this also deserves to be its own thing.. gosh he makes me unwell.
suggestive, but nothing happens, it's just a non sexual moment of intimacy..
Jigen/Vera once again <3
=========
Jigen sitting back in a chair.. he's still fully dressed.. and he just tells Vera that it is 100% okay for her to touch him. Touch him however she wants. He's not gonna do anything.. he's just gonna let her feel him. undress him if she wants. He's being patient with her. this is a way to really ease her into things.. let her go at her own pace, so he isn't unintentionally "rushing" her.. She can stop at any point, at any time. Her choosing, her call to make.
..He's just sitting there.. watching her as she looks at him.. at his body.. his clothes.. doing what he said was okay.. and he's just getting lost in his own thoughts for a moment.. observing her own form.. her face.. her outfit.. thinking how he'd love to do the same to her.. more than just his hands.. letting his thoughts run a little wild.. yet having to snap himself back, bite it back.. he doesn't want to rile himself up.. he wants Vera to do that.. and she's doing a pretty swell job thus far..
She's left his hat alone.. for now. undoing his tie.. she's so slow.. nervous.. fingers fumbling, a slight shake in her touch as she opens his shirt little by little.. he can see her nibbling on her lip, not in anticipation, not in arousal, but anxiously, uncertain.. She's glanced up at him a few times, he's responded with little reassurances.. encouraging her to continue.. her hands hesitate.. but slip inside his shirt and feel at him.. combing through his chest hair, brushing along any scars he has.. she opens the shirt fully, freeing it from where it was tucked in.. She's dipped her attention lower.. and he does, too, curious what she'll do.. will she go for it? He wonders to himself.. Her hands continue to feel at him, exploring.. one comes up to cup so delicately at his neck.. the other caresses just below he pec to feel his heartbeat.
He'd love nothing more than to kiss her now.. eying her mouth for a moment, then her eyes.. she's hesitating again.
She leans up and takes his hat off.. and she gets a good look at him.. He's so handsome.. combing a hand so tenderly in his hair to fix any strands that fell out of place when she removed his hat. It's a shame to hide such a face.. such pretty eyes..
She humors the idea for a moment to wear his hat herself, but decides, instead, to place it down to the side. Keep it somewhere safe and out of the way.. as she dips back down his body.
She's been crouched between his legs for a while now.. and only now decides to take the risk of climbing up onto his lap. Sure it doesn't give her easier access to his belt.. but.. it does give her easier access to his face overall. She's so red in the face now, bringing her shaky hands up to hold his face, fingers curving around the shells of his ears, thumbs brushing his cheeks and sideburns.. He smiles at her.. and it makes her heart do somersaults. She can't help but swallow thickly and lean down.. she wants to kiss him, too.
As they kiss, she eventually moves her hands down to take his wrists and bring his hands up to her hips.. like a silent invitation of her own as the kiss breaks.. reaching back up she bends a little and carefully tilts his head-- eliciting a noise from him, "Oh?" followed by a throaty hum she could feel reverberate in her palm.. and soon her lips, too, as she place an experimental kiss on his neck.. She's always wanted to do this to a man.. whoever her future partner would be.. and now she finally has that.. right here.
Jigen simply enjoys this, letting her experiment little by little, chuckling slightly as she suddenly nuzzled his throat.. his hands growing restless.. sliding one ever so slowly down to her thigh.. the other hesitantly lifting and rising up to where she had hers on him just before, just below the breast.. to feel her heartbeat, but going no further than that. The act eliciting his own noise from her, he looks away when she pulls back to look at him.. his hand remains on her chest.
basically a copy/paste from a convo I had with my friend:
==========
Yet another heist is happening. Vera hadn't meant to "get in the way" and stop Jigen while he was in the middle of something.
Paprika & Zenigata split up to try and catch the Lupin gang. Zenigata ran off in the immediate direction of Lupin, while Paprika took off to find the other two.
Paprika only saw Jigen enter the broom closet as they rounded the corner.. they didn't know that Jigen had heard the sound of their shoes coming and shoved Vera inside it first.
Paprika locked the door. it only can be opened from the outside. Jigen can't just kick it or shoot it open.
And Paprika ran off. 1 down, 1 more to go.. and Dang it. it's the samurai. Paprika's got their work cut out for them.
Thus.. leaving Jigen and Vera trapped. inside that closet.. cramped.. and dark. Probably one of the handful of times that have been so close to one another. Jigen has definitely trying to kick the door, considers shooting it, but reconsiders that immediately cuz it's a small room and Vera is there.. too loud. and probably wouldn't work anyway, given there's no lock mechanism on the inside. He just curses to himself, under his breath, about the situation they're in now. Lupin's gonna have a field day laughing about this when he finds out. and it's not an 'if' at all.
Vera's just standing in there confused and mildly panicking. "We're locked in?? ..Is there at least a light switch or something?? I can't see a thing." Not that she feels like she wants to.. given who she's stuck with.
She fumbles with grabbing her phone, but Jigen is, of course, quicker with the draw and pulls out his lighter. It's not much, but it does the job to light up the small space. Giving the both of them the full picture of just how cramped this room is, and how close they are.
"..Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Looks like we're stuck in here."
"Yep.."
"..Great. Just great."
Jigen leans back against the door as Vera leans back toward the wall parallel to him.
"..Sorry if I ruined your escape for making you stop.."
"..You're kidding, right? What have you got to apologize for? I was the one that stopped and pushed ya in here."
"..I mean.. True, but.. Maybe we're both at fault for this."
"..Mm. Maybe so."
Silence settles, yet the ruckus outside went on.
Jigen looks to the lighter, thinking how a cig would be nice.. but he can't have one now. Not in here, not with her.
Vera braves a glance at him.. the light of the flame had a nice warm effect on his features, lighting up the shadow that his hat presented over his face, giving her a better look at him.. Dang. She's got it bad. Feeling her chest knot and her breathing strain.. She looks away just as she noticed him shift. Biting at her lip as she looks around the small room.. anywhere but at him.
She resorts to a nervous habit, playing with the ends of her hair, twirling it around her fingers a little.
The room started to feel a little warmer.. and it wasn't because of the lighter.
Jigen definitely took notice of her, too…… and closed the lighter.
Vera squeaked, "..Why'd you turn it off??"
"Can't waste the oil in it. Gotta have some left over for a cig once we're out of this."
"..Ah."
"Why? You hate the dark or something?"
"..Kinda."
"Heh." cute. "At your age?"
"..I got a lot of weird fears, okay..!" She felt a little defensive and embarrassed now..
"You don't have to worry. There isn't anything in here except us." he stood from the wall then, "I'm not gonna hurt you." he reassures.
"..I know that.." Well.. it was relieving to know for certain. "..What do we do now?"
"..I dunno. You could call for help. You got a phone with ya, right?"
"So could you. I know you've got one, too." there was no malice in her tone, trying to sound lighthearted.
"Touche." He had a smile to his voice, a huffed laugh. "Well.. If neither of us can get a contact, then I guess we oughta find some other way to entertain ourselves until that cop comes back to free us."
"..I guess so…. but how do we do that?"
A terrible thought entered his mind as he remembered how she looked just a moment ago in the light, but he shook his head to chase it away. No.. no. He can't let Lupin rub off on him like that.
"..Mm, no idea."
Well, that didn't sound very convincing.
Vera tried to remember how Jigen was standing as she adjusted herself against the wall, trying to get more comfortable. Kicking her legs out a little on either side of him in the small space. The action catching his attention.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to get comfortable.. Standing too long hurts after a bit."
"I see." ..Thoughts. Go away.
=================
Not entirely sure about this tacked on stuff, BUT:
….Vera suggesting they watch videos on her phone or something to pass the time.. but that requires Jigen to sit closer..
Or something. idk. SOMETHING HAPPENS OKAY. AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE.. SHARING SOME ODD INTIMATE MOMENT OKAY. A quiet moment…. in that closet….. it doesn't turn into anything crazy, cuz they both would rather have that happen in a more respectful way than this..
But maybe a little… kiss… and hold…. wouldn't hurt…….. neither can see the other… the light is gone… it's dark enough….. so surely… that's okay… right?
They def had a first kiss in there
----------
Paprika eventually returns with Zenigata and opens up the broom closet, completely unaware of Vera having been in there as well-- showing Zenigata proudly that they captured Jigen-- and then Vera runs out and away.
Jigen def gets his revenge and takes the surprise and distraction of Vera's escape to his advantage and manages to push Paprika & Zenigata into the broom closet and lock them in there instead to make his own escape smoother.
A collection of various little drabbles/snippets I've written between my sona, Vera, and Jigen because he makes me unwell. These showcase a little of their dynamic and relationship and how things are slowly developing. these take place during various stages in their relationship.
some mentions of @a-very-questionably-unstable-box's Paprika.
Warning: Gosh this is so long.
potentially mild suggestive?
=====
..please imagine Vera being upset about something, kinda refusing to look at Jigen, barely responding when he asks her something, or says something to her. And then he just.. gets up and walks over to her and leans down to look at her in the face and he can see her trying soooo hard to keep it straight and not look at him. and he just smiles and stays there, leaning around to keep himself in her line of sight until she finally breaks and starts giggling-- She tries to instinctively lift her hands and push him away, but he just catches her hands and she whips her head around and--
Oh.
He's very close.. his hat's even lifted up off his eyes.. pretty..
They're only mere centimeters away from each other's face.
Instinctively she closes her eyes and bites her lip as best she can despite the smiles, not sure what to do--
"That's my girl. That's better." He lifts away with a kiss to her head, adjusting his hat back down.
She's a bit disappointed it wasn't lower..
"..You play really unfair."
"You make it too easy."
"I'm really trying.. I can't help it that you're irresistible."
"Heh.. Really? Me?"
"If I was Zenigata, you'd be able to get away with a lot of things."
"Oh, yeah? And what things would that be? Hm?" He's turning back around now. Making Vera a little nervous again, putting her comment on the spot.
"Uhm.. Well.. Uh--"
"Come on. Tell me. What sorts of things would I be able to get away with?"
"..U-Uuhh.." avoiding looking at him and growing very red.
"You and I both know I'm nothing like Lupin.. So, I wanna hear what you have in mind."
"I know!! I know.. Uhm.. W-Well.."
"I'm not gonna force ya if you can't say it, V."
"S…stealing a kiss wouldn't be too bad….."
"..Oh? ….Is there more to that?"
"…" <-- mumbles something quietly..
"..You're a cute girl, Vera." <-- heard it and is looking away to hide his own blush.
"..Huh?"
"I think Lupin will be back in a few minutes." <-- purposefully acting like he didn't hear it.
"Oh."
what did she mumble? who knows~ That's between the two them only.
==========
Something something-- Jigen tackling Vera out of the way of something during a heist encounter. trying to get her to stay down, lay low. Neither realizing in the moment as it happened-- the position they'd wind up in. Vera was the first to realize as Jigen, the ever so career focused one, was still focused on the situation at hand. Calming down from the sudden surprise of him tackling her to the floor, but not calming at all from how close he was.. caging her to the floor, he temporary weight on her-- the look of him from where she lay below him, as he raised up to look over the furniture in the room shielding them from whatever it was--
As soon as he deemed the coast clear, he looks back down to her to tell her, but falters.
Man's still got his legs on either side of her hips, resting himself not on her legs, but his own.
Dang.
This is bad.
Shoving his hat lower over his face with what looked like surprise and a grimace to her as he stood up and took her hand to pull her back to her feet. turning away and telling her to not dawdle. they still need to catch up with the others, can't let the cops or guards find them. and walks off ahead of her.
=========
Vera is very introverted but does open up once comfortable and familiar enough with the people around her. Thus becoming more social and "outgoing" to a degree.
--
I know Jigen and Vera would have in-jokes between them regarding Lupin. They'd giggle to themselves over Lupin doing something and they're just thinking about an in-joke.
Jigen without a doubt has been able to get Vera to exchange a little banter with him, friendly stuff. Something to pass the time and also have a laugh over. Vera can't say she doesn't enjoy it on occasion.
He thinks it's nice and a little cute when she bites back, even if it's weak compared to what he gets out of Lupin.
===============
Jigen dropping by Vera's hotel after a very long day/week of a double heist and all.. and he just wants to rest somewhere quiet away from Lupin and the others for a while.. and he comes in.. he's ready to relax and reach for his tie-- but Vera offers to help him with that.. a rare bold act from her.
He can't help himself, maybe it's the exhaustion, maybe it's a little of that booze he had some hours ago finally affecting his brain.. but he can't help himself from watching her.. seeing her face as she tries not to glance up at him-- she fails, and he notices.. it's cute.. pretty, too..
Sliding his hands up onto her hips just as she's got his tie loosened and halfway undone, causing her to stall. freeze up, turn a little red.. one thing led to another and now he's tipping her head up.. his expression hard to read, even with his face visible to her-- but what isn't hard to read is the way he lowers his lids and leans down to kiss her. this makes her grip on his tie tighten considerably.. she can't help but give it a slight tug by accident-- and he pulls away in surprise, quirking a brow and glancing down at her hand on his tie.. then back up at her.. a smirk playing on his lips now.
"..You wanna do that again, sweetheart?"
….She does. lightly, though.. earning a throaty chuckle, "Come on.. You can be a little rougher than that."
Her mind is SWIMMING. swallowing thickly.. and giving him a rougher tug on the tie.. he definitely likes that.
"..Ho ho.. Now there ya go. See? I knew you could--"
She tugs again and kisses him before quickly finishing removing his tie and walking away to go cool her face off.
He's not finished yet.. he's gonna enjoy this visit.. and make sure she enjoys it, too. After all, it's already off to a wonderful start.
==================
Vera sitting on a stool in a restaurant with a "bar" enjoying some food on her own, not really thinking anything of her surroundings. It's a pretty nice and chill and peaceful moment despite the ruckus of the place
until she senses someone right behind her.. very close to her.. she doesn't have time to even turn to look when Jigen's head is now in view, leaning over her shoulder as he speaks something softly enough for only her to hear as he's so close to her ear.
She definitely jolts in surprise at his sudden appearance there, not having expected him to be there in the first place. Going a little red at whatever it was he said to her.
He's so close she can smell his cologne and cig smoke.. the cologne is stronger and smells quite nice.
===========
Paprika walking up to Jigen who is standing around, totally watching Vera who is sitting alone peacefully-- and has a little chat with him. Takes notice of him looking at Vera.. tells him that she's told them that they really like when he's dressed as I described above^^ just to get his attention and interest.
and then makes a bet with him. "I bet you won't do it. Bet you can't do it. A whole box of marlboros and a bottle of champagne that you won't go up and present yourself like that."
And he makes the bet. He accepts the challenge, even if it is too easy.
And he does it with a smile on his face. telling them exactly what bottle of booze he'd prefer, too, as he takes off his jacket and tie, fixing up his shirt as he walks on over and pulls up a chair beside Vera. All while Paprika is watching from a distance.
Vera's reaction is IMMEDIATE. Paprika is so proud of themselves.
Jigen is laying the flirting on a little thicker than he normally does. and wOW. Vera has never felt hotter nor looked redder. her hands are getting so clammy.. and yet he's holding one of her hands and giving it a kiss.. oh gosh.. oH GOSH. OH HECK. IS HE LEANING IN? IS HE LIFTING OUT OF HIS SEAT TO LEAN IN TO HER?? …OH HECK. HE'S TAKING HIS HAT OFF… PUTTING IT UP… HIDING THEIR FACES FROM SOMEONE??
and quickly he's sitting back down, leaning back casually. smirking satisfactorily, turning his head off to the side..
after a while he has to get up and leave (his break away from the gang is nearly up..) and Paprika can just see how red Vera is from afar and how she watches him leave, lingering on him before dropping to the table.. and proceeding to cover her face and squirm a little. kicking her feet under the table and presumably even squealing over what had happened. She's fanning her face and trying to calm down cuz hOLY CRUD. OH MY GOSH, HOLY CRUD--
I keep thinking back to that^^
where Paprika finds Jigen looking at Vera from afar and Paprika suggests the idea of him walking over there.. but changing his appearance just slightly to REALLY make an impression on her.
my thoughts are more on like.. how it could actually go, like what would be more realistic of how it would play out. Paprika saying something like:
"Sure, you could just go over there as you are and she'll be just as happy to see you as ever.. but.." Paprika stalls, catching Jigen's full attention and a remark to keep them going.
"But what?"
"..If you really want to make an impression on her, and get a really good reaction out of her, too.. You should lose the hat--"
"What?! No way! Are you crazy--!?" Jigen interjects, but it doesn't stop Paprika.
"--Open your shirt a little and roll up those sleeves. That'll drive her wild. Trust me. I know her well enough to know what she likes in a man visually.. Besides, she's drawn plenty of fictional men this way. I've seen it. Imagine what she'd draw of you if you showed up like that."
Jigen takes a moment to think it over.. actually considering it.. before he finally started to move, taking off his tie and jacket to roll up his sleeves.
"The hat stays on."
"Drape the jacket over your shoulders then, Hotshot, and good luck to you." they smugly watch him walk away.
==============
Jigen really doesn't strike me as the type to actively go dancing or dance much if at all. and Like.. Vera sitting down at some party event thing. Lupin and Fujiko are off dancing and doing who knows what. Goemon is probably not there, or is outside where it's quieter or something. and Jigen is just.. also sitting down.
Goemon IS present. he's just sitting at the table Jigen is sitting at. And while people get up and dance/some groups of dancers move out of the way.. Jigen spots Vera and debates for like 3 minutes if he should or not. Vera's just sitting there by herself with a drink and mostly empty plate. not even really watching the dancing, partially listening to the music.. mostly just looking at her phone.. kinda bored tbh.. Doesn't even notice someone approach until a chair is heard being moved right in front of/beside her.. Looks up and there's Jigen, not looking at her, facing the party as he reclines in the chair as if he'd been there the whole time.
I won't lie.. I had the funny thought of Jigen standing up and offering to maybe dance with her if interested and she's just like '..I can't dance.. remember..?' and he retracts his hand like 'oh. right. forgot about that.' and it's a little awkward for a bit..
Jigen getting up and mentioning he's gonna head out, too loud.. and he needs a smoke. (an open invitation for her if she wants to bite the "bait" heck. he stands there for a moment like he's waiting on her)
And she hesitates, but joins nonetheless. and it's definitely nicer outside. quieter, less people. easier to think and breathe.
Jigen already takes his place, leaning against the outer wall of the venue, and Vera notes the direction of the wind and moves to the side of Jigen that won't be in the direction of the smoke when he lights a cig. He definitely takes note of that. idk if he'd mention it, or just cut right to a different conversation starter.
not sure what the conversation would be like.
Vera having thoughts about how cool Jigen looks… the suit is always nice to see.. he doesn't really do anything to make himself look nicer for any reason, yet.. does look nice.. ok that's enough glancing let's focus on the ground or that scuff on your shoe--
==================
had the thought of Lupin telling her to go see if Jigen's awake for something. he's been laying on the couch again.
and he doesn't think he should tell her not to touch the hat, assuming she'd probably not even consider it anyway.
So.. imagine his terror when he glances over and sees her reaching for it.
He doesn't even have time to get over there in time to stop her.
