be best to just get herself into position with this next shot. She followed Helga’s instructions and managed to get the ball to what she felt was a good spot. She was lined up with the ramp, and didn’t need to hit the ball too hard. She passed the club back over to Helga, who had been standing beside her the entire time. [color=PeachPuff]”Helga.”[/color] She sighed. [color=PeachPuff]”I’m sorry about the volleyball thing. I wanted to have you on my team.”[/color] Helga smiled as Su swiftly shoved her, taking the club with a twirl of her arm. The smile faded a bit as Su apologized, and she sighed. “It’s fine, Su. We already spend every day together, so it’s only a good thing we see other people. I was also being a little obnoxious, I admit.” She made a swing, and the ball nearly made the entire ramp, before it slid down from the very top. “Oh man, that’s tough. Dan’s a slippery fella. Well, he’s a dolphin, so it makes sense.” She held the club behind her, balancing it on her hands. Su looked away from Helga[color=PeachPuff]”I’ve been trying to enjoy this vacation, but it’s given me too much time to think.”[/color] She stood upright. [color=PeachPuff]”I heard Lily, I saw how excited she is about her date with Alexander.”[/color] She looked at the floor. [color=PeachPuff]”I don’t think I was always this petty.”[/color] Helga listened to Su’s confession; at the end of it, her eyes seemed to widen a bit. She blinked, and then went over and placed her hand around her shoulder. “ Are you jealous of how happy they are together, Su?” She asked, tapping the floor with her club. “Well, we gotta fix that.” She grinned widely. “Let’s begin operation: Get Su A Boyfriend Slash Girlfriend Slash Something To Make Her Happy! Wouldn’t that be fun? I bet we could find us some cuties at this tropical island, eh?” She playfully nudged her with her shoulder. Su chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]”Y-yea, you’re probably right.”[/color] When she went to make her put, her club didn’t stop shaking. Perhaps it would be best to just inch a bit closer with this next one too. Her next shot got her closer to the ramp, but it was anyone’s game. Su handed the club over to Helga and took a step back. It wasn’t until Helga was ready to swing again that Su worked up the courage to speak. [color=PeachPuff]”I love you, Helga.”[/color] “Great, I also love-WHAAAT?” Su lifted her club, ready to swing, when Su suddenly said something very shocking to her; as a result, her eyes shot wide open alongside her jaw. As she audibly reacted with a rumbling exclamation, she accidentally infused a large charge of Sound magic to her club and ball at the point of impact, destroying the entire Dan head with a sonic boom. Still holding the mangled golf club in her hand, she looked at Su with a big blush in her face, and then down at the club. “...U-Uh huh,” she managed to audibly react with wavering lips, the sound echoing inside her. She dropped the club, and turned around, biting her lip with her hands clasped together. “...Whoah, I...Think I destroyed the hole. I mean, Dan’s head!” She became flustered as she saw the real Dan pop in with an angry look, and turned back to take Su’s hands. “Let’s go to some shade.” [color=PeachPuff]”S-sure.”[/color] [hr] She took Su to a nearby gazebo after escaping the sounds of disgruntled dolphin squeaking, and the two sat down. Helga took a deep sigh, still shaking. “I think you won that competition by me getting disqualified. So, uh...congratulations, Su. You’re the better golfer after all, hah. So, umm…” She looked like she wasn’t sure what to say, and she fiddled her thumbs. “...You really love me? That wasn’t a joke to make me destroy the mini golf course, right? Cuz that would be outright devious.” [color=PeachPuff]”It wasn’t.”[/color] Su made sure to look into Helga’s eyes when she spoke, even if the temptation was to look away. [color=PeachPuff]”I’ve loved you for a while Helga. It’s just-”[/color] she sighed. [color=PeachPuff]”I’m cursed. If I try to get romantically involved with someone, bad things happen to the people I want to be with. Amber, Deni, and so many others.”[/color] She put her other hand over Helga’s. [color=PeachPuff]”I thought that maybe if I could distance myself from you a bit, it wouldn’t be so bad. Chloe was sort of an experiment in that regard. But I’ll just end up hurting her too, I fear.”[/color] She closed her eyes. [color=PeachPuff]”I don’t think it’s possible for me to have a relationship like that with someone. Not without it having a painful end. ”[/color] Helga listened patiently, only sounding the faintest of hums to acknowledge Su’s words. “Su...” She spoke, and sighed. “You’re not cursed. Bad things just tend to happen when you’re living the magical life. I’ve lost good friends too, in my past.” Helga looked at the sun as it was setting. “It’s easy to think it’s your fault when you’re the one who survives, that something’s wrong with you for having lived. But that’s wrong.” She turned back to look at Su, and inched closer to her. “Besides, I already died once. So, in that sense, I overcame the curse.” She took her hand, which was laying on the bench between them, and interlocked their fingers together. “I...I’ve been blind. I kept teasing you all this time, thinking it was just friendly banter between sisters, that, ugh...You’d get yourself a boyfriend and leave me, so it would be okay to do that. But...I guess I wanted to see your cute embarrassed face a little too much to leave it at that.” She looked away while still holding her hand. “Geez, I’m like a bully thinking that way.” Su grinned. [color=PeachPuff]”I understand the appeal. It was fun to watch you destroy the golf course when I only said four words.”[/color] She used her other hand to turn Helga’s face back towards her. [color=PeachPuff]”But you’re right. You don’t seem to be afraid of what might come next, and I’m not having much luck distancing myself from you anyway.”[/color] “Yeah...You’re everything I could ever wish for,” Helga spoke. Her smile broadened.[color=PeachPuff]”We’re a family. It’s not just us. Boteg, Mika, and Lupa are part of that family too. But we need to decide.”[/color] She leaned closer to Helga. [color=PeachPuff]”Are we sisters or a couple in this family?”[/color] Helga allowed Su to close the distance, her breath a bit uneven from nervousness. “Oh Su, always trying to make me think...” She cupped Su’s cheeks, and suddenly, closed her eye. In the next, brief moment, she gave her a kiss on the lips. Afterwards, she opened her eyes again. Su averted her eyes, but she was still smiling. “Why not both? If trashy novels can do it, what’s stopping us?” She hugged Su. “Nothing, that’s what. We’re free to do anything we want, sail anywhere we go. Face the storms, reach ashore, and bury our gold. And out of all the treasures in the world, you’re the only one I want.” Su laughed. [color=PeachPuff]”Stop it! You’re not going to make me blush again!”[/color] She gave Helga a light shove before standing up. [color=PeachPuff]”We should do something together though. Something special. I’m going to need some time to think about that. But for now.”[/color] She extended her hand to Helga. [color=PeachPuff]”I think I can enjoy this vacation a lot more now. There are a lot of people I’ve fallen out of touch with and others I’d like to meet.”[/color] Helga also stood up, and took Su’s hand. “You betcha, Su.” She smiled as the last rays of the sun could be seen peeking out, as night drew over the islands. “This is like something out of a movie. It’s so unreal.” Her eyes turned wet, like she was resisting the urge to shed tears. “Thank you, Su. I don’t think I would have had the courage to do what you did.” Su was not sure what she did was all that brave. Facing the possibility of rejection was always a hard thing to do, sure. She’d respect herself a lot more if that was the sole reason why she was holding Helga’s hand right now. But Su had been motivated by envy as well. She did love Helga, but it was that desire to match Lily that finally gave her the will to say it. But in the end, this was fine. Amber had always said she wanted Su to be happy, and she hadn’t been this happy for months. This couldn’t be a bad thing. [color=PeachPuff]”Yea. Lets go for a walk.”[/color] It was going to be a good day.