A Short Break

    The elevator ride down was long as always.  Susan was covered in zombie bits and Jim was trying to avoid Astros' gaze by standing in the corner of the elevator. This did not help however since while leaning against the corner Jim crossed his arms causing his muscles to become more pronounced. Astros enjoyed the view.

     "I need a shower." Susan said breaking the silence of the ride. "I have zombie juice everywhere." She looks down at her clothing which is now badly stained. "Jim do we have a way to clean clothes?" She asked.

     "Yes we do actually in the bathroom, there is a box for your clothes and put them in there and it should wash them while you are in the shower." Jim replied.

    "Good I don't want to walk around smelling like zombie ass." Susan said with a smile.

     With that the elevator finally came to a stop and the door opened.  The main temple chamber was just as big and grand as the first time they saw it. "Oh it feels good to have my magic back." said Astros. "I feel so drained on the surface I just don't understand how you mortals can live with such a small amount of magic. Then again mortals aren't very magical, that is except for you darling. You are magical." Astros said with a wink to Jim.

     "Something in your eye Astros?" Asked Jim.

    "The only thing in my eye, is your handsome body my love." Astos said with another wink to Jim.

   "You just did it again!" exclaimed Jim.

    "Did what love?" Asked Astros with yet another wink.

   "That! You are winking everytime you say something to me! Its annoying stop!" Jim pleaded.

   Astros pauses and thinks for a moment. "I suppose I can stop winking at you. For a price." Astros said with a grin.

    "What do you want Astros?" Asked Jim.

    "Oh I am not going to tell you right now silly boy. Just agree to pay whatever my price is and I will collect it from you later." Astros replied.

    "Fine whatever just stop winking." Agreed Jim.

   "If you boys are done im going to take a shower now, then I will whip up some dinner now that we have food." Susan said to the boys.

     "So Astros, I have been wondering, just what kind of god are you anyway?" asked Jim.

    "My radiant beauty did not give it away to you love? I am a god of vanity, a beauty unlike any other in the universe.  Nothing even compares to a fraction of my own radiance. Behold my glory!" Astros then takes his vest off and stretches his arms out emitting light from all around him.  He was shining as if he was the sun. "Try not to look directly at my beauty , you may go blind love." Astros said to Jim.

     "That explains a lot actually Astros." Said Jim. "Question though I thought gods of vanity only cared about themselves, why are you so obsessed with me?" He asked.

    "Do you not see your own beauty my love?!" Astros was puzzled. Jim was actually almost a spitting image of Astros only slightly shorter, paler skin, and short hair instead of long. "When I look at you, it is almost as if I look in a mirror, your beauty revivals my own!" Astros exclaimed.

    Susan who was now done with her shower came out of the bathroom still wet and wearing nothing at all. "Apparently my clothes are going to take a while. Zombie guts must be hard for even magic to get out and I would be in a towel, except there are none" Susan said we a sigh. "I guess since we dry off magically we don't need them, still would be nice to wrap up in something." Susan sighed again. "Oh well I am hungry I am going to go cook." As she was about to leave she noticed that Jim had his hand over his eyes. "Jim whats wrong never seen a naked woman before? Its the zombie apocalypse, the fuck does it matter?" She asked.

    "It's just that...." Jim started but Astros cut him off.

   "Maybe he just don't want to look at you fairy girl, now run along we don't need to see you." Astros said while snapping his fingers.

    Susan walked away while flipping Astros the bird. "I'll yell when the food is done." She yelled while walking down the hallway.

   "I guess I should make her an extra set of clothes, so she doesn't have to expose herself like that anymore." Jim said to himself.

   "Don't worry about the fairy girl, I am sure she is fine. Now isn't it about time for you to take a shower as well my love?" Astros asked.

   "I suppose you are right. I will go get in the shower now. I guess I will make new clothes after, a new set for Susan and a new shirt of me, since you ripped the one I had." Jim said.

   "I'll just rip that one too. A god should never cover his beauty. Since you are part god you should not cover your beauty as well." Astros said to Jim with an evil grin.

    "Ok just a set for Susan then… I guess" Jim said as he entered the shower.  Astros waited a short time to make sure that Jim was undressed and inside the shower before he decided to strike.  Since he was back in the temple he had his full godly powers back and a little thing like a locked door was not going to stand in his way.

    "Darling I'm coming in." said Astros as he entered the bathroom where Jim was showering.

   "What no! Get out Astros!" yelled Jim while he was trying to cover himself.  It was not an easy task since the earlier scene with Susan had gotten him quite worked up.  "You can't just go into the bathroom when people are taking a shower Astros." Jim said sternly.

   "Oh don't be such a prude. I thought I could help you wash our back and you could help wash mine.  We are both men we don't have anything the other doesn't already have themselves." Astros said while getting into the shower. His full body was now on display, well defined muscles, a perfect tan, he truly was a perfect specimen of a god.

   "We don't need to wash our backs the magic does it for you! Now get out!" Jim yelled while still struggling to covering himself.

   "Remember my price Jim.  You promised to pay when it was time. This is my price you must allow me to help wash you and you must help wash me." Astros just could not stop grinning knowing he had won a small victory.

    Jim went pale he knew that Astros probably had some perverted scheme but agreed to it anyway.  This was his fault and he would have to live with it. "Just no touching below the belt that seem fair?" Asked Jim.

   "Oh remember my rules darling I want you to be willing so I will only take it as far as you let me go." replied Astros.

   Just then the bathroom door opens all the way, Astros had left it cracked and Susan thought that meant that Jim was done in the shower.  She walks in to a scene of Jim and Astros washing each other naked. She pauses just for a moment. "Don't mind me, I'm just seeing if my clothes are done yet. Seems like they are. Please lock the door next time if your going to do weird stuff." She left the room as soon as she finished her sentence not giving Jim anytime to explain.  She thought to herself it was about time Jim had a bad experience in the shower after what happened to her the first time. Susan walked back to the kitch smiling. 

    A few more minutes pass and a yell can be heard from the mess hall. "Dinners ready, get your asses in here." Susan yelled.  Astros and Jim who had finished their shower went into the mess hall to eat. Jim could not even look Susan in the eye after what happened in the shower.

   "Susan let me explain." Said Jim trying to explain what had happened to Susan.

   "Don't care, eat your food." She answered. "Astros probably forced his way in there and made you shower with him as payment for not winking anymore right?" Susan asked.

  "How did you…" Jim was cut off before he could finish.

  "Things like that happen to women all the time, so we make sure we don't agree to anything before we know what it is." Susan said while biting into her dinner she had made.

   "I didn't know." said Jim.

   "Most men don't, now eat your food." Susan said while raising her voice a bit more.

   "This food is quite good fairy girl, I am impressed!" Astros said to Susan.

  "It's just canned pasta, eat up we have plenty." Susan kept eating while talking.

  "Still good, you have earned the praise of a god. Cherish this moment for it is surely the greatest moment in your mortal life." Astros said proudly.

   Susan just rolls her eyes and continues to eat.  Just then a buzzing started coming from the main room along with a flashing light. "The hell is that?" asked Susan.

   "That's the guardian alert system. The other guardians must want to meet." Jim answered.