And she lifts up the hat. gently, of course. (the action is notably different from how Lupin usually does it)
and while Jigen may flinch initially, a hand jerking in instinctual reflex for his gun.. He wasn't actually asleep. He heard them talk.. knew what was coming-- but even he didn't expect her to grab the hat. (tbh he didn't even respond when she called his name the one time.. he didn't wanna do whatever dumb task Lupin wanted. he just wanted to sit there a bit longer.. assuming that she, and the others, would just continue on without him)
I think he'd just look at her, reach up and place his hand on hers on his hat and lower it back down over his face. "..Whatever Lupin wants, I don't care. Tell him he can--" Vera reacts in shock to what he says (Jigen! I'm not saying that!) and he laughs. Lupin whines out a "HEY!" in response.
All that tension/suspense gone in an instant. Lupin & Goemon are relieved that nothing happened.
-------
storming over to Lupin to say "..I think you should do that yourself next time."
you know he just giggles and tries to put on some excuse to explain why that's not a good idea and that hey! it's actually better if she does it! blah blah blah
"I can still hear you, Lupin. Shut up and stop bothering the poor woman." <-- Jigen
"He does have a point. Clearly, she is displeased with this arrangement. Can't you tell?" <-- Goemon
ouch, Goemon. even Jigen felt that.
Lupin trying to butter her up and feel better, but it just comes off as more flirtatious and now Jigen is getting up, hand on his gun as he walks threateningly toward Lupin.
Vera is VERY confused and VERY concerned about what might happen.
Goemon is just mentally facepalming himself and sighing. this is just another Tuesday.
Goemon and Vera just sit back on the sidelines, he reassures her that this is normal and that neither will truly harm the other.
until Goemon stands up and makes his way to break up the fight. "This is no way to act in front of a woman. Much less a guest. I suggest you two learn to transcend your differences or find a better way to handle this. Lest I and my Zantetsuken get involved and make you."
Vera is impressed by Goemon's casual and calm approach. it's highly effective.
------
I just love the slight unintentional jab Goemon had at Jigen with that comment. Saying Vera is displeased with the arrangement..
Almost implying she was displeased with Jigen as well.. ouch.
Though, I don't think her own comment about Lupin checking Jigen himself was any better.
She's clearly still a bit nervous around him.. poor Jigen. He can't catch a break. Catching strays, even from Vera (she didn't know.. forgive her..)
Vera didn't mean it like that..
Now I need him seeing Vera throughout the res of the day, just.. holding her hand, or focusing on her hand a little. The one he touched.
I know he'd struggle not to smile a little about it.
Warnings: Smoking, car chase, uuhh vague mentions of gunfire?? I think that's pretty much it. Not really much else to warn about.
info: So, like.. Lupin III huh? The gunman, Jigen, huh? Yeah..
Romance, resolution, heists, and promises to come.
Watch two 30-somethings reconcile and cross a threshold they've been dancing along for some time now.
A/N: Mentions & includes @a-very-questionably-unstable-box's oc prominently enough as a side character. This whole thing is so self-indulgent and also filled with lots of little "lore" I've come up with these past 5-ish months.
I might eventually write.. not really a follow-up, but the "cruise" I mentioned in this slightly. I have lot of ideas already for it and what could happen.
Anyways, I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it cuz I'm really proud of this!
THIS IS EXTREMELY LONG BTW.. I'm in real deep.
==============
Smoke filled the room, hazy and thick.
The floor was littered with cigarette butts and ash as nicotine filled his lungs and thoughts littered his mind. Thoughts played one as he played with his revolver, twirling it in hand again and again.
He’d grown tired of these thoughts. Why did it annoy him so? She was just another woman.
Another troublesome woman. No different from the rest. He’d seen it all before.
The infatuation, the heartache, the betrayal, the death--
And yet, here Jigen was, leaning on the sill of an open window in an abandoned building, hand on his hip and a foot tossed over the other, thinking about her. A woman he had met time and time again.
The last encounter they had.. just a little over a year ago.
It was.. unfortunate.
A heist gone wrong, and the two of them were locked for an hour inside that tiny broom closet he thought to hide in from that pesky officer. What a genius idea it was when they had locked them inside. Usually he was quite good with the quick thinking.. yet he hadn’t calculated running into her.
From the glow of his lighter as the minutes passed in there, the look on her face, and the words they exchanged. He snuffed out the light, and with it, a thought he couldn’t bear. The tension was suffocating.. yet.. what had transpired within that dark and dingy closet.. A fading memory on his lips like the smoke he expelled through the open window. Looking out over the city they were stationed for the week, awaiting the return of his boss.
Never get attached. That was his affirmation, his consolidation. Never get attached, because sooner or later.. it’ll never last. They’ll be gone. Just like her. Just like the rest. And just like the ash tapped off into the hot wind that blew by.
“Oi, Jigen..!” a voice, cocky and energetic, called out to him, “We’re all set to go. Next course of action is making our way out to-- Whoa--!” Lupin halted, scanning his gaze along the floor as he stepped into the room, “Now.. if I hadn’t known any better, I’d say you’re going through something, Jigen.”
“..Lay off, Lupin.” he grumbled, chucking the stub of his cigarette into the mess with the rest and adjusted his hat as he turned to face him, hands tucked away into his pockets, “There’s nothing going on with me. Now, finish what you were friggin’ saying.”
Lupin knew when to back off, yet he couldn’t deny there was an odd little tick with his companion. Still, he changed the subject, “Alright. I won’t push. Just finish up whatever you’re doing and get your butt down to the car. Goemon’s already packed up. We’re heading out in 5 minutes.”
“Yeah, yeah. Alright.” he grumbled, turning back away as the other left. He looked down at the floor in disdain. For a man who’s often quite dense to the obvious, he hated how observant Lupin was sometimes, in regards to his companions. He didn’t need that. Not now.
With a final groan and a stretch of the neck, Jigen tucked his hands into his pockets and was about to follow Lupin out.. but then he felt something he forgot he still had. He pulled it out and turned it over between his fingers, remembering the day she gave it to him.
It was a museum heist, he was a guard, disguised in plain sight. She had been alone, sitting by herself, he followed.. drawn in. Curious. It was strange, receiving a surprise from someone, it rarely happened. Usually it was never good, at least for him, especially when it came from a woman..
..He should toss it, destroy it, like all the rest, and move on. Be free of this memory.
Yet.. instead, he took off his hat and placed the small iridescent pin in place upon the ribbon around it, and returned the hat back to his head. He wasn’t going to dwell on why he did that.
Stuffing his hands back into his pockets and stepping over the mess of the floor, he made his way out.
It didn’t matter anyway.
-----
-----
-----
A little over a year. That’s how long it’s been since they had last seen each other.
What had been intended to be helpful for her mental health had turned into quite the extended adventure. It was a little over 2 years ago that she set off.. and first met him.
It wasn’t so bad at first, finally being back to the comfort of her home, but things started to drag and it grew hard to return back to her prior status quo. Soon enough, she found herself reminiscing of her adventures.. and the people she had met. Especially him.
Vera had been enjoying her time in Europe when it happened. Somehow, someone had managed to sneak an odd artifact into her bag without her knowledge. It wasn’t until she was confronted by an odd group of men who sought out that artifact. That’s when she learned about Lupin III and his band of thieves. For one day, she had become a temporary honorary member as she was taken along for the ride of her life in uncovering what the mystery was regarding the artifact and the history of the country she was in at the time. They kept her safe from whoever had planted the thing on her in the first place.
After that.. She didn’t think she would see them again.. and she kind of hoped she didn’t. It was far too much excitement and action for someone like her.
And yet..
Vera sighed and groaned. It hasn’t felt the same at all since she got back. Her life before was rather lackluster and monotonous. Rarely she had it in her to get out and go somewhere for a treat.
“..This is.. so boring.” She said to no one, draping herself across her couch, “..I can’t take this silence anymore.. If I go another day like this, I’ll go crazy..”
She stared up at the ceiling, mind wandering once again back to him. A time she was held hostage in a safe house. Lupin was too intense for her tastes, leaving her shying away in mild discomfort due to her past experiences in her youth. Goemon wasn’t there much in terms of presence, yet he respected her and she appreciated that. Jigen, however.. despite being distant and of few words, never tried to start anything. Keeping space between them.. and regularly piping up to tell Lupin off whenever he said or did anything to bother her… or, well, Jigen himself.
It was almost bliss when Lupin took Goemon out of the safe house for some errands. Leaving just her and Jigen alone in silence. She had fallen asleep then, on one of the chairs, and at some point she had awoken to the scent of cologne, gunpowder, and tobacco. His jacket was laid atop her.. and he was turned away on the couch across from her.
The memory of later that day.. being fed without asking.. and then offered Jigen’s room when it grew too late and Lupin and Goemon hadn’t returned back yet for her to be taken back safely without a trace back to the safe house that the Interpol could follow. The consideration taken toward her was greatly appreciated.. and made the ache she felt now feel all the more miserable.
“..I miss the sudden surprises..” she mused, rolling over to her side to now face her television.
“..I miss..” her voice faded off, the thought left unfinished, unspoken.
The television provided little to fill the silence of the house.. and to quell her thoughts.
Vera remained depressed on the couch, her thoughts still coming and going about him. Each minute that ticked by, each commercial that played, each restless twitch of her leg. Her eyes drifting from the screen to the remote. It was out of character for her, but the nagging thought that crept into her mind now and again had become all too tempting to resist.
And so, like a forbidden fruit, Vera swiped the remote and began to flip through the channels with determination, stopping on every channel reporting the news. Watching it was mind numbing for her, but she powered through, scanning and waiting for anything-- anything at all-- that could be of Lupin III and his gang being broadcast. It wasn’t too likely he would announce something himself on worldwide television, but perhaps by some chance a heist of his could be reported on..
Unfortunately.. after several minutes of scouring channel after channel, station after station, there wasn’t a single report to be found. Even a quick search on her phone provided her no viable results.
With a defeated groan, she tossed the remote back on the table and leaned back onto the couch, “..This is hopeless..” Bringing her hands up to her face only to drag them down with another sigh, being careful of her glasses as she did, “I’m hopeless..”
The silence settled again, interrupted only by the background noise of the television.
…
…
…
And then an idea came.
Picking up her phone again, Vera decided to send her Interpol friend a few texts explaining their whole situation. They should be able to help her out.. right? Honestly.. this was one of the dumbest and most bold things she has ever done in her life. Not to mention risky, too, for not just her, but her friend as well should they get caught sending such sensitive information.
[txt]: Hey, Paprika? If you’re not too busy.. Can I ask you a question?
[txt]: I’m having the worst time. I still can’t get him off my mind, and I can barely sleep at all lately because of it. I’ve already checked the news and the internet with absolutely nothing to show.
[txt]: honestly if there was anything that would’ve pointed me into where to go, I would’ve jumped on that immediately on my own.
[txt]: Do you think that there’s /any/ possible way you could help me track them down somehow?
[txt]: idk how you could, but you’re my last hope at this. I really can’t take it anymore. I want to see him again. Please, help me. Idek what I could do to pay you back for this, but it would mean SO MUCH to me if you could help!!
And she waited. She knew her friend was awfully busy, given their line of work, especially given who their assigned partner was and what their main case mission is. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait too terribly long for a response to come as she was in the middle of prepping a quick late lunch.
[txt]: I was just let out of a meeting on my second break for the day, so you’re in luck.
[txt]: Zenigata got wind of another calling card from Lupin. Looks like it’s gonna be a fancy party hosted by some elite in Europe. I’ll send more details in a bit.
[txt]: (Paprika sent a photo)
[txt]: Formal dress required, from the looks of it.
[txt]: Me and Zenigata will be stationed on the look out. We’ll see you there.
Vera gripped her phone tightly as the texts came, her face lighting up with relief. Shaking her phone and doing a little dance of joyous victory in the middle of her kitchen. Who knew having a high ranking detective for a friend would be so beneficial?
[txt]: Thank you! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You don’t know how much this means to me!!
[txt]: I’ll see you there! I promise not to ruin your date with Zenigata!
And with that, after a quick look through what Paprika had sent over, Vera wasted no time in making the arrangements and packing her things. A rush of nervous anticipation and giddy excitement bubbling deep throughout her as she ran through her home to get ready.
She finally had her lead.
She’ll finally get to see him again.
She only hoped that it hadn’t been too long..
------------------
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The evening venue had just begun. A charity auction for only the richest to attend.
Of course, this would be a prime event that the great Lupin III wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Many guests from all around the globe from millions to billions gathered outside, filed in line, conversing among themselves as one by one was checked on a list before going inside.
One guest, not registered for entry, however, was left to wait outside by the gate for her friends to help her inside under the guise of a plus one. Thankfully the ICPO was stationed to protect the countless priceless treasures up for auction.
Vera took a deep breath and looked up at the sky as she waited, leaning against a brick wall of the gate. The air was cool, pleasant, calming for her already active nerves. She stood like this for a while, raking her painted nails soothingly through her curled hair, taking in the atmosphere. Slowly, he shifted to pruning herself. Adjusting her tie tucked into the vest of her makeshift suit. Straightening the sleeves of her blazer, and shifting the belt and waist of her pants. Making sure she was as well put together as she could be as she waited.
Finally, her friend arrived, their partner, inspector Zenigata, in tow. Both were sporting fancier suits to fit the party rather than their usual work attire. Although, inspector Zenigata still wore his trench coat over his shoulders atop his tuxedo. Paprika, however, was dressed a little more flamboyantly, but in a reserved sort of way.
It was a relief to see them, to say the least, but it was even more of a relief how effectively their help was in getting by the registry.
From the outside, the building the venue was housed in was already monumental in scale, but the interior upon entering was equally phenomenal, if not more so. Past a small interior lobby where many made their acquaintances, meeting up with old friends and new-- was a grand and spacious room. Music played from a live band propped up on one side of a large stage in the back, no doubt where the auction will take place. Along the wall where the entrance was laid many tables stocked with food and drink as far as the eye could see.
As the small group made their way further into the party, Vera couldn’t help but scan the crowd for anyone she could recognize. Even in spite of knowing there is a chance they could be disguised, she held onto a flimsy thread of hope. Yet, no familiar sight was had as far as she could see.
“Hey,” Vera started, turning toward Paprika, “I’m gonna go have a look around, okay?” She kept her words vague enough to not alert the inspector to what she was really there for.
“Alright. We’re just gonna do a little patrol and hang out here if you need us.” Paprika piped up before leaning in to speak quieter, “Good luck. I’ll text you if I spot anything as well.”
With an affirmative nod and smile, Vera set off on her own. Scoping out the venue and the halls that branched out from it, leading deeper in. Weaving through the occasional grouping of patrons, she peered through doorways and windows as she wandered around. Hoping that she might run into him, or at the very least one of the others in his group. Surely, if she found one of them and asked nicely enough, they would point her in the right direction.. right?
..Maybe not. That sounded ridiculous, even to her.
She must have been wandering for at least fifteen minutes with not a sign of anyone she was looking for, when she started to feel herself deflate. There were a few instances where she thought she spotted someone, but it was just a false alarm. Even Paprika hadn’t seen anything around the party as they checked in with her just a bit ago.
Growing tired and hungry by this point, she decided she should probably just head back.
Walking back to the party, she couldn’t stop the spiral of thoughts that came over her, ‘..I don't belong here. I really shouldn't be here. Why the heck am I doing this..? I know I wanted to see him.. but this is so stupid.. I'm so stupid.. Would he even care to see me again? The heck would I even say or do if I found him? This was a really terrible idea.. even for me.’
Little did she know, she had been followed.. by her own target. Trailing behind some a few yards away for the entirety of her search. Close enough to keep tabs on her, yet far enough to not bring attention to himself. He should have just kept to the heist plan. He should have just ignored her. Yet something drew him in. A question. One which burned hot and bitter.
‘Why now? Why now did she reappear after all this time?’
He couldn’t make heads or tails to why she was here. ‘She shouldn’t be here’ was one of many thoughts that crossed his mind as he stalked her. ‘Why was she wandering around like she was looking for something?’ Something was up and he didn’t like it. It wasn’t like her to do something like this. ‘Is this a trick? A trap?’ He had to find out.
Following her back to the auction party, he kept his eyes locked onto her. Observing as she located the her Interpol friends. They exchanged a few words, the shorter officer patting her shoulder sympathetically before they parted ways. He couldn’t parse what they discussed, but that didn’t matter. What did matter was her walking over to the food tables, picked out a small plate, and then sat down on the other side along the wall. Wiping a little at her eyes as he picked at her plate.
Jigen looked to his watch. There was still time before he was needed for Lupin’s plan.
..Yeah. Yeah, to heck with it. He’ll bite the bullet.
She was miserable. She was tired. She just wanted to go home.
Paprika had told her to take a break, continue her search in a little bit. Then headed off to continue their patrol of the premise with Zenigata by their side.
She was losing hope.
If he was here, he was probably somewhere else. Busy with something else. Perhaps he’d even seen her already and just avoided her on purpose, not wanting anything to do with her. She wasn’t a very remarkable woman by any means, so she wouldn’t have blamed him.. though the thought of that alone only made her more miserable. Made each bite of food sour on her tongue.
She was too engrossed in her thoughts to flinch nor care when someone sat a chair away beside her.
It was only when they spoke up did she take notice.
“You shouldn’t be here, you know.”
The husky voice was unmistakable, making Vera jump. Her heart dropping before kicking up it’s pace all within a matter of seconds.
The way her face had lit up upon seeing him was a surprise, leaving him taken aback. Was she really that excited to see him? He had only known a select few who would ever react like that toward him, and they were his companions, and that dang inspector. Yet, the way her demeanor had quickly changed from morose to a bashful relief. He didn’t know if he should be flattered or insulted as she looked away again.
From his past experiences with women.. It's weird. in a way.
Yeah, there's been Lupin's antics to get under his skin, and similarly Fujiko trying to play innocent and coy with him.. Some women who showed genuine interest-- but it always fell off. Often for the worst.. Yet, here's this bizarre case right next to him.
He can't even be too mad they were MIA for a year.. but even after all this time.. She has the gall to have such a reaction to seeing him again? It was almost enough to make his indignation waver. Does he nip this in the bud for her sake, or does he take the risk?
"You left. Why's that?" He started, sharp.
"..I had to go home eventually. Vacation trips had to end at some point." She replied, honest.
"..Hm." Playing with a decorative toothpick he had swiped on the way over. A replacement for a cigarette he would much rather have.
"..Is it weird to say that I.. uhm.." Hesitant.
He peeks from under his hat. Curious.
"..I'm not here for the event."
Frowning, biting the toothpick, "Then what the heck brings you here? Your li'l Interpol pal need a friend ‘cause the old man ain’t cutting it for company?"
"No." Stern. Easing up, then growing bashful once more, holding her cup in both hands and looking down, away from him, "..Lookin' for someone.." Still struggling to say it.. face growing hot.
He sat a little straighter before leaning back in the chair, hands folded in his lap, toothpick held tight between his teeth, before grumbling. "..Yeah? Who?" side-eying, gauging her reaction from under his hat. The only view he got was just below her bust.
Her hands gripped the cup tighter, legs shifting nervously. Hesitating again.. but finally relenting to allow the truth out, "..You..?"
