<div style="background-color:#6c9cb8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #000000"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Alannah winked. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I know a pretty good place."</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/HIaYY7L.png"><img alt="Image" src="https://i.imgur.com/HIaYY7L.png" style="max-width:700px; max-height; 700px;"/></a></div><br/>The whole diner was pastel. Pastel pink and white tiled floor, pastel pink painted walls, the comfy seats an odd shade of turquoise. Alannah studied the pink-and-turquoise menu with a professional eye. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Milkshakes are on the back,"</span> she told Dimitri and Asya, contemplating what to have. <span style="font-style: italic">Reese's Pieces and strawberry? Vanilla and cherry?</span> The place was infamous for both its '50s decor and incredible shakes, and yet, Alannah had never gone there since her dad, Tony, had tried to cheer her up after a particularly horrific biology test in high school. <span style="font-style: italic">Just like you and Dimitri are now taking your own chi- nO, NO NO, STOP.</span> She cleared her throat loudly, as if to drown out her own thoughts, and sent Dimitri an unsteady smile.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"So,"</span> she began, but somehow, she didn't know how to continue the sentence. Instead, Alannah just sat for a moment, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Um, uh... What are you, what are you thinking?"</span><br/><br/><ul>Dimitri tapped his fingers on their table, it made him nervous to have Asya with them for so long. "I don't really know what half'a these flavors are." He admitted. "You okay? You sound nervous."</ul><br/>Alannah chuckled. <span style="font-weight: bold">"What, you were never allowed to have Nutella or M'n'Ms as a kid? And I'm not nervous,"</span> she said, then sighed. <span style="font-weight: bold">"All right, maybe a bit nervous. It's just..."</span> She put down her menu and gestured vaguely at nothing. Asya sent her a look that was far too knowing for a 11-year-old kid and got up from her seat.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"I'm gonna go to the bathroom,"</span> she announced, and quickly left. Alannah didn't know whether to feel grateful or not. She stared at the bit of table in front of Dimitri.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"It's just been a while... In the library, I mean, right? So much reading."</span><br/><br/><ul>"Yes... A lot of reading." Dimitri answered, he looked at Alannah as though he was a linguistics expert and Alannah was a language he'd never even heard of.<br/><br/>"We grew most of our food." Dimitri nearly reminded himself of the fact. Life was far different now. "Is it the ichor? Or is it Asya?" The clueless demigod displayed his remaining few shreds of naive nature to the mermaid.</ul><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"It's neither,"</span> said Alannah, finally too exasparated with her ex. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Look, we're practically on a date here again, which I haven't been in ages, especially not with a kid along for the ride, and it, it just - it feels odd,"</span> she finished tamely. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Don't you think so?"</span><br/><br/><ul>Dimitri wasn't prepared for the loaded statements. He looked her in the eyes, but ultimately only had a shrug to offer her. "I don't know, Alannah. You know how things were before. You're the only person I've ever gone on a date with." He admitted, though he was certain she was aware of the fact.<br/><br/>"Being around you isn't like other people. I haven't felt odd since before last night."</ul><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Great, <span style="font-style: italic">I'm</span> the one making things odd,"</span> she snapped, grabbing a napkin from the small dispenser on the table. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I'm not the one who just up and <span style="font-style: italic">left</span>, y'know? I'm not the one who just - suddenly shows up again with the most incredible excuse, just because again, I couldn't say no to anyone."</span> She knew she was stepping over quite a few lines, but sweet justification bore her forward. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I just wish... I wish you'd come back for <span style="font-style: italic">me</span>."</span><br/><br/><ul>"Alannah, that ain't fair." Dimitri protested. He took care to keep his tone in check, it was very clear the last thing Alannah needed was an argument. "You know I'd do anythin' to change what this is.  I love you. But he forces me. Forces me t'do whatever it is he wants." The conversation was not a pleasant one, but Dimitri figured it might be a necessary one.</ul><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Love,"</span> Alannah muttered, ripping paper napkin after paper napkin to shreds without noticing. What was she supposed to think of that? She could almost hear Dan in the back of her mind; <span style="font-style: italic">"ugh, that is just so typical of men".</span><span style="font-weight: bold">"How, exactly, does Nereus force you to do things? What, does he have the rest of your siblings in a concentration camp somewhere? Is he threatening your parents, what is it; how could he possibly force you to do anything? I just don't understand it,"</span> she said, placing her elbows in the small paper-shred-mountain she had created, and rested her head in her hands.<br/><br/><ul>"He's a god." Dimitri reminded her. "You know how that goes down if I go against him. Heaven forbid I'm with you. That isn't just me that's in danger. That's you too. And probably a lot more than that." Dimitri hated seeing Alannah in such abundant distress. His hand slowly reached out to her shoulder. "Tell me what to do."</ul><br/>She wanted to shrug the hand off. She wanted to storm out with one last icy glare and never see him again. She wanted to be <span style="font-style: italic">that</span> bad bitch in every movie. But she wasn't; she was just a relatively normal person with no flair for theatrical gestures, and far too many happy memories to just leave them all behind her forever at this diner. Alannah lifted her blue gaze to meet Dimitri's deep brown eyes, with every intention of answering him, when something became unnervingly apparent to her.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"... Where is Asya?"</span></span></div></span></div>