Sunday, the last day.

We didn’t miss lunch, at least. We were all hungry so we ended up eating more than usual. We stayed at the table for a while after we were done, discussing our plans for the day.

“It’s our last day here,” Sarah said. “Anyone have anything in mind? I’m happy to go along with whatever.”

“I want to enjoy the hot springs some more,” Noelle said. “I liked them and I’m gonna miss them.”

“Agreed,” Diana said. “It’s what we came here for, after all.”

“Yep, I’ll join, too,” Alice said, stretching languidly. “They’re pretty relaxing.”

“Yeah, we should get our money’s worth,” Grace said. “Rather, Sarah’s parents’ money’s worth, but that doesn’t roll off the tongue very well.”

“I really need to thank them again for this,” I said. “Can you think of anything I could do for them, Sarah?”

“Agree to babysit the brats with me sometimes,” Sarah said. “It gives my folks the chance to go out on a date.”

“They don’t let you do that by yourself?” Noelle asked.

“No, they do, and I do it. The kids just love Oliver. Well, Cole’s been getting rebellious lately. He’s jealous Oliver is taking me away from home.”

I grimaced and rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, gonna have to talk to him about that. Not looking forward to it, but I don’t want Cole to end up hating me.”

Mila crossed her arms. “My little brother doesn’t really care about Oliver. I think when I told him he was my boyfriend, he saw him as a boy who is my friend. I guess he’s too young to understand.”

“Not to mention that he’s usually at some friend’s house whenever I visit,” I said.

“Anyway,” Mila said. “I’m up for going to the hot springs again, too, but… I’m claiming my prize from yesterday! It’s my last chance to do it!”

Alice chuckled. “Prize? We lost, remember?”

“Yeah, well… You know what I mean!”

“I don’t, at least,” Diana said.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Sarah asked.

“Oh yeah, listen to this!” Grace said, frowning. “While we were playing padel yesterday, these four were playing in the game room while putting favors on the line as prizes! We missed it!”

“It was a spur of the moment thing…” Noelle said.

“Wait, but… Did Oliver win?” Diana asked.

“Yes,” Mila answered.

“And why are you claiming a prize, then?”

“Because Oliver promised to just give us what we wanted anyway,” Alice said. “I asked for a fancy one-on-one date.”

“I asked him to try out a game with me,” Noelle said shyly.

“And I…” Mila smirked, “Asked him to do naughty things in the hot springs with the Normality Runes.”

“You know, I’d be jealous if I didn’t get exactly what I wanted yesterday in the tent,” Sarah said.

“I… Alright, fine, you have a point. That was good,” Grace admitted.

“Okay, I understand now. But how do you expect the runes to work in the water? Do you have anything to write with that won’t get erased once you get in?”

“That’s… the place where I’m stuck.” Mila sighed and pouted with her chin resting on her hand.

To review, the Normality runes work as a pair and have to be written in something that’s considered clothes. It’s all part of the conditions that make them work. This means Mila and I need to wear something in which we can both write the runes in. If we write it with the usual water-based marker and go in the water… Yeah, the effect is gone.

“We do have a permanent marker,” Grace said. “It should work.”

“Yeah, but if the runes get smudged it could break the whole spell, couldn’t it?” Alice said.

“Hmm… I think I might know a way to make it safer,” Diana said.

“Really?” Mila’s eyes shone with hope.

“So… My niece has a t-shirt signed by a soccer player she likes. She wanted to preserve the ink and we found that if you iron it, the heat really does help it stay there for way longer. Now, she doesn’t use the t-shirt or wash it that often, but as far as I know that signature is still there after a couple of years.”

“But… We don’t have an iron here…” Mila said, disappointed.

Diana chuckled. “Think outside the box, girl. What did I say helps the ink stay on the fabric?”

“The… heat?”

“And do we have something that produces dry heat in the cabin?”

Mila’s eyes lit up again. “The hairdryer in the bathroom!”

“It might take a few minutes. Well, maybe some 20 minutes, but we can test it in the shower before you go in the hot springs.”

“Yes!” Mila cheered, then rose from her seat at the table. “Come on! Let’s go try it out!”

It was about time we headed back, so no one objected.

“I guess the Devil does know more because he’s old and not for being the Devil…” Grace said as we were leaving.

“I’m sorry?” Noelle asked with a chuckle.

“Old saying from my gramps. Whenever he was right about something he would say that.”

“Oh, I think my grandma knew the same saying,” I told her. “At least, I think I’ve heard my mom say it once or twice.”

“Oh, so I’m old?” Diana asked.

“Older,” Grace said.

“And not the Devil,” I added.

“Yeah, that’s Grace,” Mila said.

“Nah, at this point she’s barely an imp,” Alice said, smiling at her friend.

“...” Grace shook her head and chuckled. “You know… I’ll take that.”

Back at the cabin, Mila was eager to get to work so that’s what we did. She picked a swimsuit and a backup T-shirt in case the swimsuit top didn’t qualify as ‘clothes.’ I did the same with my swimming trunks and a spare T-shirt. We had seen people wearing T-shirts in the hot springs, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

I wrote the runes in the labels and Mila spent 30 minutes diligently blowing hot air directly at them with the hairdryer. Once done, it was time to test the results.

Patreon.