He takes a moment, then laughs, a scoff, "Yeah, right. Don't lie to me. What are you really here for?" he bites, “There’s gotta be something more. There’s always something more. Women are always wanting something. And when they don’t get it, they leave you high and dry.”
"..I'm not! I’m not lying! I..” She cried defensively, his words stinging like bullets, “I'm.. Sorry.. Sorry, I should just go.." Vera stood up much too quickly and walked off to dispose of the trash. Her voice strained from barely contained disappointment of rejection. Her eyes already burned, throat tightening.
Jigen doesn’t even get a chance to say anything more as Vera got up. Watching as she disposed of her things and headed deeper into the crowd. Leaving him to sit with what he’d said. What he’d done.
..She wasn’t lying.
He messed up.
Vera didn’t look back as she weaved in and out of the bustling party goers, popping her head up with an occasional jump to help locate her friend-- or the inspector. Spotting him from across the way, Vera took off, darting deeper through the people, excusing herself where necessary, until she finally came out where Paprika and Zenigata stood. With Zenigata busy chatting with someone else, she quietly called out to her friend, a hand tapping at their shoulder.
“Hey.. Paprika?”
“Hm? Yeah? Oh, hey, Vera, what’s..” Paprika turned around, their expression hardening at the sight of their friend. She looked awful, barely holding it together as her fragile voice trembled as she spoke.
“I’m.. I-I’m gonna just.. head out. Thank you for helping me get here this far. I think this was a mistake, though.. Tell Zenigata I’m sorry to leave so early, but good luck on catching Lupin. Bye.”
Her smile was weak, giving a quick wave before turning around and heading toward the exit without another word. She didn’t want to stay a minute longer, she didn’t want to talk about it, even if Paprika tried to follow her and question what happened. She just wanted out of here.
Paprika turned back around to speak with Zenigata, but shot a final look back in Vera’s direction-- and caught sight of a tail-gaiter. That had to be Jigen, they figured. Turning back to Zenigata they gave themselves a little excuse and darted off after them.
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---
Jigen was just about halfway through the lobby when a raspy voice he’d grown familiar with over the past half decade, had called out to him. Whipping around to greet the owner of said voice with a seething scowl.
“What the heck did you do?”
“Lay off, detective.”
“No! I have every right to know! If she said what I hope she said to you, then you had BETTER have a good excuse!” Paprika shouted, causing the nearest groups to grow silent and turn their heads.
He didn’t like that.
“Seriously—” they’re shouting again, drawing unwanted attention, “—Whatever it is you said to her, you better hope— Wh-- HEY!?”
Jigen swung, seizing their arm before they could even finish what they were about to say, and roughly dragged them outside with only two words sharply spoken.
Outside was quiet and calm.. something Vera wished that she was in this moment.
Pushing herself up against a wall a few yards from the entrance that by now had been cleared of the guest line. The air outside was clear and far less stuffy, making it easier to breathe. The quiet, however, didn’t aid in quelling her further spiraling thoughts.
‘Why did I ever think this would be a good idea? I shouldn’t have said anything.. Of course he wouldn’t want me..’ she paused the thought and shook her head, trying to fight it, ‘he wouldn’t want me to say that.. How could I have been so stupid to think otherwise?’ she took a moment to breathe deeply, ‘I wish.. that he could have proven me wrong..’
Just then she heard a voice coming from the entrance.
“Hey! I’m talking to you! Let go of me and say something will you?!”
She didn’t expect to see Paprika being tugged along by Jigen.. and turning in her direction. Quickly, Vera pressed herself into the shadows produced by the large windows above.
The odd pair stopped just enough away that she could make out bits of what they were arguing about, but not close enough she would be seen by them.
“Stop yelling. You’re drawing too much attention. Do you want us both to be in trouble, here?”
“Fine. But I still want to know what happened!”
“I know you would, but what happened is between me and her. So, stay out of this.”
“No, I deserve to know! She’s my friend and you don’t get to hurt her. I have a high respect for you, you know. I know you have your reasons, but-- Hey! Look at me when I talk to you!”
“I don’t have time for this..!” He groaned, frustration growing.
“You ‘don’t have time’?!”
“Don’t friggin’ start with me. Pops is rubbing off on you in more ways than one and this is not one of his good features.” he snapped bitterly.
“Excuse me?!”
That was a poor choice of words on his part as Paprika’s fire started to fizzle out.
Vera didn’t want to stick around any longer for this. So, she made a break for the gate, leaving the two to continue their confrontation alone. What was happening was none of her business.
Jigen was quick to notice Vera’s escape when the opportunity arose. He turned back to Paprika with the angriest expression they have ever seen on him yet, before he, too, spun on heel and took off after her.
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Rounding a corner after a few minutes of running, Vera couldn’t keep it up and collapsed to her knees, an arm braced against the brick wall. Her lungs burned, limbs weak and trembling from running too hard, the adrenaline wearing off fast, cursing herself for being so out of shape. Gosh, it’s been so long since she last ran like that.
Jigen rounded the corner shortly after, huffing from his own exertion in chasing after her. It was a relief to see she had finally stopped running, but not so much that she was in such a state on the ground. Walking over closer to her, he stopped just a couple steps away.
“Why did you run?”
She didn’t have it in her to flinch, too exhausted at the moment as she re-situated her back against the wall. Still heaving breaths of air for a few extended moments before she was able to give him a reply.
“..I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do..”
“..I wasn’t gonna do anything to ya, if that’s what you were worried about. My bad, alright..”
“..I know.. I just..”
She didn’t know how to respond.. or what to say.
Neither did he, really.
“..It’s fine.” was all he said as he turned and leaned himself against the wall, fishing out his cigarettes and lighter. Anything to calm him down again.
All she wanted was to see him again.. she got what she wanted, albeit not how she had hoped.
She doesn't even wanna look at him now, hiding her face in her lap.
Vera pulled out the tie from where it was tucked into the vest of her suit and began to play with it to try and calm herself. A self-soothing action, giving herself something to do while silence just.. settled between the two of them. Her propped up against the wall on the ground, and him standing a couple feet away.
He tried to think of what to say. This is not a situation he's normally in. His track record with women in the past is.. well, legendarily bad. One couldn’t blame him for that, really. He's become apprehensive as a result over time. Putting more of a distance between him and any woman that comes into his life.
He had been too lost in his own thoughts to notice when Vera finally took the risk and looked up at him, taking in the sight. It was the first time she really saw what he looked like, having been avoiding it all night, too nervous to really face him head-on.
Jigen stood casual, leaning against the wall beside her, the smoke from his cigarette billowing thinly in the faint breeze. Dressed in a far fancier 3-piece suit than the simple 2-piece she had normally seen him wear. A long, thin scarf, tossed from one shoulder to the other, complimented the look quite well. His shirt was partially unbuttoned from the top, only 3 from what she could see from where she sat.. and secretly she wished she could see it better. What was most notable of how he looked, however, was the clip on his scarf. It was one she had given him before.
“..You kept it.”
“..Hm?” He turned his gaze down to look at her, giving her a better view of his face from this angle.
“The clip,” she pointed toward him, then turned her hand toward herself in a sort of mirror to his person, “on your scarf.” she finished.
Jigen brought a hand up to his scarf in question, pulling it away just enough to look at the clip she was referring to. A golden bullet meant for a tie, clasping together the scarf, pinning it in place. He let it fall back loosely against him shortly after.
“..Yeah.” was all he said.
There was still a thick layer of tension between them. Silence winding itself back around.
“Thank you.”
He was about to respond when a whiny little voice broke through the silence. The interruption was abrupt and startling as it came from his earpiece. He didn’t need this right now.
“Hold on for a moment.” He hissed in Vera’s direction before turning his back to her and taking a few steps away to reply to that grating voice in his ear. And although he tried not to yell, and she tried not to eavesdrop.. without much else, she couldn’t help but overhear the one-sided conversation.
‘I’m outside, taking a breather, what do you want?’
‘I know-- I know!! I haven’t forgotten our plan!’
‘Lupin! Just give me five minutes, will you?!’
‘Look. I’ll be back inside to meet up with you and Goemon when I’m ready.’
‘I’m done with this conversation. I’m turning off communications.’
And with that, he plucked the piece from his ear and slipped it into his pocket. Bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his neck with a world weary sigh. This was infuriating. This whole thing. The heist, the event, Lupin, and her. It wouldn’t have been so bad had she not returned.. had she not told him that she had come to look for him. Those who sought him never had any good intentions. Wanting him dead, wanting him to suffer, wanting information.. but not her. And he knew that.
Taking a final puff of his cigarette he tossed the butt to the floor and crushed it with the heel of his dress shoe. A shame to soil something so nice.
By the time he turned back around and walked back, Vera had begun to fidget with her tie again. She was an anxious sort. It seemed he wasn’t the only one feeling emotionally and mentally fried tonight.
Jigen braces against the wall as he lowers himself beside her, leaving a bit of space in between.
It was usually easy to sit in silence with her.. but now, it felt like bugs crawling on his skin.
He tried to shake the feeling, clearing his throat to speak as he pulled his hat from his head and propped the arm that held it upon one knee. Through his periphery he could see her shift and flinch, gripping her tie tighter. He wasn’t quick enough on the draw of words as she was.
“..It means a lot to know you kept that, too.”
He knew what she was referring to. One glance to his hat ribbon told as much.. the pin. White and iridescent, and modest in its small size. Despite himself, he couldn’t throw away her gifts.
“So, I did.” he replied, “..I don’t usually do that, you know.”
“..Oh?”
“Consider yourself lucky. Not many get that luxury outta me.” He mused, still observing the pin on his hat, “Not even Lupin. You’re a first. Wonder what that says..” he shot her a quick side glance.
“I’m sorry.. for earlier.”
“What are you sorry for? We both know I should be the one apologizing for that.”
He could see her mouth twitch, an expression twisting her features in a way that read ‘then why aren’t you?’ or so he assumed. Maybe his subconscious was wishing for it. For her to snap at him. He glanced away again as she spoke up once more.
“..I shouldn’t have said what I did back there. Shouldn’t have come here.. I should’ve just..”
“Moved on?” he finishes for her.
Vera looked at him briefly, a flash of surprise and shame crossed her face that he could so easily guess what she had felt.
“You’re not the only one.” he tried to reassure, though it came off a little bitter, but not at her. Bitter at himself. Those feelings still clinging like the tobacco to his clothes.
“I want to say something. So bad. But I don’t know how you’ll take it.”
“Well, now you’ve piqued my curiosity.” He could take another wild shot at the mark in guessing what it was, but he wanted her to say it herself.
“..I like you.” her voice was quiet, “A lot.”
Jigen knew that word wasn’t what she really wanted to say, that she was trying to soften the weight.
“..I don’t want to sound like I'm trying to seek pity or make you feel pressured. I just..” she started off, a nervous bubble in her throat constricting her words, yet she persisted, “I don't.. see myself in a relationship.. it feels perpetually like I'm window shopping without a cent to my name. An unrealistic fantasy.. one I can never attain. I never had anything mutual.. never had many people in my life to even feel anything for them.. Social anxiety is a killer of much in my life, and it's entirely out of my control..” She sighed, a small bout of silence in between as she shifted her arms around her knees to rest her chin upon them, “People come and go so often, it's hard to keep someone in your life long enough to make a connection..”
“..Not at all. I get it.” He retorted, adjusting his hat back on his head, “Either you're pushing them away first before they leave so it hurts less, or you're the one getting their knife twisted in your heart from behind. Left bleeding out with regret until you dry up and move on. Solitude is a cold comfort. A constant familiarity no matter how unrelenting and cruel it can be.” A low, bitter chuckle, “But it sure beats getting your hopes shot down point blank before they had a chance to get off the ground.”
Vera turned her head a little to glance up at him, voice softer as she spoke, “......Maybe.. those who are lonely.. could be lonely together.. through shared experiences..” She was hesitant with her response.
“..mm..” He sat there for a level moment in thought before he let out a good-humored huff, a smile curling playfully on his lips, “..Maybe. I like the sound of that.”
She finally eased up and sat a little straighter, smoothing out her tie as the two of them sat in silence for a bit. A breeze blowing through and carrying away the tension with it.
“..It seems..” he spoke, “..that I like you, too. A lot.”
He was smiling when she looked over at his words. Slowly, she curled back into herself, a smile of her own finding home on her face, basking in the moment.
For a night that started off so rough and rocky.. it ended smooth and pleasant.
After another minute passed, Jigen stood up and gave his back a stretch before then turning to face Vera, squatting just a smidgen and held out his hand for her to take.
“I think it’s ‘bout time we headed on back, yeah?”
As soon as her hand met his and she was aided back to her feet, he held on, bringing her hand up to meet him for a kiss to the back of her knuckles. Pulling away and turning to leave, yet remaining still as he tucked his hands into his pockets and angled his elbow closest to her out in a silent invitation. Tilting his head curiously with a nod when she seemed hesitant.
He wouldn’t have been too bothered if she declined, and yet to his pleasant surprise, she stepped closer and took it, wrapping her hand around his arm. He couldn’t hide the smile this small act garnered from him. Shifting his gaze from her to the path back, leading the way.
They walked together in comfortable silence, until they reached the gate again. Jigen paused, looking toward Vera as he spoke, voice a little hushed in tone, though no one else was around to hear them.
“Listen. When we get back in, you should try to have a little fun, enjoy yourself. About half an hour from now you’ll wanna get out, though. Just to be safe.”
Vera nodded, “You should, too.”
He continued walking then, her response eliciting a chuckle out of him, “Lupin’s gonna give me an earful for this.. It was worth it, though.”
His comment causing her to giggle as well, “Yeah.. I have no idea what I’ll tell Paprika and Zenigata. I know they’re gonna wanna know what happened..”
“Don’t worry about it. You can just tell’em you needed to step out before you went stir crazy from all the feathers and perfume stuffing up the place.” he quipped as they finally reached the entrance again.
“I could, yeah.” she was trying not to laugh now, although not very hard.
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The auction preparations were nearing ready to begin as Vera waltzed her way back in through a far more empty lobby. Most people have huddled back into the venue to wait out the final half hour.
Slipping free from her escort, a little reluctantly, she made a beeline for her friends. Following the boisterous laughter of the inspector made it quite easy to find them in the crowd. Quickly, she set an alarm on her phone before meeting back up with them.
Zenigata was chatting it up with whom Vera assumed was those in charge as she walked up, Paprika keeping a hand on his arm to keep him grounded. He was known to get wildly animated at times and now was no exception. It seems he had been like this for a while and perhaps even a little worse than before her return as Vera noted a small stain on his shirt collar as she turned to Paprika, tossing the inspector a quick glance and a smile.
“Hey, Paprika?”
“Vera! You’re back--! Are you okay? What happened? Where’s--?” Paprika whipped around in surprise to see Vera back again. Seeing how much more chipper Vera appeared put them at ease, however.
“Yeah, I’m fine..! I had some time to think.. get some air. Had a talk. I’ll fill you in later. Right now, I think I’ll just stick with y’all for a while before I decide to head out. Don’t wanna miss out on the fun.” She nodded her head lightly in Zenigata’s direction. He hadn’t noticed her just yet, still so caught up in the story he was telling the hosts of the venue.
It was nice to see that he was having fun despite the fact Lupin and the others were lurking about mere meters away. He certainly needed a moment of peace of mind every once in a while.
Although such an event wasn’t something Vera would ever willingly go to, never having been a party person, getting to just hang around her friends and experience something new was a welcome change in her life. It helped to ease herself and her mind from recent occurrences. Laughing and chatting with one while the other went off to check the safety of the treasures up for auction. At one point she caught sight of Jigen hovering near the stage and curtains, and one final glimpse of him as he snuck off from the crowd. Shortly thereafter her alarm had buzzed.
It was time for her to head out.
She turned to the inspector and detective and bid them good night, saying they’ll find her at the hotel if they needed anything, and off she went.
The night was still just as pleasant as ever when Vera stepped outside the venue. A small rush of anticipation making her skin tingle as she made her way to the gate. Thoughts playing in her mind as she did, imagining what Jigen and the others could possibly be doing for this heist.
She didn’t have to imagine too much for as soon as she reached the gate, the alarms sounded out throughout the facility, inside and out, and an uproar from the patrons. Whipping around to look back toward the building just in time to see the large windows that she hid under before be shattered with gun shots and a couple of chairs. Just mere moments later came the thieves with their haul leaping out the broken windows.
Behind Vera a car drove up, small and yellow, the final member of the gang in the driver’s seat.
Everything happened so fast-- One moment she was watching Lupin dodge bullets across the lawn from Zenigata chasing them, and the next she was hoisted over Jigen’s shoulder and shoved into the backseat of the car. In a flash she saw Paprika’s shocked reaction, and in the next-- they were speeding off. The booming voice of the inspector and the blaring alarms growing distant, yet only briefly, and within that moment of respite Vera’s mind was reeling. Trying to catch up and process all that was happening as the thieves laughed and quipped around her.
For a moment, Vera thought she could finally breathe and take everything in, yet that was shortly lived. As soon as the sirens came in, she was being shoved to the floorboard and told to stay down. She wasn’t about to question orders and did just that, tucking herself into a small ball and covered her head and ears. Above her, she could hear the sunroof open up-- next she heard the muffled sound of gunshots and skidding tires. Bracing herself with her shoulder and leg lodged between the seats as the car swerved violently, taking sharp turns around corners-- and briefly catching air.
Sure, she’d been in close proximity of gunfire before, and even in sire situations-- See her first encounter with the gang-- yet despite all the subsequent encounters and heists she’d been witness to, she would never be used to it. The adrenaline, the fear-- It was enough to make her mentally check out as her heart pounded rapidly in her ears, drowning out the sound of squealing rubber and fired metal.
Eventually, it all quieted down. The roof was closed up, the sirens faded to nothing, and a hand tapped gently to her back. Finally she looked up, removing her hands from her head. Jigen was sitting back in the seat, beckoning with his hand for her to get up now. He aided in her repositioning with an offered hand as she got up and joined him and Goemon back in the seat.
Vera was too shaken up in the moment to even think much of the contact, slipping away to grip at her legs instead. Breathing deeply despite the acrid air, filling her lungs full, and releasing until her head felt a little light. Her heart still thrummed harshly in her chest, a tremble in her hands as she reached for her phone that had been dropped on the floorboard once she felt settled enough. The device buzzed lightly as she turned it on-- a text, and another--
[txt]: WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU!!
[txt]: I WON’T REST UNTIL I GET LUPIN FOR THIS!!!
[txt]: TELL US WHERE YOU’RE GOING!!
With another deep breath, Vera began to type out her responses-- fumbling a time or two from how shaky her hands were. Jigen took notice and wordlessly placed his hand on her thigh, brushing his thumb against the outer side once or twice and left it there.
[txt]: I’m fine!! I’ll be okay!!
[txt]: I’m sorry, I don’t know where we’re going!
[txt]: Maybe they’ll drop me off back at my hotel??
She appreciated the concern the inspector had for her safety, even if he did come off a little strong-- He was felt his emotions strongly, something that she could relate to. What she appreciated most, in spite of prior actions, was Jigen’s wordless reassuring touch.
Her mind couldn’t linger on that thought for long, though, as her phone buzzed again.
[txt]: WHAT IS THE LOCATION?!
[txt]: WE’LL BE ON OUR WAY!!
