Chapter Text
They were all stuck inside because of the monsoon. And there hadn't been any electricity for the last few hours, so they all tried to get the time to go with something. Booker was reading, Nicky was napping with his head in Joe's lap while Joe was drawing. The only one who was really bored was Nile. Without electricity, Nile couldn't listen to music or watch one of her favourite TV shows.
Nile: "This sucks."
Joe looked up from his drawing.
Joe: "What do you mean?"
Nile: "You can't do anything without electricity."
Joe: "That isn't true. You need a hobby. Something that will distract you from the missing electricity."
Nile sighed. She wasn't in the mood to find a hobby in the middle of a monsoon.
Nile: "I think I'm taking a nap."
Nile lay down on the bamboo mattress she had been designated a week ago when they arrived at this safe house. It was impossible to sleep in this humidity, so when she joined the others for dinner hours later, she had only slept for what felt like ten minutes.
Nicky: "It isn't sushi, but the fish is still good."
Nile: "Your food is always good, Nicky."
Nicky smiled before sitting down. Joe placed the oil lamp on the floor, lighting the otherwise dark room up. They ate in silence.
Nicky: "Why don't you ask one of your good questions, Nile?"
Nile: "What do you mean?"
Nicky: "Your questions often give Joe an idea for a story. And we do all love Joe's stories."
Nile: "That's a great way to pass the time. Let me think for a moment."
After 132 years with The Old Guard, Nile still had loads of questions.
Nile: "Besides finding out you couldn't die, what was the weirdest thing you discovered right after your first death?"
Booker, who had been reading until now, looked at Nile.
Booker: "Waking up with a mouth full of new teeth."
Nile: "What do you mean?"
Booker: "You were born into an age with decent dentistry, something the rest of us weren't. If we had a toothache, it was a visit to the barber or anyone who had access to a plier so they could pull out the problem tooth. And trust me when I say it wasn't a nice, clean place the barber had. There was often blood on the floor or the pliers, plus the barber didn't wash his hands before he started. If you were lucky, you got a mouthful of bad booze before they pulled the tooth out. I have seen people drop dead on the spot after a visit to the barber."
Nile looked horrified at Booker.
Booker: "Having new teeth might actually have freaked me more out than finding out I couldn't die. I still remember the first time I ate a meal without having any pain in my mouth afterwards."
Nicky: "I can only agree with you, Book. It also freaked me out having new teeth, but not as much as it must have done with Andy, given the age she was born into."
Nicky looked at Joe.
Nicky: "But having new perfect teeth can also land you into a lot of trouble. Do you remember the Wazir who wanted to buy me from you because he thought you owed a slave with perfect teeth?"
Joe crossed his arms with a grumble.
Joe: "I have never forgotten that. I still hold a grudge against him."
Nile looked at Joe.
Nile: "Please tell me the story."
Joe looked out of the window to think about where to start with his story.
Joe: "It all started with another monsoon a long time ago..."