Jigen took her phone and turned it off before she could finish replying and handed it back to her with a hushed ‘Don’t worry.’. The poor inspector would just have to ask Paprika for that information. For now, Vera merely sat back with Jigen’s arm now tossed lazily across the headrest behind her. It was going to be a long and awkward ride to wherever they were headed.
She still isn’t sure why she had been picked up and dragged along.
In her effort to try and think of a way to bring this up to and ask Jigen, the small car finally came to a stop, pulling into the back lot of some supposedly abandoned small business. Lupin, sitting shotgun to Fujiko in the driver’s seat, clapped his hands and announced they celebrate their victorious heist-- apparently he has some fine wine saved up for such an occasion. She didn’t care for that..
Jigen gave her a brief pat to the leg as he got out, holding his hand in offering. She took it gratefully, feeling calmed enough to get a little flustered at the touch. He was being awfully touchy tonight.. more so than how he usually was.. the broom closet incident aside--
Vera tried to focus her mind away from that, watching the way Lupin practically skipped along up the stairs and into the safe house with the treasures bagged in hand. His childlike joy was amusing, but his gleeful singing was a bit.. grating, if she were to be honest.
The group split up once inside, Goemon remaining outside for some meditation, Lupin fetching the drinks, and Fujiko already digging into the spoils. Jigen, meanwhile, kicked the door shut with his foot and stretched, barking something at Lupin and Fujiko before looking back toward Vera a moment later. She had been standing off to the side of the door, clutching her phone and looking around lost and confused. No doubt in his mind that she felt out of place here. He made a small whistle to get her attention, motioning his head in the direction of the couch, then walking over to it. He tapped his boot to the bottom of it with a little ‘Come. Sit.’ before he sat down first, his arm draped over the back, and the other on the side rest as he tilted his head back.
Vera jolted at the sound, whipping her attention to Jigen instantly, following him with her gaze as he went and sat on the couch. She hesitated a moment, but followed suit, but she sat with a little space between her and Jigen. It wasn’t much given the size of it, it was more like a loveseat. Just her luck.
If Jigen was disappointed with her choosing a little space, he didn’t show it, instead he rolled his head a little to glance at her from under the brim of his hat and spoke.
“..Sorry for snatchin’ ya up. And for.. All of that back there. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“..It’s okay.. Uhm.. Why’d you do that anyway?”
He didn’t say, he just rolled his head back to the other side, hiding his face further with his hat with a non-committal noise. It was this response that Vera knew not to pry.
“You feelin’ better?”
“..Huh?”
“You were shakin’ in the car.”
“Oh. Uh, yeah.” Vera lifted a hand and looked at it, observing the lack of tremor.
Jigen moved then, bringing his hand up from the armrest to take hers, and-- while the other two were still distracted-- he brought it up to his lips for a kiss before placing her hand back to her lap, thumb brushing the back of it briefly before retreating back to the armrest. A small smile played on his lips as he hummed after.
“Good. Good.”
She could feel her face heating up, heart kicking up in speed. Her gaze fell to her lap as she gripped at her phone. She knew she had unread texts from Zenigata, but didn’t feel up for checking them just yet. It wasn’t the time for that right now.
Lupin came back with that bottle he promised, carrying it in his mouth by the neck as his hands were occupied with 3 empty wine glasses, and one normal glass of just water. The water was for Vera. He placed the glasses down on a table he scooted over with his foot, and finally freed his mouth dramatically from the bottle, then popped the cork and poured with a showman’s flair. He was so loud as he handed Jigen and Fujiko a glass each, making a toast to success.
As Vera leaned over to grab her drink, Jigen did the same, removing his arm from around her and swiping the glass from the table. It was a bit surprising when Lupin, after clinking glasses with Fujiko and Jigen, turned to include her in this toast as well. A quick, awkward glance toward Jigen who only smiled and sipped his drink, hardly passing her a glance in return. Vera held out her water to toast, earning a goofy grin and giggle from Lupin as he finished off the toast-- and downed his drink.
Luckily, Lupin went off to sift through the haul with Fujiko, leaving Vera and Jigen to their own on the couch once more. The two nursed their drinks in silence side-by-side, observing the environment, the on-and-off lovebirds with the loot, and getting lost in their own thoughts.
With his glass now empty and back on the table, Jigen reclined, leaning his head on the back of the couch.. and slowly, carefully, sliding his closest hand back onto Vera’s thigh, just above the knee. That earned him a noise-- so small that anyone who wasn’t him would have missed it-- from Vera in response. He didn’t do much else, though, besides letting out a lighthearted, throaty chuckle and brush his thumb on the outer part of her leg like he did in the car.
“Have you ever been on a cruise?”
His sudden query caused her to jolt, looking his way briefly.
“No. I’ve never been. I’m still getting over my fear of flying.”
“There’s always time for trying something new.”
“..Yeah, that’s true.”
Silence again.. and then--
“If you had the chance, would you like to?”
“Uh., well.. I don’t see why not. They do look like fun.. and I do like a pool.”
“Hm, I see..” He liked that answer, falling silent again.
She wanted to say something.. Question this conversational topic.. but just as she went to lift her hand from her phone-- it buzzed with yet another text. She sighed and moved to set her glass down and try to take a look at the texts she missed. Clicking the phone on and getting through the lock, she was halted by a light pat to her thigh. Shifting her attention from the phone to the hand on her leg then up to Jigen whom had tilted his head to look at her from under the brim of his hat.
“..Well, I think it’s high time you should be getting’ back.”
“Yeah.. Okay—” Vera hardly had time to respond as he began to stand up and stretch.
“Hey, Lupin..!” He called out to the thief who had, by now, taken off his red jacket and undid his white tie, garnering his attention, “I’m takin’ the fiat.”
“Where are you going? Taking your little—”
“Don’t even start, Lupin. It’s none of your business.” Jigen’s voice seethed.
The other merely grinned in false innocence, and Vera wanted to shout back her own reaction to what Lupin was about to say. Instead, she leaned forward just a little and glanced at Jigen’s face briefly, catching the slightest hint of red.. Embarrassed? ‘..Cute..’ she couldn’t help but think. Turning her head down just as he caught her sneaking a glimpse at him.
“Come on.” Jigen turned, addressing her directly as he adjusted his hat over his face.
She stood quickly with a jump as he strode past, trotting after him with a chirped ‘Okay! Coming!’ and waited at the door while Jigen swiped the keys from the kitchen.
Soon they were outside again, the air crisp and clear. Jigen spun the keys in a hand while the other was tucked into his pocket, spinning them like he would his gun as he went ahead. Vera could hear him humming something as she followed behind, pausing for a moment to try and figure out what it could be as it sounded vaguely familiar..
“Heading out again, are we?”
Vera squeaked at the sudden voice near her, snapping her attention in the direction it came from-- Landing on Goemon who had found a nice flat rock in front of the building to meditate on. He apologized for the startle, she forgave him.
“Yeah. You missed the toast.” Jigen walked back up and pulled out a bottle from inside his jacket, tossing it to the swordsman who hadn’t even opened his eyes as he caught it. He must have picked that up when he grabbed the keys.
“Be careful not to get caught, Jigen.”
Jigen merely grumbled something before turning toward Vera, “C’mon. I’ll get ya back. You can have the front seat.” and resumed his leisurely walk to the car.
Vera nodded and, despite his closed eyes, waved at Goemon before catching up to Jigen.
----
------
The ride was.. quiet, to say the least, and awkward to say the most in spite of the silence.
Jigen reclined at the wheel, hand planted so naturally on the gearshift as though it were his gun. Even when driving he looked so casual and unbothered. To some extent, Vera could relate to that.. appearing more calm on the outside despite how she truly felt inside.. She couldn’t help but wonder, then, if that’s mutual for Jigen. If there was a fire of his own burning in is mind.
How right she was to think that.
Although he would hum and offer a short response to her directions, his mind was heavily elsewhere. It was nowhere good. He couldn’t help it, though, as that was just how he was. Practical, logical, realistic.. and often the pessimist to Lupin’s optimism. Yet, here he was, driving the only woman who has shown up consistently in his life and lived to tell the tale unscathed, not an ill bone in her body-- back to her hotel and he was unable to say anything to her. This wasn’t really that odd for him, though. It wasn’t uncommon for him to simply remain silent, observant..
And he was.
He could see she was fidgeting, nervous. Staring blankly out the window, her head resting on the pane, the occasional streetlamp giving him a flash of her reflection in the glass. There was something a little.. morose about her expression that caught his eye briefly. As much as he would like to think it was perhaps a trick of the light-- That wasn’t like him. He knew better. And what he knew was to turn up the radio. Tuning it to something generic enough. Despite the hours and days he’d been around her.. there was just as much about him that she didn’t know, that he didn’t know about her. What music she liked, what foods she enjoyed, the books she liked, the drinks-- He could make generally educated guesses, sure, but it wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be right.
With how their relationship had progressed tonight, finally taking that step over the threshold they both feared, hand-in-hand.. there was plenty of time for understanding. For getting to know her better.
He frowned to himself at the mere fact it would mean opening himself up to her as well, he wasn’t ready for that. Too soon, too early. So, instead.. he finally opened his mouth to speak.
“Consider this a final act of my apology for snatching you away earlier.”
Vera’s attention had already been brought back to the present with the radio adjustments, but now it was fully on Jigen. Sparing him a quick look over before darting back to her lap and then the world that drifted along just outside.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t have been able to make my way back on my own anyway. Not before morning.. or something.”
“I may be a criminal, but I ain’t heartless, sweetheart.”
She freezes up, eyes widening just a little at the name he used.. He hadn’t done that before. It made her feel.. a little nervous in a different way. A little warm.. and a little giddy.
“..Thanks.”
The air felt a little more at ease now.
“Uhm..” Vera spoke up again after some time.
“Hm? Yeah?”
“..Do you think we could change the music? I’m not really into this.”
Guess this was Jigen’s chance to learn something new about her.
“Be my guest.”
From the corner of his eye he watched-- with split attention to the road-- as she reached for the dials. Making mental note of the station she settled on, and the type of music which played from it.
They weren’t in America, so the stations would be different than what she was used to. She took her time, though, in adjusting until something caught her ear, ‘..Oh! Volare..! This is good.’ she muttered quietly and pulled away satisfied. Being in Europe had its perks as she actually recognized this song. It must have been a station dedicated to old songs, she figured. She liked stations like this.
Jigen wondered how much Vera knew of that song, of its lyrics and what they’re saying. That had been something he learned about her from the start. He, and the others, had only ever really spoken to her in English since that day. Stepping over to inquire about an artifact they needed for a big heist. Once or twice slipping up after and needing to remember to correct themselves so she wasn’t completely lost on what was happening. Not that he could fault her, it wasn’t common for people to know as many languages as they did. Although, she did seem impressed, expressing interest and admiration for such a skill. Perhaps he could teach her a little someday..
For now, though, it was nice to just sit like this. No obligation to chatter, music filling the silence, and just.. sharing in the existence of the other for what time they had left tonight. An uncommon occurrence with Lupin around, always needing to say something at any given point in time. Goemon was hardly better.. And Fujiko? Not at all.
During the final mile and a half, Jigen had reached up and opened up the moon roof to the fiat. The weather was pleasant enough-- but when he caught Vera’s curiosity and mildly worried glance in his direction, he spoke again. He could tell what she was thinking.
“S’nice out., so why not enjoy it a little?”
“Yeah, it is.. I like cool summer nights, reminds me of home.”
“Tell me about it.” he encouraged, having spoken enough tonight and wanted to hear her for a change.
“..Uhm. Okay.” Vera was nervous, but nevertheless she continued, “I’ve always wished we had a proper cover over the porch, back home, growing up. Getting to sit out and hear the frogs on the lake, the crickets in the grass, watch the lightning bugs blip about.” she paused, glancing up out the roof, “My favorite part was just staring up at the stars.”
“Is that so? Know any of them? Name a constellation.”
“Ah, yes. Uh, I see..” She scanned the sky, it was mostly clear, the occasional cloud illuminated by the moon drifting softly by, “Hmm. Well, there’s Orion. Betelgeuse is there, on the right shoulder. And then there’s..” she squinted and focused best she could, “The Pleiades. They make up a part of Taurus. I know Cassiopeia is somewhere off from there.. but I can’t see it.”
Jigen lifted his hat a little and leaned in, peering out the windshield for a moment once the car had reached a stop. Humming in contemplation before finally pointing, “Should be right there. Just above your hotel up ahead.”
Vera turned her attention from the roof to where Jigen had pointed out-- and there it was, partially obscured, but still recognizable in its shape.
“You’re right..!” She chirped.
Then, the realization that this ride would end began to settle in as the car began to move again. She was actually have a good time, after all that happened, she was having fun.. and it had to end.
Well.. at least then she’d have time to finally check her phone.
As the little fiat pulled into the front lot of the hotel, it was shifted into park, and the two sat there. Neither one really wanting to move, allowing this moment to linger just a little longer.
.
.
.
Jigen was the first to break the silence.
“How long are you staying here?”
“I’m.. uh.. I’m here until tomorrow night.. Why?”
..What was he saying? He wasn’t.. planning something, was he?
“Jigen.. How long are you and the others--?”
“What room?” he interrupted, continuing when she responded confused, “What room are you staying?”
“Uh. Second floor, room 32.”
“You should extend it.”
“..What?”
“Three days should be long enough.”
There were moments in which Vera felt a little uneasy by his tendency to remain vague and refuse to elaborate at times. This.. was becoming one such moment.
“..Okay.” She agreed apprehensively, “I’ll see about extending it.”
He didn’t seem to have anything more to say, so Vera just opened the door and stepped out. However, it seemed she was wrong to think he was done as the window began to roll down behind her. She turned to see Jigen leaning from the driver’s seat, beckoning her back over. She obeyed and dipped her head back in through the window.
“What is it?”
“Here.” He held out his hand and waited for her to take it before he brought his other up to slip a roll of paper into it, curling her fingers and let go. Leaning back to watch her.
Vera was about to say something when she suddenly heard a noise and popped back out the window to look around.. but she didn’t see anything. Jigen had noticed her odd action and looked around as well from where he sat in the car. From his vantage point, though, he caught the ever so slight glint of something behind some overgrown shrubbery as the wind rustled the leaves. Hm..
“I’ll contact you later,” He called back as he started the car up again, “And keep the change.”
Vera looked back to Jigen and then her hand at his words-- She was holding a roll of cash and there was something else sticking out of the roll. Tilting her hand a little, she saw what looked like numbers written on it.. Wait.. Wait. Did.. Did he just give her his number?
Looking back up, she was greeted with a smirk, him looking away and adjusting his hat a little. Instantly she felt her heart squeeze and face burn.
“Uhm. Thanks, Jigen. Again. I had a good time. I hope you have a good night..!” She flashed him a smile as she waved before turning on heel to head inside.
Jigen peered back at her, catching her farewell and watching her walk away.
“You, too.” His response unheard, never meant to be.
Once he was sure she was inside, his gaze drifted back toward that glint. He didn’t like it. Shifting gears and flicking off the headlights, he pulled out of the lot and back onto the road.
The two had a lot to look forward to after tonight.
Warnings: Potentially distressing and depressing content. Mentions of broken limbs, and the following intense depression. It's not graphic, however.
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys ! This chapter is a bonus. A swap of POV from Chapter 1. We get to see what Jive did :)
A/N: Once again I would love to thank @tabdabble for all the help in being my beta reader for this whole fic from start to finish! <3
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
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[Chapter 7]: Bonus POV
==============
There was a severance.
A loophole in the contract.
Relocation.. rehousing.
A group of Shadowpeople found themselves in a box that housed them like an abandoned and barren concert hall, with their scant luggage the only things to their name.
A select few were unwillingly chosen.. to be given new residence.. or else be lost forever.
The vacant lot where their box sat was decorated on either side with empty frames now lacking familiar photos and posters, and old, worn records that had seen better days and heard better plays; Cherished memories which these Shadowguys knew all too well. They fondly thought back on times they had lived through many years ago when things were quieter.
Better.
A few uprooted souls played their instruments as they awaited their fates. Passing the time with music and song, for it was all they could do.
"Your assistance here is no longer needed."
A rolling voice had told them, dealing the group a 72 offsuit. A hand of empty promises and no rewards guaranteed.
A woman on piano nearby played a solemn tune, one from a battered Blues record. She was accompanied by the soulful sound of a man on violin on the opposite side, the melodies crafting a somber ambiance to the scene.
One soul who stood between the two had opted instead to sit in silence, standing with his head hung low and his saxophone held by his side. He didn't feel the tempo. He didn't feel the beat.
It was cold here.. no love, no care.
The walls were muted, dark, and brown. The music around them was able to escape the thin cardboard barrier, meaning, the only thing to be held in by these confines were themselves.. and their thoughts.
The solemn figure tipped his hat further, wallowing in his mind. A symphony of sorrow, mourning the loss of his friends, of the world that he knew. He had hoped this day would never come.. yet fate and prophecy were never kind. Not to the little guys.
Never to the little guys.
But..
When the roof opened up with a flash of light, the beams of which reached out to grace them one by one-- like a spotlight searching for its star upon a grand stage-- He felt his soul offer up a prayer.
A prayer for this to be his freedom from the fate he feared.
Or, should it be his end instead, a prayer that it be gentle, and kind in its swiftness.
He held onto those warm, glowing beams as they found him next. Held on for all he was worth. Lifted into the air with an unforeseen gaze and gentle touch, he peered down to bid his final few friends farewell, receiving a cacophony of wishes return in kind.
And the world went black.
Floating in a senseless void of nothingness.
His mind focused upon a specific chord, one that tied him to the world beyond. Following the warmth of its sound until he could almost glimpse into that other world.
Worries regarding what awaited him in this new life flooded his mind: Will I be allowed to play? To serenade the corridors of my new home as I had before? Will this new soul of light be a blessing.. or a curse? An untrustworthy omen in the form of an angel whose voice was so sweet? What lies for me here? A lonesome existence, or an end to it altogether?
A door so large and grand came into view.. and behind it, a world unlike any he had seen before. A world that did away with his fears tenderly, and completely. Its caress was like a warm breath that weaved through his very core.
This was a place of love, a place of humble worship for all that was old and aged.
The rooms and halls that he was paraded through were filled with new and interesting folks. The prospect was both exciting and terrifying. A new life to get used to. A new place to commit to memory.
He expected to be placed somewhere familiarly modest. A place where attention glazed and ghosted. And yet he was placed upon a small center stage. A windowsill whose curtain was drawn just so with the sun as his spotlight. Stardom was gifted to him, though he felt deeply unworthy of it.
As wondrous as it all was, he held on to doubt.
Fearful it may be temporary.
But the days that followed whittled away any lingering misgivings.
Little by little.
That first day, he had descended from his plinth to wander the halls and meet his neighbors. New names and games to memorize. New faces and forms to learn to recognize.
A radio, old and weary-- standing where his old boss once did-- whose aged voice spoke kindly to him. Welcoming him into the family, into the show. Their words curled so bittersweet as they spoke of their better days.. and more so as they talked wistfully of their retirement they've spent so long learning to accept. A replacement had yet to be discovered, however, and so here they remained.
He could not speak any words that the wizened lord could understand.. so he played them a tune instead. Something old and a little broken from time fogging his memory, but it did its job, sparking a little life and memory within the old radio.
Further words need not be exchanged.
He had found a new home.
He was happy.
----
The first time you had done it, it caught him by surprise. Your voice resonated through his very soul with such sweet words, ...about him!
You wondered aloud to yourself about him, flattered him, addressed him by name, (a lucky guess from his object's luggage adorned with the word 'Jive'); He'd never been happier to hear it.
He daydreamed of being able to answer your questions, confirming or denying your speculations about him. You inquired quietly about what was inside his labeled case.. and you chuckled mischievously at the prospect of it being a Tommy gun. He held said case close, heart tugging with a surprising glee that you were right on the mark.
Two weeks went by, and he caught himself getting lost in thought, his mind weaving melodies of the two of you; Him by your side as some records lazily spun on your vintage player, maybe offering his hand for a dance, or perhaps he played you some music as rain falls outside.
Another daydream, this one of lunch! The two of you outside in the yard he could see from the window when you held the blinds open on a nice day. He tells a joke, and you laugh at his funny sounds.
Jive couldn't stop his mind from wandering into that ... romantic territory.. it wasn't something a Darkner should do, but he found the melody of you so alluring. Anytime you would play music, he'd hum or play along when he was alone in the Dark World. Practicing and learning what songs you liked most, what genre you preferred, and he would play them. He'd imagine your face lighting up with recognition at his harmonic presents, and it kept his heart light throughout any difficult days in this new world.
He dearly missed those he once knew in his old home, but with you speaking to him, addressing him, (though completely unaware that he could hear every word).. it made the change of scenery and life less like an Elegy and more like an Allegro.
Life within this Dark World had required some adjustment, yes, but nothing too jarring. He played his parts more freely; No contracts binding him, no strain, no rush. He was given time to breathe and do what he liked. It was.. a very pleasant change.
When he was required for performance by the radio lord, he played for the other Darkners he'd met and with whom he'd grown familiar,sharing music from his old residence and telling stories to those who could understand his way of speaking, regaling them with stories about his previous life and the family to whom he had belonged. In return, they shared their own tales about life in this place, how long they had been there and the craziest events that had happened in their pasts.
After a great while, Jive had gotten himself into a gentle rhythm of how things worked here.
He'd even managed to find a quiet section of the radio world where he could play his saxophone without disturbing anyone. The acoustics were decent, too, with the lack of a crowd to dampen the sound. He'd made somewhat of a routine of retiring to it whenever he preferred solitude, or simply a quiet respite.
Occasionally, another Darkner or two would stop and listen for a moment before continuing with their lives. Many here enjoyed it while some would even comment and compliment it. A few would even request a song, and he would happily play it, so long as he was familiar with it. Jive's playing provided an extra pulse of life in this new world, filling the pockets of silence with his music.
And it was in this haven that something changed.
Walking with his instrument case in hand, Jive made his way to his secluded spot to play and relax. He bid a flutter of greetings to the few other Darkners he passed by on his way, tipping his hat or giving a small wave as he did.
He peered into your world to find the day to be a pleasant one, and the dark world's was no different. He decided to go out and play some music, seizing the opportunity like a well-timed sound effect.
Upon reaching the hideaway, he took his hands from his pockets and slid the case from his back. Placing it down on the ground, he opened it up and pulled out his saxophone. He fiddled with the pieces and gear a moment before finally taking his seat.
Whenever Jive played his saxophone, he always let his soul do the work, playing the notes from the heart and allowing the jazz to lead the way. His thoughts and feelings were transformed and transmitted through song, improvising a melody or beat, feeling it out as he went.
The smooth sounds of his saxophone filled the hall, blending seamlessly into the background of any chatter. A vocalese stringing itself together upon the music staff of his soul.
'Well, I'd be keen to believin',
Through all the muck an' grievin',
that anythin' at all could happen,
when you're driftin', passin',
anythin' could happen.
Somewhere beyond that sea'o black,
There lies a home that's jus' for me,
Dark, darker, yet brighter still in this everlastin' night,
That home's a blessin' light jus' for me.
I give my all, my love, my life, to you,
For I could neva be more full o'gratitude,
Nothin' betta could'a happened,
Nothin' could stop this soul from fallin'
Fallin', fallin' for your light--'
A loud clatter disrupted the song as Jive faltered. A harsh and nauseating wave of motion suddenly overcame over him, and a concussive force rocked him to his core. His saxophone fell to the floor as a scream is ripped from his raspy lungs, garbled and broken. His gaze snapped to his arms, which had fallen limp at his sides.
He couldn't feel his arms.
He couldn't feel his arms.
He couldn't feel--
He desperately cried out to his fellow Darkners, distress evident in his shrill and broken voice, his eyeless gaze fixed on nothing. He stumbled forward, still calling for someone, anyone-- Please--
An antlered Shadowguy rushed over at his distress, catching Jive before he toppled, followed suit by another Shadowguy nearby. A questioning rise of tone fluttered from the first, nearly being drowned out by the ailing Shadowguy's over-toned upward glissando of agony.
Jive's chest heaved as he gasped for air, but he struggled to get enough through his tightened throat. Any words he tried to speak were stilted and brittle in tone.
The antlered Shadowguy spun toward the onlookers before barking out a command to make room and help get Jive somewhere safe. He then looked to the other who was keeping Jive upright and steady, giving them a nod before helping to lift Jive fully into their arms. With him as secure as possible, they took off in a hurry to get him to the world's lone medical station.
Thankfully, the trek didn't take too long, and he was soon placed gently upon an exam table. An analog Ambyu-lance bid the Darkners a grateful goodbye, then moved immediately to Jive's side. Their eyes scanned his form to assess the damage, asking questions that were only met with painful, grating notes that lacked a coherent melody.
They did what they could to calm him enough to get a few coherent words out. However, despite figuring out the cause, they could not reverse the problem. No amount of food in the dark world could repair his damaged object; All it could do was merely lessen the pain he felt from the grievous injury.
Without much else that they could do, the Ambyu-lance gathered the best food they could, and slowly, carefully, helped him to eat to ease his suffering until his fate was decided.
Having your Light World object be broken was a game of roulette, except instead of only one unlucky round, most chambers were loaded with the possibility of being trashed and forgotten. An almost certain death sentence.
Sure, there were stories of Darkners being given new life after having been repaired in the Light World; Their Lightners, new or old, taking the time and care to heal them. Some rumors spoke of Darkners who had their whole identity altered by a Lightner that had chosen to give them another precious chance.
The Ambyu-lance could only pray you were as forgiving as they had heard tell.
----
Time passed slowly for Jive.
The room was dark and silent, hardly a sound from either realm.
And even less from himself.
The shadowguy lay motionless and numb upon a cot in a side room to the medical station's main hub. A day gone by felt like eternity in such pained silence; Without any use of his arms or hands, he hadn't much to occupy his time aside from the occasional visits by those kindly few who helped him.. otherwise left only to the spiraling bile of his thoughts.
Surely.. Surely you'd toss him away. After all, who would ever want to keep something that was broken?
He wasn't much to look at now.. worthless.. in pieces.. he could still sing, yes.. but what was the point when he was now rendered an eyesore? You had so enjoyed sneaking glances at him, watching him when the sun cast through the window just right.
Tears once again stung his empty sockets, and his mind refused to relent its bitter descent. The thoughts terrified him. He knew he shouldn't have grown so attached.. he was only a thing, after all. But.. you had been so kind..
He tried once to distract himself with song, though his voice was raw and weak.
'To think that only yesterday, I was cheerful, bright, and gay
Looking forward to who wouldn't do, The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down, Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch, Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt, Talk about God in his mercy--'
His voice gave out with a bitter cough that turned to a raspy wheeze.
Oh fountain, he had never felt so miserable..
The phantom sensation of his limbs was sharp and dull all at once. No matter how hard he tried to feel, to flex or move.. they wouldn't budge.. they wouldn't react.
A sob, visceral, and raw, violently wracked his body, and a flood of tears cascaded down his cheeks from the voids in beneath his brows. He twisted and curled into himself as best he could without the use of his arms, before silently crying himself to sleep.
---
Another day, another session of silence and sorrow in succession. His misery felt unending, like a song looping, a record skipping ad nauseam. Waves of dull, throbbing pain coming and going, the healing effect of his meals only doing so much to keep it at bay.
He'd begun to grow grimly accustomed to the ceiling and walls of this room, with its sickening shades of aged yellow and discolored pink, its peeling striped wallpaper and the cracked and stained ceiling. A sign this place was neglected.. it wasn't a place Darkners typically got the chance to complain about. It was a place for.. those like Jive.
Broken.. chipped.. damaged.. in need of replacement.
With a deep sigh, he abandoned the view of the dour room and focused into your home within the Light World and he studied every inch of it that he could see from where his object sat.
A clock ticks, chimes, the occasional song of a bird hummed through a window, and the electrical hum-buzz of the house itself. The patterned wallpaper of a charming color, the trim of the walls, the marbled texture of the countertops, the rich, dark stain of the wooden table and cabinets.
Much like the medical station, your home held no music; and there was not a sight nor sound of you around. Empty and alone. Naturally~
At least the view was a nice change.. If not for the trash can in the corner of his vision, having been moved to the kitchen table after the incident that broken him.
It's been two days, and you hadn't thrown him away.. What were you waiting for? To get a replacement first? Had you fully forgotten him already? Or... something else?
It was unusual for him to assume the worst, and it pained him to even consider that you would do something so terrible, but with every moment that passed his misery weighed heavier until it reminded him continually that while he loved you ... you didn't know that he existed.
He was too despondent to twitch as he heard the distant sound of the front door open and shut. Then the clicking of keys and locks, the clutter of bags, and the clacking of shoes upon the floor drawing near.. and finally, he could see you.
Any initial hope at your presence was quickly overtaken by dread and uncertainty, the grave realism solidifying within him as you approached. He watched with undeniable fear as you went back and forth, in and out of view. The bags had been set just out of sight, and he glimpsed oddities in your hands. He couldn't tell exactly what they were, even as they were placed around him. What were they for? What were you going to do with him?
A brief absence on your part only made his thoughts spiral further.. and plummet farther as you returned with your laptop. With you sitting before him and directly acknowledging his existence, broken pieces on full display.. it felt like a final judgment call.
Yet, inexplicably, you began to play something in the background. A foreign voice speaking.. instructing?
Before he could glean anything further, he suddenly felt himself be lifted, then held so firm yet gentle, as though he were made of glass.
His breath hitched, and he trembled under your unknowing touch. Watching you examine him with such a tender gaze gave him hope-- cruel, cruel hope. He sniffed, holding back a sob, and felt that he should probably look away.. He didn't want you seeing him like this.. even if all you saw was the figure and not really, truly him in this miserable state.
Yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from yours.. or the supplies you gradually cycled through.
A brush, some sticks, a bit of putty, a mixture of some kind, and tubes of colored paint.
The putty, he observed, was carefully placed upon his broken joints. The resin came next, sealing them in place as he reconnected with what he had lost. Your hands held each broken piece in place until it could stay by itself.
No longer able to justify your actions as anything other than those of repair, an ultimate relief finally hit him, and he started to cry. He couldn't move his arms just yet, though the pain had greatly lessened and he could feel them again, and he wished he could wipe away his tears. --He wouldn't be thrown away!
It was a little disorienting and disappointing when you placed him down again. He wanted to protest, shifting the best he could into a sitting position without the use of his still-disobedient limbs.
You turned back toward your computer. The foreign voice was paused, replaced with typing.. clicking..
Then, finally, song.
Your act of divine mercy was to deliver a melody.. lively, energetic.. swinging into his ears. His object was turned around to face the screen. People dancing and playing instruments in a big orchestra.. it made him smile as his heart filled with warmth. Unable to resist participating, he tapped his foot along in time with the rhythm.
By the end of the second song you played for him, he had memorized the catchy tunes. His arms tingled like static as his control over them slowly returned. Attempts to move them were weighted, a dull ache pulsing throughout, but it was different from the agony of before; It was tolerable now.
The song ended, and you apparently deemed him ready to be worked on again. Lifting him in your hand once more, you produced a small sheet of sandpaper from out of view. It felt a bit rough at first, a little sharp, a little painful.. but soon enough, it felt like a massage. You soothed out the lingering ache, the pain, and worked away the pesky static sensation in his arms. Finally, you smoothed out the connection points and removed the resin's excess mess.
Paint came next, and it felt like ice to a fevered wound. Each stroke felt so wonderful that his features -- tense from days of torment-- softened completely as he basked in the relief and focused on your touch. Your fingers curled around his back for support, and your thumb pressed firm to his front to keep him steady, which he dared to interpret as you being fearful of dropping him again.
It was nice to sit back and enjoy the loving treatment as it lasted. He loved every minute of it. More music was playing to fill the silence, as the tutorial had run its course to the end some time ago. Every now and again, he took a peek to look up at you. Your expression was so focused and caring that it made him feel a little bashful, but he merely giggled to himself, still bubbling with glee at the monumental good fortune of being fixed up.
When you finally sat him down for the paint to dry, he couldn't stifle the look of stunned love that crossed his visage. You were smiling at your work-- at him.
By now, he was able to fully feel and articulate his arms again. His attention broke from you for a brief moment as he flexed and twisted his shoulders and arms and wrists and fingers gleefully. When he returned his gaze, you were in the process of stiffly getting up from the table, and soon the house grew quiet and dark as the day finally came to a close.
Unaffected by the peaceful decrescendo, Jive jumped to his feet and darted out the door of the coffin that you'd so kindly left open for him.
---
He hoped he wasn't too late to catch you.
Saxophone in hand, he stood atop the tallest building in the dark world.
He had something he needed to say.. and he could only think of one way to maybe get his message through..
Looking up into the dark abyssal sky, Jive took a deep breath and began to play. He played louder than he had ever played before. Putting his whole soul into this piece, he hoped and prayed that his song could reach through time and space, and arrive safely with you..
'Thank you! ..Thank you!'
---------------
--------
----
Music and lights, familiar tunes, and sights.
A snap of a finger, a call for action.
Chatter and laughter, hustle and bustle.
The cacophony pulled him forward like a siren song, alluring and familiar. It was like second nature, his body never forgetting the life he had before. Following the sounds back to this place as they had called out to him late into the night. He never once questioned it, as stranger things had happened.
The memories he held here of things he'd done and the people he knew flooded back in his mind. Greeting his old friends and wandering down through halls and rooms he once frequented felt like stepping into a jubilant dream.
Jive was back.. in the TV World of the Dreemurrs home.. and it was like nothing had ever changed.
He sang, and he danced with those he'd thought never to see again. Celebrating his return, he offered aid with their work while he was there. Even though his contract didn't entail direct work here anymore, it still felt like the appropriate thing to do, lest he cross paths with his boss and reap the consequences of daring to ignore the house rules. He hadn't seen that overgrown CRT yet and he wasn't entirely sure what would even happen, but Jive felt it wouldn't be good, knowing how he was.
After the rush had died down, Jive bid his fellow Darkners a temporary adieu as he stepped out for some fresh air out a back exit and into the bitter static that snowed from the blackened sky above.
Before he knew it, his humming during the lighthearted stroll had turned to a full song. Joy and gratitude belted out into the vast nothing of snow and lights, and the sporadic solo was accompanied by a light dance, his shoes painting prints throughout the static below.
'I've never known a day of strife
Since you entered my life
My care and my sorrow had me every way
Before we met, I was tryin'
But my livin' felt like dyin'
To you I give all of my heart and my very soul
The life I'm living
Yes, I'm giving everything to--'
Then all at once, a loud, anguished cry from somewhere far out into the abyss ripped through the air, cutting through his song and bringing his performance to an end.
He wasn't sure if he were dreaming within a dream.. There shouldn't have been anyone or anything else out there. He waited it out to see if there was another sound.. but it was silent. The only thing he heard was the air whisking lightly through his shadowy hair.
Something wasn't right.
He took a step in the direction he heard the noise.. and another.. and another. Walking turns to jogging, then running, and finally, he shifted gears into a dead sprint, darting through the static with a hand held tight to his hat.
For what seemed like hours, he ran, calling out for whoever or whatever that was. Honking and trilling and bending his voice in hopes of a response-- Any response at all.
Nothing.
Still, he powered on, running and yelling until his voice threatened to give out to try and locate the source of that voice he'd heard.
Finally, he skidded to a halt, his lungs aching, as he spotted a figure partially hidden by fresh snowfall.
He quickly rushed over to inspect them-- and paused in horror at what he found.
It was his Lightner. It was you.
Somehow, you had wound up here.. and passed out. One hand rested across your face in an attempt to shield it from the cold, and the other was held protectively against your chest, as if it had been injured. Your skin was freezing.
He stalled no longer, shucking off his coat and placing it around your frigid form. His hat followed shortly after, resting over your face to trap as much heat as he could. Then, scooped you up into his arms, and held you tightly to his chest.
With you now safely secured and out of the snow, he set off back the way he came.
Warnings: CRT gore.. very mild descriptions. (gore of my comfort character--)
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: MAJOR thanks and props to @tabdabble for helping SO much with this!! If it weren't for them, this fic would not have finally reached its long awaited end.
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7]
==============
[Chapter 6]:
==============
Silence.
Silence is all that surrounded you and your gaggle of friends as you made your way through the hollow corridors of the studio. The vacant building whistling and echoing the sounds of your footsteps against oscillating patterns of linoleum, hardwood, and carpet.
Battat was the leader of the band, sprinting as fast as he could, leading you all to the exit. Passing through a few rooms with monitors and screens that displayed static and remnants of Tenna's puzzle game. The final room held a large screen that only repeated in zeroes, behind it was a haunting glimpse of hundreds more screens, some lit and some not, hanging from poles in the ceiling, jutting out from the walls, or even affixed to them. You couldn't stay to process what you saw as Battat wrenched the door open, a cold blast of air flooding in and causing you to flinch out of your thoughts.
Jive took notice and held your hand, bringing you closer and leading you through into the familiar field of static snow. The cold quickly dissipated to nothing once you were through. Not cold, not warmth, just nothing.
The rush continues, Battat retracing his steps and calling out to Tenna. A large tree, an evergreen, decorated in gold and red with a gold star topper, begins to come into view. Scattered among the piles of static snow on either side of you are various gachapon balls in an enormous size.. large enough to fit someone inside. You feel Jive's grip on your hand tighten as you pass one close by.
"Tenna!! Boss!! Where are ya!?" Battat cried out into the wind.
"Mi--!?"
"This way! He's this way, you guys!" Battat called back.
"Over --ere! Still --live!"
Just beyond the tree, you begin to hear harsh static and electrical sparks. The static grows in volume, rapid like the changing of channels at an unnatural speed. It's almost too painful to listen to, but it was essential to locate Tenna in the blinding snow.
And the sight of him ripped the air from your lungs in horror when you finally did.
"Boss!" Battat rushed to his side.
Tenna tried to reply once more, but his voice was glitching, skipping, and ultimately crushed with the static that filled his speakers. At Mike's approach, however, the sound lowered, as if it had been part of Tenna's way to flag Battat down, a signal to hear and find him after his voice had given out.
He lay face-up in the snow as more fell down around you all, and a light layer had accumulated over his body.
His arms.. His arms were strewn out beside him, just as Battat had described. Severed from the shoulder. Sparking wires and oil spilling out, staining the snow around him. His hands twitched, signals firing yet having no real directive.
His face was gone, a blank slate of glass that overflowed with static and noise, scan lines scrolling and flickering upon it.
As much of an antagonist as he had been to you, it was hard to look at him like this. He didn't deserve this. No one did.
"Talk to me, Boss - you're still with us, right?" Battat asked anxiously.
Tenna jolted slightly, but his face remained absent. "--j-jj-JJu--t --little bi-- damaged! --ah! Ha--! I can sti-- move! See?!" He tried to sit up, but his body groaned in protest, and he fell back again.
"M-Mr. Tenna..! You shouldn't try to move..!"
Up until he spoke, the ghastly spectacle had completely overshadowed the inconspicuous presence of the other figure beside Tenna. He was small, and despite his green robes and pink scarf, his white fur nearly blended in with the snow around him entirely. He was trying to mend the wires from one of Tenna's sockets and stop them from sparking.
The sight of him shook something free in your mind.
"Wait, didn't you say there were other Lightner's? But there's only him--?"
"The li'l guy's not one'a you's." Jongler spoke up, which garnered the attention of the one in question.
"Ah, you.. You're a Lightner, too..?" He seemed honestly shocked to the core at your presence. "The uhm.. The other two had already gone off. Chasing down the Knight and to seal the fountain. We.." He went quiet for a moment, his gaze down turned, "We haven't got a lot of time left here, but I can't just leave Mr. Tenna like this, I need to get him back to Castle Town with the others before this place is sealed off forever."
That.. was a lot for you to take in.
"You don-- --eed to worry yourse--f, Ralsei! I'll be fi-- I'll be.." Tenna tried so hard to keep up a cheerful demeanor, but that facade quickly crumbled, the words dying in his throat harsher than the static that cut between them. His antennae drooped, one twitching with a spark where it was bent wrong, and his screen darkened, but the static and scan lines didn't falter.
"Mr. Tenna.." Ralsei's voice was soft, "Please. Let's not make the Lightner concerned.. Now.. really isn't the time." He turned toward you and your group now, "I've tied up as many of the wires as I could, but with the number of people we have currently..We wouldn't be able to carry him to the exit in time.. I don't.. I don't know what else to do.." he went quiet, turning his head down to his lap.
The whole situation felt miserable. Everyone wracking their minds to try and think of some kind of solution. Yet, everyone was fresh out of ideas to try. Well.. almost everyone.
"Well, we could try to make some extra time." You stepped forward, breaking the silence, "The Mikes can head out and try to stall the others, keep them from sealing the fountain just yet. Meanwhile.. Uh. We can try to get Tenna up and out of the snow and go from there."
It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a start. No one could really argue with that.
"I think the cowboy should stay. We'll need all the strength we can get for this. You guys can go on ahead." You give a quick nod to Pluey and Battat, who nodded gravely in return before rushing off to the fountain. Your gaze drifts around to the remaining group, lingering on Jive and finally resting on Tenna.
You take a deep breath to steel yourself before continuing. "Okay. Let's find a way to move him."
=========
Pushing: No.
Dragging: No. You honestly might have thrown out your back in the attempts.
Tenna standing and walking by himself: Super no. Even if he could manage to get to his feet, any fall would compound his already grievous injuries.
Using the gacha ball halves as a way to slide him across the snow like a sled: No. Too small.
The falling snow gathered on your head and shoulders like grains of sand leaking from a shattered hourglass. The Mikes may have bought you some time, but they couldn't hold off the inevitable forever.
You turned your gaze to the show host and felt a pang of empathy in your heart. Tenna was lucid ..mostly. At times he was vacant and unresponsive, at others you could hear pouring from his speakers a repeating soundtrack of desperate apologies and pleas for help, and-- even more jarringly-- sometimes Tenna would snap into an almost lighthearted demeanor of optimism and flat-out denial.
He was silent at the moment, and for that, you felt guiltily thankful. The pleas for help were so painful to listen to when the best you could do was reaffirm that you were trying, while the tone-deaf optimism was unhelpful at best, heart-wrenching at worst.
You felt a warm hand on your back and slumped into Jive's shoulder before wearily shouting over the wind. "Any other ideas?"
The shadowguy was similarly exhausted, and he shook his head grimly.
"Hey-- What is that? Who else is even out here?" Ralsei's voice cut through the flurries, and his pointing claw directed your attention out onto the flickering tundra.
You could barely make out something lumbering along-- it was about the size of a truck. With a flash of recognition, your jaw dropped, and your brow furrowed.
"That's my bed!" You cried in astonishment.
"It's a Darkner?" Ralsei followed up hopefully. "Let's ask it for help!"
"Fat chance it will." You answered bitterly. At Jive's questioning music, you pointed accusingly in its direction. "That's what bucked me off and hurt my arm!"
"It looks like it's big enough to carry Tenna, though!" The little goat-monster argued, and Jive began nodding feverishly before gesticulating with a regimented line of music.
Ralsei helpfully translated. "'Maybe it just needs some music to entice it into helping us!' --That's a great idea!"
You sighed, but one glance at Tenna was enough to banish your misgivings. Desperate times and all that.
Jongler and Ralsei stayed behind to keep the show host company while you and Jive set off as quickly as possible to intercept the wayward item of furniture. As you and Jive loped over and through the snow, you watched the shadowguy pull out the saxophone you'd become so familiar with in the Light World from the dark recesses of his jacket and adjust the mouthpiece.
"Should I get its attention first?" You called over between gulps of air, and Jive made an inviting gesture as if to say <Be my guest!>
"HEY! STOP!" You screamed as loud as possible, and miraculously, the bed turned in your direction!
Then it began to trot further away.
"NO WAIT! COME BA--!" Your cry was cut short as Jive grabbed the back of your shirt to stop you from further pursuit.
The shadowguy pointed at himself with a smile. It was his turn to try now. He subsequently motioned to plug your ears, and with no time to question it, you obeyed.
Jive began to play.
Through your finger-plugs, you could make out a lilting, winding series of notes that started off quite slowly.
You looked over to see that the bed creature had turned back to look at the both of you curiously. It was working! There was hope!
The song picked up speed, and as it did so, you felt the increasing inclination to unstop your ears. You furrowed your brow and held firm, however-- whatever reason Jive had for telling you to do so had to be a good one.
It was not just the music that was entrancing but your companion as well. The movements accompanying the burgeoning melody were as hypnotic as the song itself, and you couldn't look away from him more than to glance occasionally at the bed-thing as it lumbered closer.
When finally it reached you, the bed placidly gazed up at Jive, as if waiting for instruction. The shadowguy ceased his performance, and you felt as if your brain had suddenly cleared of a very slight fog.
Jive pointed towards where Tenna and the others still were and offered some music that sounded like a request, and after a mistrustful side-eye in your direction, the bed seemed happy to oblige.
=========
It was a task and a half to heave the show host upright, but once accomplished Tenna managed to get his legs under him and brace against the bed-creature in order to stand just enough to collapse back atop it.
To your surprise and relief, the stubborn darkner seemed quite unbothered by the weight of its passenger.
Once Tenna's arms had been securely placed alongside him, you were ready to leave! The victory was thrilling but undeniably tense, and you all hurried forward through the blizzard towards the fountain. Hopefully, you hadn't taken too long.
"You's doin' okay, Boss?" Jongler asked, carefully laying a boxing glove on the uninjured part of one of Tenna's shoulders. Ralsei and the Zapper had managed to stop the sparks and ..bleeding? but the jagged wounds were still heartbreaking to see.
The show host nodded weakly.
"We'll get there in no time, don't you worry." You patted the black-clad knee reassuringly but jumped as the static-riddled voice suddenly coughed out of the speakers.
"Wh-- does --t matter? It's pointle--." Blinding tears seeped from the cracks in the shattered screen, and Tenna's breathing hitched mournfully.
"What?" You asked with concern. "What's pointless?"
"Who was I-- trying t-- kid back th--re..!?" Tenna's voice came out shrill, on the edge of crying, a sob caught in his throat that he swallowed down to continue, "Loo-- at me! I'm broken..! Useless! Who wou-- ever wan-- a busted up ol-- tele--ision!?"
"Aw, Boss," Jongler attempted to soothe their employer, but the show host seemed inconsolable.
"Susie's pro--ise.. I can't.. I ca-- accept.. I can't --o through.. There's nothing.. No--ing left for me.. No-- anymore.. Not li-- this..!" If he could, he probably would have thrown up his arms in a sweeping gesture at his damaged form, but instead all he could do was turn his head side to side at the severed limbs.
"Boss, no! Don't you's be talkin' like that! You's can still perform!" Jongler tried to assure him but failed to sound convincing.
"No!" Tenna sobbed miserably. "I'm bro---n, and that --ans I'm worthl--s!"
The words were devastating to hear. One half of you knew that he had a point - if a television or other appliance in the Light World broke, Lightners typically replaced it. The other half of you desperately wanted to contest Tenna's self-deprecation, but Jive actually beat you to it.
You saw the shadowguy's expression harden. He straightened his tie and hat and then marched alongside his old boss' sickbed. Even despite what he had gone through-- despite all that Tenna had put everyone through, Jive still continued to help him.
Jive honked at Tenna and lectured the show host in his own musical way, somehow sounding stern, but not cruel. Whatever he had said caused Tenna's screen to light back up again, but only a little.
"What a-- you talki-- about? There's nothi-- wrong wi-- you, though!" Tenna replied, confused by Jive's words, "You've go-- your --appy ending!"
"Uh, can someone translate?" You ask quietly, receiving a shy, apologetic note from Jive, one that you returned softly, "..Sorry."
"I's can help with dat." Jongler looked up from where they were by Tenna's side. "He said dat da boss doesn't need ta give up all hope and wait ta die - Dat he ain't da only one who's been damaged and felt these fears. I dunno what he means by saying all dat, but dat's what he said."
You turned your gaze back to Jive as Jongler spoke, but he didn't look back at you, instead focusing on the snow in front of him as he walked.
Being damaged.. feeling 'those same fears'? ..Being worthless, useless, thrown out.
You felt the harrowing sense of guilt that had laid dormant since you first apologized to Jive.
"..He's right, Tenna." You managed to just be heard over the sound of the wind.
"Wha-- are you --aying?"
"..I ..accidentally broke Jive just three days ago. His arm.. and wrist.." You swallowed a sickness that tried to creep its way up from your gut. "But I fixed him up. Did some research and followed some videos, and fixed him up. It's not the end of the world."
You looked into Tenna's screen. "I've seen people fix up and restore electronics that were in a far worse condition than you are now. I mean.. You've still got all your parts. You're not coated in years of dirt and caked-on rust.. There's hope for you."
"..You.. Why --re you trying to --elp me..? After all I-- done to you.." The question was tentative, ashamed.
You took a deep sigh, "Because, it doesn't matter if you're a Darkner or a Lightner, no one should have to be abandoned or forgotten. Everyone deserves a chance, or even a second chance to make things right."
"You --eally --ink I deserve some-- like --at?"
"I've come to realize you just tried to help me when you offered food earlier.." You glanced toward Jive with that remark before returning your gaze toward Tenna, "So, I'd like to repay that. You can consider this whole thing a second take of first impressions."
"A se--ond take.."
"But--" you interjected.
"B-bu-- ..'But'?"
"You gotta promise to ease up on everyone.." your voice hardens, a little stern and tired, as you lift your hand into Tenna's view and point toward Jive who looked around a little nervously before giving a small wave of his hand, "And promise to be nice to him."
Tenna went silent for several minutes, then, suddenly, he spoke up. A crackling laughter, weak and hollow and filled with disillusionment. "Wha-- do you --ean?! I-- I'm a --ood boss! I-- All my emplo--ees LOVE me!! Like a-- my fans!!"
The assertion earned him a disagreeable noise from Jive, which only strengthened your resolve.
"Tenna. I'm only as willing as you are on this deal. I'm not asking much."
He went silent again, his antennae drooping even further.
"--kay.." he finally relented, then gave another defeated chuckle. "I'd sha-- --our hand, but.."
"We can shake on it later.. When you're repaired." You reassured him, reaching over and giving a pat to his side.
Jive must have noticed how hard it was for you to see Tenna like this. He called your name to get your attention, and once he had it reached into his blazer pocket and held out a bag of sweets for you. He gave it a light shake with a soft smile and slight tilt of the head at your hesitation, before speaking a short, gentle tune, one that sounded reassuring and encouraging. He followed it up with a pleased melody and a grin when you ultimately accepted.
It was sweet of him to offer. He really did just want to make your time here pleasant.. You were sad it had to be so short.. Even if it was a sudden surprise to be here in the first place, you.. couldn't say you didn't have fun, despite everything. It was frankly the most exciting thing that had happened to you in years.
You shared the snack-- soft pastel mints that melted like chocolate on your tongue-- and a bit of chit-chat between you and the others to fill the silence as the journey neared and finally reached its end. Ralsei announced your arrival before hurrying off to meet with the other Lightners.
The fountain was breathtakingly immense. It stretched impossibly high into the sky, and its darkness somehow surpassed that of the surroundings of this world. A sense of foreboding washing over you at the mere sight of it.. and once you managed to tear your gaze away from the fountain, it seemed Jive was feeling similarly.
As you began to reach out to him for comfort, you were interrupted by Ralsei calling out to you as he returned to relay the situation. Battat and Pluey followed behind him, looking exhausted as they continued on past toward the bed.
"The fountain will be closed here in a couple of minutes, b-but not to worry! I will take you all to Castle Town, where you will be safe from the effects." Ralsei explained, turning to address you specifically with a little smile, "Uhm, once you're done here, saying your goodbye's, you should go meet up with Kris and Susie by the fountain - they'll take you back out."
You thanked the little monster boy and waved him off, watching him tread back to the fountain. Once you looked back at Jive, you noticed how tense and worried he looked. For a shadow so nonchalant.. it pained you to see him distressed. While it hurt to think you might not be able to see him again like this, you didn't want to leave him miserable-- leave him worrying.
--And he was worrying a lot. He didn't want you to leave.. He didn't know what would happen once the fountain was sealed and saying goodbye to everyone only compounded the sense of finality.. He clenched and flexed his hands restlessly to try and fight off these thoughts, a nervous, mindless action.
Jive jolted with a small honk when you placed your hand to his upper arm. Clearly, his mind had been elsewhere, staring down the fountain just a few seconds prior.
You gave him an apologetic look, removing your hand, "Sorry.. I just wanted to know if you were okay.. You seemed kinda--"
Before you could finish your sentence, Jive shot forward and enveloped you in a hug, his hands grasping at your clothes with barely restrained desperation. You didn't hesitate to hug him back with an equally firm squeeze, rubbing and patting his back.
"Hey, hey, it's okay.. It's okay!" You tried your best to ease his mind-- give him some kind of comfort, "To tell the truth.. I don't wanna leave either.. but I promise I'll talk to you every day..! It'll be okay, I promise!"
Your assurances seemed to have bolstered him as Jive lifted his head and pulled back to look at you. Letting out a light questioning sound, he sought confirmation.
You nodded and held your pinky out to him, "I promise."
He grinned with relief and hooked his own pinky with yours to seal the deal.
"Alright, now let's get going..!" You patted his arm, taking his hand in yours, and walked toward the fountain where everyone had gathered by now.
---
-----
---
That hadn't been a very graceful landing..
Pushing yourself to sit up and rubbing at your sore back, you took a moment before looking around. You were outside.. and it was still dark after having jumped through the portal door, hand-in-hand with Kris and Susie just seconds ago.
Definitely not your home and not your yard either. It was your next-door neighbor's.
You aren't entirely sure how this happened, but with everything you had gone through.. you didn't bother to question it.
Instead, you spotted Kris and Susie standing in the doorway of the house. After getting to your feet, you walked over to where they were chatting to themselves, catching something about what to do with Tenna as you approached.
"Hey!" you called out and Kris noticed you first, Susie following their lead, "Sorry, I heard you saying something about Tenna..?"
"..Uh, yeah." Susie replied, awkward due to the unexpected question, "We promised we'd find him a new home since Kris' mom doesn't need him anymore and were workin' out where we're gonna put him until we could find the best one."
"..We can leave him in Castle Town tomorrow." Kris spoke up, their serious gaze that had been lingering on you finally broken as they directed the proposition to Susie.
Castle Town? ..Promised..?
"..I don't know what Castle Town is, but I also made a promise to Tenna." You chimed in, "..You think I could have him?"
Susie looked at you in surprise and turned to Kris who only shrugged. They exchanged a few looks and nods before some unspoken agreement was made between them. They both turned back to you.
"Will you repair him?" The monster's yellow eyes searched your face with intensity.
You nodded surely. "Either I'll do it, or I'll take him somewhere to have him fixed up."
"And you need a T.V.?" Susie continued. "You'll watch him?"
You chuckled. "Oh yeah! I've been looking for one, actually, and he'd fit right in!"
After a moment, the teenager's shoulders relaxed, and her regard of you became warm. "Alright."
Susie held out her hand to shake yours, and you both grinned.
"..Okay!" She rubbed her palms together. "We can help ya transport 'im-- Where do you live? If it's too far, we'll just have to wait till morning--"
"Actually," you interjected, "I live right next door." To emphasize your statement, you pointed to your house just a bit down the way past some trees.
"Whoa.. Sick!! This is so lucky!" Susie beamed, turning back to Kris, "We hit the jackpot with this one! Come on! Let's go get Tenna! We'll tell your mom about it in the morning-- I'll think of something."
"Hey, while we're moving him, could you tell me about Castle Town?"
Susie turned back to look at you with a thumbs up. "Sure thing!"
-----
The sun was beginning its ascent by the time the two had gone back next door. An invitation to visit Castle Town being the last thing said as you waved them off.
After everything that you had been through, you were so glad to be home again.
With a little bit of struggle, you managed to get the new TV situated in its new location, plugged in and ready to go at a moment's notice, and the mental image of Tenna dancing in celebration briefly crossed your mind.
"I'll finish dressing you up later." You assured him as you gave the top of the appliance a little pat, and walked off.
There was someone else who you wanted to see and tend to more at the moment.
Walking in, you spotted the little well-dressed musician standing right where you had left him last. You gingerly lifted him in your hands as you approached the table and gave his figurine a thorough once-over. All healed up, paint and resin dried, joints sturdier than ever from where they had broken before. You couldn't help but grin and beam.
"Hello again, Jive. I think I have a better place to put you, for now."
Shuffling through the bedroom door upstairs, you leaned your back on it for a moment to just breathe, Jive's figure held protectively in hand.
"Almost feels a little strange.. being back after everything.. Like it was all a weird dream." you spoke to yourself, soft and quiet. Walking over to your bed and setting the figurine on the table beside it, adjusting him just right with a satisfied smile.
Finally crawling back into bed, the comfort of your blankets felt like heaven on your worn and exhausted body. You gave a final glance at the little saxophonist figurine on your nightstand and smiled before snuggling further into the sheets for a well-deserved nap.
Just as you were drifting off, you once again heard a little melody play, clear and soft.. and, with a grin, you had your answer. It was all very real. He was real.
You knew exactly what you would be doing first thing tomorrow.
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: Mr. (Ant) Tenna's Neurotic Nightmare Board!!
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [7]
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[Chapter 5]:
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At some point during the trip to the stage, Jive had gone quiet, merely hanging limp in Tenna's unrelenting grasp. His mind wandering, lamenting the loss of you again with a solemn backing tune. There should have been something more he could have done.. but all his thoughts landed on a flat note.
Sure, he could have grabbed you and ran, but that would have only gotten the two of you so far before Tenna inevitably caught up. Jive could try to bite Tenna or hit him with the butt of his gun and make a break for it when he dropped him, but Jive wasn’t really that type of shadow. It wasn't certain Tenna would have dropped him anyhow or simply tightened his grip in surprise.
Regardless, the repercussions would have been far worse no matter what path he chose.
Still, the thought of biting Tenna at all was tempting, considering the uncomfortable way that he was manhandling him. He may not have been a Catguy or a Rabbitguy, but he could still leave a few punctures in Tenna's plastic casing with his teeth. Other Darkners may have assumed their mouths were nothing but a white void, not a detail in sight, much like their black, shadowy exterior. they would be wrong to assume so; Even a Shadowguy without a specific animal type possessed canines as sharp as a guard dog. Although their bark was rough, their bite was worse.
Jive crushed that thought, though, with a wheezed sigh.
He felt completely useless. He felt as though without a purpose or a use to you that he may as well have become what he is in the Light World.. a mere statue meant only for eyes to see, not an ear to hear nor a hand to touch. If he had the energy now, he would have cried, yet this whole situation had left him miserably morose. The only thing that kept him from falling to the melancholy was his thoughts of you, what you had said just moments before. The words you spoke about him as you verbally lashed out at Tenna on his behalf.
'So what if he's a knickknack?! It doesn't make him any less special!'
Your words rang in his mind like the sweetest note. A melody that made his heart sing to know you cared that much for him. Yet, it made his heart flutter in pain to have been ripped away from you so cruelly and unwillingly on his part.
It was hardly a relief to his heart and mind when they reached the stage, and Tenna finally sat him down unceremoniously in the theater seating before the stage. He grumbled, watching Tenna step up onto the stage to greet his guests one final time. He watched as an unwilling audience as Tenna put on his show host bravado, pretending like everything was okay. For now, it was all Jive could do. Play his "role" in Tenna's game until an opportunity arose when he could make his grand escape back to you. It wasn't safe with Tenna's gaze constantly scanning the nonexistent crowd out of habitual instinct.
He sat back in the vacant seating of the stage room, eyeless gaze trained on the stage before him. Awaiting his "cue" (Yeah.. right.) with a half baited breath. He propped his chin on his palm in annoyance, elbow supported by the armrest.
"WELCOME BACK to another ELECTRIFYING episode of TV Time!" Tenna's voice peaked, nearly cracking a note, but he caught himself, biting down on his static tongue. He continued after a beat with that showman's bravado, not giving one of the three contestants a chance to speak, "Today's board will take place in a beautiful TV CITY..." He stood on his toes, hands clasped tightly, the seams creaking, and an artificial blush pixelating on his screen.
“(But don’t ask why the cars don’t have feet!)” Quickly he broke the pose, bending to speak to the audience in a stage whisper as canned laughter was forced through his speakers rather than the soundboard like it usually would have. Jive wasn’t laughing. The whole thing felt forced, yet he continued on, not at all noting that Susie was nearing a breakdown-- "Collect two Q's from each corner of the CITY, and--!!" --until it was too late.
"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Susie shouted. Jive had half a mind to cheer but stayed silent as she finished, "The game's over."
"Game... over?" Tenna parroted, a forced grin on his screen tensing, the focus and clarity of his features blurring slightly.
"Mr. Tenna, I'm not certain what you plan is, but.." Ralsei spoke up softly with a gentle grin that he hoped would ease the weight of his next words, "We'd like to go seal the Dark Fountain now."
Jive felt his whole body turn cold. Seal the fountain? But that would mean.. no more. No more studio, no more games and fun.. No more of this already fleeting blessing to spend time with you. The tension was rising, his panic growing into a slow crescendo. He needed to get back.
"I think.. the show's gotten a little old." Ralsei finished, his words were spoken calmly, not realizing the severity of their sting. Jive winced, a hand coming up to cover his mouth as he glanced toward Tenna with a creeping fear.
Tenna was silent for a moment. His smile twitched, wavering for a brief second. His whole form was deathly still-- an unusual and foreign thing for one who is usually so animated. After a minute, he finally spoke, parroting once more the final word the other had spoken. His voice crackled with static.
"...Old."
Ralsei realized too late what he had just said, trying to reel it back, "Umm, sorry, Tenna, I--" but he was cut off as Tenna's iconic soundtrack blared uncomfortably through the speakers of Tenna's own head.
"No, haha! Ralsei, RALSEI! Buddy-BOY! It's fine! I GET IT! Look, I get it!" Tenna jumped, striking another one of his iconic poses, "Classic TV..." he sprung back up on his toes, clasping his hands, "--sometimes just takes a little TIME to APPRECIATE! So how about--"
Jive couldn't help but make the saxophone equivalent of 'booing', cupping his hands around his mouth to make it loud and directed toward the host. It was a long and low comical sounding note with a downward bend, which he emphasized vindictively. When Tenna's head flicked in his direction, he dramatically gave two thumbs down. Jive felt a bit of pride when Susie snorted, unable to stop herself. He fell silent again, however, when Tenna's screen flashed red with a loud boom of canned laughter to drown him out.
Tenna quickly recovered, clearing his throat aggressively to regain attention before continuing what he was going to say before being so rudely interrupted: "We all do ONE MORE LITTLE GAME..."
The room began to buzz with a heightened level of electricity.
"One last ENCORE!"
Electricity caused by Tenna's fraying patience.
"And this time, we'll play.."
Patience that had finally--
"Until you LIKE IT."
--Snapped.
Tenna stood taller now, hunched and feral. Fangs jut out where his teeth were once harmless and blunt, sharp claws tearing through his pristine gloves. His antennae crackled with electricity and sparked as his screen darkened a little.
Jive could only sit and watch, glued to his seat in the front row. His gaze magnetized as Tenna snapped his fingers and changed the set before him. The horror of the three contestants suddenly getting trapped in Tenna's gachapon balls that fell from above at Tenna's command. Jive scrambled to his feet-- whether to run away or to help the Lightners-- but that momentary hesitation was his downfall as he, too, was captured in a gachapon ball. His plastic prison was raised up above the stage as Tenna's speakers corrupted the music that ripped out across the stage room. Pyrotechnics bursting left and right of the stage itself, the screen in back flickered to life with a horrific scene of a city in flames.
"Don't leave just yet, dear audience!" Tenna pointed up toward Jive, then turned back to his other captives, "And don't touch that dial! The fun has only JUST begun!" He laughed, static crackling alongside it as he did a dance.
"GAME OVER?!" the words oozed and pulsed a vile red upon his screen, "The GAME's never OVER!!!" his voice hissed and sparked, each word laced with a vicious grin beneath it, "And if YOU don't wanna play anymore.. It's time for ME to TAKE CONTROL!!!" His dancing stopped as he raised a sharp finger into the air and boomed, "Let's crank it all up to MAX!!!"
All the while, Susie bashed her fist and axe relentlessly into the ball that encased her. Ralsei could only press himself into the bottom of his own, knocked off his feet in shock. Kris merely stood there, their expression impossible to read. And Jive, peering down over Tenna on the other side, his voice a silent note of fear.
The screen at the backdrop changed its channel to one of Tenna's video games. The only visible character was Tenna's own. His voice reached maximum volume as he bellowed out his show's trademark title. Each word of it blinding as they appear on his facial screen.
"IT'S!! TV!! TIME!!"
And the game began.
Tenna prattled on and on as his character began to run across the screen of a burning land of TV's, both broken and functional, piles of debris, and fire. So much fire. A quiz was encountered as he forced the three to answer-- all the answers were rigged to the same thing, and no one had a choice.
"Wasn't that quiz just oodles of fun, folks!? Just look at that fun-o-meter!!! Haha!!!" Tenna spun around as the meter was pulled out. It was utterly defunct, broken, and unresponsive as Tenna grinned knowingly. He pushed it back off stage and continued on with his madness.
"I wonder what's next?! Looks like a battle!"
Tenna's character on screen rushed off, running into a Shadowguy enemy that tried to run away, terrified.. but Jive was the only one here. He wasn't controlling it.. so what on earth was Tenna doing? What was Tenna's plan for him? The sight of the terrified sprite felt like a sick mockery of his situation.
"All you have to do to win is say, 'I LOVE TV'! And, hahaha, don't think you'll be able to try anything funny." The electricity was thick in the air.
The kids complied, reluctantly saying 'I love TV' with great discomfort all around, and the battle ended just like that. The screen returned to that of the television inferno it was before. Tenna's pride at the receiving end of those words, regardless of how forced they were, flourished greatly.
"PHEW! That battle was a WORKOUT!!" Tenna joked dryly, gripping his head in dramatics, his screen an inky black, yet his grin was audible. He stood back upright, bouncing to his toes, face returning with a sickly innocence, "Let's never fight again! We're a HAPPY family, right Kris!?"
No response.
"..Kris?" He tensed, screen flickering and smile straining. He didn't wait for a response that wouldn't come, simply jumping to the next thing. A door appearing in front of his character on the screen behind them.
"HEY! LOOK! Behind this door lies another PHYSICAL CHALLENGE!!!"
This went on for a while. Jive hated it. The suspense, the suspension, everything. He wanted to get out. He knew his magic was useless against the gachapon ball. Forced to watch as the scenes changed; A cooking game first, one that was rigged in Tenna's favor. Kris, freed from their capsule, being hounded by Tenna, rambling about 'family' to them. Jive had belonged to Kris' family (before they no longer needed him), and their explosive fights had been quite distressing to witness. Tenna's recollection of their family dynamic bled with denial, and Jive couldn't imagine how bringing up any of this would help the show host reason with Kris in any way. Jive could tell from above in his spherical prison that Kris wasn't listening to what Tenna was saying. It only seemed to make Tenna's sanity diminish quicker like a dying flame.
The game had been won with minimal burns to Kris, which Jive was thankful for, and Tenna pressed on with another quiz. Again, rigged in Tenna's favor. It was growing old very fast, just like Ralsei had said before. The quiz ended, and Tenna turned away, looking rather dejected.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the pipes." He spoke, voice quiet and solemn, yet still holding that static crunch, "I knew. I KNEW I shouldn't have done it." Tenna flung his arms up in the air as his voice grew loud again, "But you know, every pipe goes SOMEWHERE! They had to go SOMEWHERE!!!" He froze. Turning around just as his character on the screen began to approach another enemy--
"Wait, no." His head was hung low, antennae drooping, "Not another battle." It was hard to tell if he was all there, "Please..."
The enemy was encountered.
Tenna's voice lowered.
"The family's fighting again."
Jive felt his heart drop as the ball suddenly released him, and he plummeted to the stage beside Tenna as the battle began. Feeling his heart pulsing wildly in his chest like a heavy downpour of rain bombarding a small puddle. He couldn't even still his heart for one moment before Tenna reached over and yanked him to his feet without even looking at him. Striking a pose and calling out to an audience that didn't exist as Jive stumbled a little. He looked toward the kids, to Tenna and back. A frown overtook his face in distress at the situation.
Thankfully.. all that Tenna asked for was to hear those three words again from the Lightners. The battle ended when the words were spoken.. yet Jive remained on the stage.
Jive had to stand still through some more of Tenna's monologue, an impromptu musical game-- that died before it even had a chance to start. Jive was almost amused by how poorly maintained everything was at this point. Another pop quiz appeared, and you guessed it, rigged as usual. One of the answers made Jive cringe, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.', this was cruel. It made him sick how desperate Tenna was getting by this point.
When that was over.. it was time for another battle. Jive tensed up, hands curling into fists as he hunched, not for battle but out of unease. He was reluctant, to say the least, to be doing this. Had it been any other time, he would have been happy to play along with his boss's orders. No one would have gotten hurt, not for real, anyway. This.. This whole situation was wrong. There was ill intent, irrationality spilling out, burning hot, from Tenna's electrically charged vents.
The battle began. This time, for real.
The gaze from the kids burned at Tenna, yet softened into uncertainty at Jive.
"Now then, folks! Let's make those ratings rise, rise, RISE!!!" Tenna's voice was shrill at the end. A snap of his neck made Jive startle, and he grinned, the light of his screen beaming down at him.
"Show them how it's done!!"
Jive did not move, instead choosing to stuff his hands in his pockets and whistle a casual tune like he wasn't listening.
"Well?! What are you waiting for?!"
Jive remained ignorant, which only furthered Tenna's annoyance.
Tenna took two grand steps toward Jive, only intending to intimidate him into submission-- and it worked, much to his sick joy. He took a step back with a smile as he watched Jive fumble and flail around, summoning his saxophone.
What Tenna did not expect, however, was the level of malicious compliance that Jive was capable of performing. Purposefully missing all his musical shots toward the Lightners. The sound of his saxophone sounding crude and childish. A particular honk from the instrument made Susie snort. Jive played that sour note again, and once again, Susie couldn't hold herself back. The sound of her laughter bellowing out against Jive's playing and the music that continued to sound from Tenna's speakers.
"What are you DOING?!" Tenna stomped his foot repeatedly in humiliation and growled, gripping at his TV head. This wasn't what he ordered!!!
Kris snapped their fingers and aimed their hand like a gun, ready to 'Knock their socks off'. Jive felt a small panic run up his spine. Thankfully, Kris aimed at Tenna and fired off multiple shots of magic bullets. Each one rang out with a metallic pang as they pelted him.
"Knock it OFF!!" Tenna roared and the attack ended as Kris took a step back.
"YOU!" He turned with a vile hiss, aiming a talon at Jive who recalled his saxophone to raise his hands in defense, "Attack THEM, you fool!! Don't forget about your contract!!! Or--" his voice dropped, laced with venom and malice, taking another step closer and leaning in so only Jive could hear, "--that Lightner of yours."
Jive instinctively summoned his gun for his next attack-- the only other thing he really had on hand-- outraged that Tenna would say such a thing. Still, he had no intention of complying fully with Tenna's demands, but he had to make him think so. Taking faux aim at the trio.. but the bullets that were fired missed entirely. Jive did it again, and again, the trajectory of the bullets went all over the place, but never once hitting any of them. He used up his turn.
Tenna was about to speak up and yell at Jive again for being insubordinate, but before he could say a thing-- He was being pelted once again with bullets from the other side. Covering his screen with his hands and trying to turn away.
Jive gripped his hat and ducked down, scuttling across the stage to the other side. He seized his chance to escape and scuttled across the stage to the other side. He froze as Susie suddenly stared him down, though. He gave an awkward wave, unsure of what else to do in this situation.
Susie turned to Kris with a hand on their shoulder, whispering something to them as they continued to bombard Tenna. Once she received a nod from Kris, she turned to Ralsei, repeating whatever was whispered. Ralsei looked taken aback by the proposal but quickly smiled and snapped his fingers at Jive. Susie gave him a toothy grin and a thumbs up.
He felt like his contract with Tenna was burned up to ash just then. His soul felt lighter and free.
While he never had the chance before to bid farewell to his previous home, being carefully picked up and settled into the box with a few other old friends of his for the yard sale, this was as best an opportunity as he had to do just that. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was all he had. There wasn't much he could have provided for Kris back then, but to have provided a little fun for them and their new friends now.. He's happy to see them off and to have had his existence spared in return for distracting Tenna away from them with his antics.
He sprung back up to full height and rushed over to shake Susie and Ralsei's hands, tipping his hat at Kris with an extra flourish of a spin before taking his leave while Tenna was still being bombarded.
Tenna wasn't going to be happy about that.
And he wasn't.
The last thing Jive heard as he was spared and freed from battle was Tenna's screams of rage and frustration that only died out as Jive went out the door.
-------
----
-------
"Don't worry yerself none, luv."
It had been only a few minutes since the doors slammed shut, your only familiar face dragged out against everyone's wishes. Well, there was still Ramb, whose voice broke through the silence to reassure you as you sat at his bar. He was kind enough to offer you some company-- and a simple glass of fruit juice-- after everything had gone silent.
"Jive's a real hardy fella. He can handle 'imself." Ramb continued, "I'm sure he'll find a way outta this mess an' make 'is way back to ya right quick, luv."
"Ramb, you know just as well as I that we all have our breaking points." Mike, who sat beside you to your right, spoke up, "Not even a shadow can stand much of a chance against Tenna when he's like.." He gestured his gloves wildly, trying to find the words to say "--this! An electrical hazard just waiting to explode with a single stray spark! You know that. And I know better than anyone that Tenna's circuits are practically fried from everything that's been happening today. And.. lately, in general." He sighed, head down, "Almost nothing has been going right."
"You could say that again.." You mumbled into your drink.
Really, nothing was going right. Where it seemed to finally be looking up, there was always something to happen to bring it all back down again. First, being thrust unknowingly-- unwillingly-- into this strange world. Having your arm injured and passing out in the static snow. Waking up in a strange place, strange people, strange.. things. The intense and terrifying TV.. being subsequently locked up and lost.. And the one positive thing that brought you some joy that had stuck with you through the day that made you smile and laugh, fed you, and healed you.. He was taken away. Ripped away unceremoniously.
It made you feel bitter on top of feeling depressed.
The silence settled again. Ramb sank back behind the bar counter for who knows what. You almost wanted to cry. You were so tired. A small part of you wanted to go home and fall asleep again in your warm bed, pretend that none of this ever actually happened.. but that part was snuffed out with the achingly bittersweet thought of the fun you did have despite it all.. with Jive.
Why..?
Just why was all of this happening? Why were you dragged into this?
You wish you had an answer.. You wished that anyone had an answer.
There was none to be found, however.
"..Y'know." Mike started again after some time, the large grin turning to a sour frown, "I'm real sorry. I know you wanted to go after that Shadowguy--"
"His name is Jive." you corrected, gripping your glass harder before taking another sip. Your shoulders slouched after that, feeling bad for snapping. It wasn't his fault that Jive was taken away..
"Jive, right, sorry--" he corrected himself and continued, "But you could have gotten really hurt pulling a stupid stunt like that while Tenna's in that kind of state. He's.. been through a lot lately." he sighed, tapping his fingers around the edge of the bar, "Going through it, currently, really. Things.. haven't really been the same since.. Well--"
Mike wouldn't have the chance to finish that thought, however, as the sound of doors opening broke through the empty room. The sound sent you into a false hope that you couldn't stop, whipping your head into the direction-- Only to be met with the sight of two staff you hadn't seen before. Oddly, one was shaped like a cat with a red bow.. and microphones where paws should have been, and sporting two toned eyes. The other was tall, and whose shape was not unlike that of a Zapper, yet their head was like a microphone and they wore a little suit and a red bow matching the cat's, and atop their head was a cowboy hat.
"'Ello, Mikes." Ramb greeted.
"'Ey dere, Ramb. 'ey, boss-- er, Mike."
"..!!"
The two walked and bounced over. While the cowboy 'Mike' greeted normally, the cat 'Mike' strangely emitted a musical saxophone noise in response to Ramb. You couldn't help but shoot them a curious look. With the both of them closer and taking a seat at the bar, you could see a detail of the cat 'Mike' you couldn't see at first; There was a small grin on the end of his tail. Somehow, that didn't surprise you as much.
"I'm surprised you two are still around, what with everyone quitting left and right lately. I'm glad, though, that's a relief. I do NOT want to be doing all of this alone!! I don't think I can handle another moment of Tenn--"
He was interrupted.. again.
This time, it was a musical jingle coming from something in his pocket. He groaned in exasperation as he dug it out-- it was that same device he used to call Tenna before. He pressed a button and answered, the jingle cutting out.
"Hey, boss! What--" He couldn't finish once again. Tenna's voice boomed through the speaker with a newfound rage. Mike had to hold it away from his head like before to keep from losing his hearing.
"MIKE!!! GET IN HERE!! NOW!!!" His voice was crushed with static over the speaker, "THE LIGHTNERS HAVE ESCAPED. I NEED BACK UP!!" He pulled away from the speaker a moment to yell at someone, "(YOU'RE FIRED, ZAPPER!! CONTRACT CANCELED!!)" rang out before his voice became loud again, "A.S.A.P., MIKE!!! OR ELSE!!"
You made a face at that. What did he mean by 'lightners'? There were others besides just you? Why hadn't anyone told you that?
"R-Right! Right away, boss! I'll be right over!"
You watched as Mike fumbled with the device, turning it off and stuffing it back where he got it. He bid farewell to the other two, informing them to watch over you in his stead while he went to go take care of things. His little legs scurrying across the floor, round body bouncing with each hurried step until he was out of sight and out the door.
There was an awkwardness that followed, a silence that stretched uncomfortably with his absence. The only sounds in the Green Room now were coming from Ramb as he made drinks for the remaining three of you-- yours was merely a refill-- even though none of you ordered anything. The glasses clinking in his paw-like hands. 'It's on me' he gave when he noted a look on your face.
You sipped from the drink with a melancholic hum, biting the straw shortly after as thoughts and worries about Jive swirled around in your mind. You hated just sitting here doing nothing. He had come to save you when you were trapped in that room with Tenna's game.. There had to be something you could do to rescue him. You needed to rescue him.
As you tried to think of a plan, you overheard Ramb speaking to the others, saying something that caught your attention. Pulling you from your thoughts.
"A bit funny innit to keep yer costumes on, don't ya think? It's not like there's anybody 'round to ruin the magic for." He chuckled, wiping at the counter.
"You's gots a real good point, dere." The cowboy hat Mike responded, removing their hat to reveal they really were just a Zapper in fancy dress, "We's just don't want da boss to find out 'bout us is all. But you're right, he isn't here, so we's safe!"
While it wasn't hard to parse that the cowboy was just a Zapper beneath the hat and suit, it was a bit satisfying to have your suspicions proven right about the other. Watching as he popped off the head of his costume to reveal a set of cat ears atop his head-- ironic given the cat costume he wore. He was, indeed, a Shadowguy just like Jive as you had suspected.
"This one 'ere's Jongler," Ramb said, noting your curiosity, "An' that other one beside ya is Pluey. They're a right funny bunch, they are, but they're good people." He chuckled and leaned in to speak quieter to you like he was relaying a secret, "An' they're proper useful, too, if yer in a pinch." You almost missed the wink he gave as your gaze drifted to the others and he turned back away.
Pluey made some cheery vocalizations at you, the sound of his voice was higher than Jive's-- A different kind of saxophone, you figured-- and downed his drink eagerly. The action was easier without that mask in the way.
Jongler, meanwhile, had leaned around Pluey to offer their.. boxing glove hand for you to shake with a small, "Howdy." They really liked the cowboy theme.
"Howdy to you, too." You greeted back proper before returning to your drink as the three of them began to chatter again. The gears in your mind were turning, spinning faster than the ice in your glass of juice as you gave it a swirl with your straw. Thinking on what Ramb had just uttered.
Then an idea struck you like Jongler's mitt smacking the counter with a laugh.
You spun your stool to face the two on your left and cleared your throat, gaining their attention and a curious little note from Pluey. You weren't sure this would work, but it was the only idea you had, and you had to hold onto hope and determination. With a deep and grounding breath, you spoke.
"Hey.. Would you two mind helping me with something?"
"Ain't we's s'posed to be watchin' you's? If Batt's finds out we's weren't doin' our jobs den he'd--" Jongler was quick to question, but you interrupted with something to ease their concerns.
"You'll still be watching me the whole time! I just need to get to the stage where Tenna went. I lost my friend and I really need to get back to him. He.." You pause, the words feeling a bit odd to you, making your heart do a little somersault that brought a warmth to your face, "He really means a lot to me."
Pluey tilts his head at you, an ear flicking curiously as he gazes at you, then pulls back to comically tap a microphone paw at his chin. After a brief moment he pulls back with a wide and bright grin. A beautiful composition leaving his mouth as he gesticulates in a way that was hard to decipher with his costume.
"Uh.." You glance at Jongler and Ramb, hoping one of them would translate.
Jongler would be the one to step up and provide a translation to Pluey's speech for you as Ramb chuckled and ducked backed down behind the bar again.
"Plue's says we's more dan happy do it. If your friend really means dat much to you's den we's should help out however we's can manage. An' you's know what? He's right. Friends should always stick together. After all, me and Plue's are da best of friends alongside Batt's!"
You couldn't hold back the glee at their agreement to help you.
"Thank you! So much, really."
Pluey sounded first, hopping up from his seat and plopping the costume head back on before waving for you and Jongler to follow.
You slid from your seat with an equal amount of gusto and plodded along up to Pluey with Jongler bounding shortly after. You turned back to Ramb and gave a wave, calling out to him.
"Thanks so much for the drink and the talk!"
"Pleasure's all mine, luv. You lot best take care, alright?" he called back.
You all agreed and-- with Pluey as the leader-- set out on your mission to find and rescue Jive. If you weren't too late.
----
Jive had been running for a bit now, weaving in and out of halls.
The trek seemed so much shorter when Tenna was carrying him. With the loss of that height, the journey back was enough to make Jive have to take a breather, hunched over and wheezing a harsh and broken note. It didn't last long, however, as he quickly righted himself and continued on down the corridors. The thought of getting back to you fueling him to keep going, giving him that extra determination.
Luckily, without anyone to get in his way, he was freely bolting through the halls with reckless abandon. Despite the lack of staff filling the halls and making it easier to navigate, it was also rather alarming. Everyone must have left; whether through resignation or being fired on the spot was anyone's guess. The eerie atmosphere only added more fuel to Jive's desire to get back to you.
He had to get you out before that fountain was sealed. He didn't want you to be stuck here when the fountain was sealed; What would happen if you were trapped in the dark world when there was no more dark world? He knows what would happen to himself if the fountain was sealed, and it terrified him, but for you? To be left here without another breathing soul? He didn't even want to think about it. The mere thought was sickening.
Nevertheless, Jive powered through it, clenching his jaw and shaking his head to rid himself of that miserable thought.
Just as he was nearing another hallway he saw a familiar figure round the corner first. Without hesitation he sang your name loud and clear and so full of joy.
You whipped your head in the direction of your melodic name, the familiar baritone sax voice lighting a fire in your chest. Your gaze locked onto the handsome Shadowguy running toward you full-tilt, his arms waving wildly. Without a second thought you darted toward him, shouting his name and leaving behind your little troupe of new friends.
The collision was as harsh as two people sprinting into one another could be, but your desperate hold of one another prevented any tumble. You pulled each other closer in a tight embrace, overwhelmed with joy to see that the other was okay. Laughter and music filling the silent hall between the two of you.
You pulled back to catch your breath and ask him what had happened, but Jive's euphoria seemed to exceed his ability to allow you to utter even a single word. He gave you no time to react, no warning at all as he quickly pawed at your face. The world slowed down in an instant as he held your face in his hands, reeled back with the biggest grin, and then--
He kissed you.
It was warm, soft, passionate; he stole your breath away. Just as quickly as he had initiated the kiss however, he pulled back and left you stunned, silent, and utterly devoid of thought.
It took a moment before Jive's mind seemed to catch up with what his heart had just done. His drunken smile fell as he froze from the feet up like a tacky statue and stood rigid in the middle of the hall. The flush coloring his face was bright enough to signal an aircraft. It seemed to you that the kiss had NOT been part of his initial plan.
It took Jive's mind a second to catch up before realizing what he had just done. Freezing up like a tacky statue standing awkwardly in the middle of the hall, his face lighting up with a deep flush. He didn't mean to do that.
"D'aww.. When you's said he meant a lot to you's, We's didn't know you's meant it like dat. Right Plue's? Ain't dat sweet!" A small saxophone cacophony followed suite, like victorious cheering.
At the reminder that you had an audience, your face lit up to match Jive's. You spun around to stare at the two Mikes before the embarrassment of the situation washed over you, and you shrunk down into yourself. You spun around to stare down the cowboy Zapper, your face blooming hot and red, matching with Jive's own. You still can't believe that happened.
"Ah.. H-Hey guys. Uhm. We did it! We, uh, we found him!" You finally said, gesturing to Jive awkwardly before you even turned back to look at him. His burning blush was obscured by his hat-- pressed firmly into his face by not just one, but both hands. Without the head covering, you could see his hair puffed up with static, the sight of which elicited a small chuckle from you.. For a man of shadow, he was so.. cute.
Jive released a hand from his hat and gave a thumbs up. His voice came out muffled from the hat, but it was a happy sound, an upward bend which ended in a trill. He stayed like that for a bit, before slowly lowering the hat from his face to look at you over the brim of it. He only gave the two Mikes a quick glance, he knew they weren't a threat to you unlike the third..
He quickly looked around then, wondering just where that third one was. He couldn't have been far, could he? He was supposed to be watching you..
Just then, a door down the hallway slammed open and the Mike in question came barreling straight for your group like a bowling ball on its way to a strike.
"GUYS!!" There was an urgency and terror laced tightly in his voice.
"Battat? What's up, boss?" Jongler called back.
"I've-- Hold on--" He wheezed, pausing to remove the grinning head of his costume in annoyance, "I've got bad news and worse news."
"What's da bad news?" Jongler asked, tilting their head.
"We're fired. All of us." Battat pointed to everyone except for you.
"..??" Pluey questioned next, his inquiry being met with a harrowing gaze.
"Tenna is DOWN. His arms have been cleaved clean off."
"What?!" You piped up, voice coming out louder than you anticipated from the shock of the news. What on earth happened back there? You turn to shoot Jive a look, he only shook his head unknowingly back at you. He tried to speak and explain what little he knew, but you couldn't understand a single note of it.
"Ah, hold on, I got this," Battat put a hand to arm to garner your attention, "He said that he'd left while everyone was still on set-- Which, must have been just before I got the call from Tenna."
"I see.. So, you don't know what happened after that, huh?" You looked to Jive again for a brief moment to see him nod with a shrug. Whatever did happen, you were glad Jive got out before things took a sharp drop.
"Anyway," Battat continued on, "Everyone rushed outside and Tenna and I chased them. Things were going well enough and we were about to try and redirect everything back inside, but that's when--" Battat tried to explain further, but fate wasn't too kind.
All at once an ungodly roar ripped through the studio; the sound unhindered by any number of the sets or padding in the walls that got in its way. The sound that tore through everyone in attendance wracked you with nausea, leaving a harrowing chill in its wake.
One thought filled your minds as the world soon fell silent.
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: Big thanks to @tabdabble for helping out considerably with this one! This was a big chapter to write, so I hope it's well worth the wait!
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7]
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[Chapter 4]:
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The door clicked swiftly and silently as he stepped away, but not without a small pang of guilt. Tenna didn't want to trap you here, really he didn't.. but he couldn't have you interrupting anything with the other Lightners. His Lightner. Kris. Besides, he didn't know you! He'd never seen you before-- Although, he hasn't exactly known Susie before either, but that was beside the point here!!
Who knows what sort of chaos would occur if you were to meet them!! His antennae twisted into knots just thinking about it as he went off to the next game board for Kris and friends. The back of his mind was a little equal parts curious about you and excited to play some more games with you when he got back. There was a small skip to his step as he left you alone to play his game.
------
---
---
-----
Unfortunately for Tenna, however, you had a little help from the shadows in his absence to escape. Currently weaving in and out of halls and rooms, trying your best to remember the path to get back to the Green Room.
You really hated how nearly identical many of these corridors looked; they were almost an exact carbon copy down to the same little stain on the floor and tear in the wallpaper. If it weren't for a poster or plant, you would have assumed you were going in circles. Well, that and the occasional staff member you'd nearly run into as you rounded a corner or exited a room. You gave a quick apology before continuing your search.
Would it really have killed Mr. Tenna to change things up and renovate this place to be less labyrinthine? You were starting to get a headache.
Surely you couldn't be the only one to wind up lost here.. right?
---
True to that thought, it wasn't too different for Jive despite having had a longer time to get acquainted with the layout of this place. There were still some rooms and areas he hadn't seen nor explored, even after all this time. Leaping over Pippins, sneaking around Zappers, and diving under a Shuttah or two when it struck a pose. Contrarily, he lifted his hat with a little tune in greeting as he passed by his fellow Shadowguys, whom only responded in kind. One such who knew him even informed him that he was being looked for. Noted, and not good!
When he took a pause in a hall to breathe, he heard a voice coming his way, a voice that belonged to someone looking for him. Mike. He had to hide-- A plant! He dove quickly into its shadow being cast upon the wall, and just in time, too, as Mike came bounding through.
"I dunno what I'm gonna tells da boss if I can't finds dat little guy soon.. Dis a real pickle.. The shadowguy couldn't have gone dat far.. Wunda if Batts could cova fer me if dis w'ole ting goes down da drain..? Hmm.."
As Mike made their large way through, the coast still wasn't yet clear for Jive to come out as there was a new set of footsteps coming his way. Drat. He stayed still in his shadowy hiding place to wait it out, feeling restless with a need to keep searching. However, much to his surprise-- and joy--
It was you!
You were breathing a little heavy from your jogging, almost stumbling as you made your way in front of his hiding spot. You stopped and bent over, your good hand on your chest as you caught your breath. Muttering something of annoyance under your breath, you hung your head and took a deep inhale before righting yourself again.
Alas, Jive couldn't contain his euphoria and popped halfway from the wall, still connected to the shadow by the waist. He threw up a hand and waved it excitedly, a huge grin beaming from his face. He let out that familiar melody that was your name, amid some more sing-song-y tunes of joy.
You let out a shriek and fell back into the adjacent wall and on the floor. Your heart pounding even harder in your chest and ears now than before.
He didn't mean to!! He didn't mean to do that!!
Frantically Jive pulled himself from the wall, tripping with his foot still somewhat stuck and falling face first into the floor in front of you. A strangely nearly human shriek of his own escaping him in the seconds it took for him to fall over.
The sound that left him was enough to pull you out of your abrupt scare.
He could do that? Scream normal?
You blinked once, twice, still a bit stunned. Your eyes landing on his hat that had fallen off in his descent to the floor. You got up, retrieved the hat, then squatted down to offer your hand for him.
"..Nice to see you, too, Jive. You need a hand?"
He didn't even lift his head as he responded with an awkward sound, a broken note with a warbled bend. He was embarrassed, but nevertheless he gave you his hand to be lifted from the floor. Swiftly he began dusting himself off, patting down his suit-- lapels and all-- and cleared his throat as he took his hat back. A sheepish grin now plastered on his face as he put the hat back on. Then.. He shot forward and hugged you, being careful of your injured arm. His own wrapping around your shoulders comfortably and away from your wrist.
It was another surprise for you, but one you didn't quite mind at all. You smiled back, sharing in his happiness to see each other again; a familiar face for you among a crowd of strangers. Returning the hug for a moment before stepping back to fully process.
You hoped you could enjoy this reprieve and catch a break to get your bearings in check. Even if you couldn't get a direct answer for any questions you might have out of Jive, you still wanted to at least try to get some level of understanding of everything that transpired.
However, just as you opened your mouth.. your stomach spoke for you.
Jive quirked his head with a little sax note. You cringed inwardly at yourself.
"S-Sorry. I haven't.. actually had anything to eat today.." Well, anything proper, at least. That yogurt tube wasn't really much, the flavor was definitely meant for kids, not for adults. You really really did not want to eat whatever the meal was that Tenna had offered you before. Holding back a grimace as the unwelcome memory came back to you.
But even you knew that you needed to eat something.
Jive knew that, too.
Like the first time Jive had put his arm around you to lead you on a tour of the Green Room, his arm again encircled you as you headed back towards it once more. You were a bit surprised, but he gave you a reassuring nod and note.
The walk back was considerably more calm and pleasant. Where Tenna's incessant chatter once was to fill the silence, was now replaced with Jive's mellow humming and occasional mumble of a song. You recognized the tune, it was one you listened to while you cleaned your house or cooked.
'Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars And let me see what spring is like On Jupiter and Mars..'
The lyrics playing vaguely in your mind along to Jive's sound, yet pausing just before the end of the verse. Catching yourself gazing at the hand on your shoulder at the same time. You shook your head lightly to chase that thought away, feeling your face warm a little. The motion causing Jive to take notice and pause, tilting his head at you with a curious lilt.
"Ah.. uhm.. N-Nothing." You really had to stop doing that.
He snapped his fingers as a memory came back to him. You watched curiously as he removed his hand to begin a series of pantomiming. He appeared to hold something, twirling and tapping his thumbs as though pressing buttons.. A controller? He imitated the sound of a video game the best he could with saxophone honks and trills.
Then, he pointed toward you, then to his cheek. Pressing all his fingers together he tapped his cheek quickly, opening his hand as he pulled it away. He beamed a bright grin as he leaned into you a tiny bit, done with his charade.
Was.. Was he implying.. a kiss..? Wait--
"That--" You felt your face grow hotter, covering it with your good hand as best you could, "That was just--!! I wasn't serious!!"
The hiding of your face didn't last long, though, as in an instant you heard Jive laugh. It was loud, a bend and then a hearty flutter with a slap to his thigh. There was a slight wheeze and growl to it as it reached a crescendo.
The sound started to die down as quickly as it had come on; lessening to a light and airy sputtering trill that you likened to a fit of giggles.
Jive placed his hand on your shoulder firmly, giving it a light pat as he sniffed and calmed back down. Waving his other hand in a lighthearted dismissal, he took some steps back, leaving some space between the two of you while stuffing his hands in his pockets. He hadn't been serious either, it seems, but it left you a tad flustered regardless.
He motioned a hand toward a couple of doors, nodding his head in its direction while looking toward you. An act implying 'Let's continue, yeah?'
You took a deep breath to calm yourself before proceeding to follow him, but not without playfully slapping his arm for that. He only grinned sheepishly.
--------
-----
The second board was over and it was time for intermission. This gave Tenna just enough time to head back and check on you.
He had intended to only be gone a short while, but severely underestimated just how immersed he would get in entertaining his honored, special guests. He strolled back up to the room he had left you in, eager to try and get back to keeping you busy.. His stride halted mid-step as he noted the door was wide open. He dropped his foot back to the floor with a panicked thump, hands gripping his head on either side as his screen filled with static, the face being buried beneath it.
"WHAT--!?"
Quickly he moved to duck his head inside and look around before rushing to the couch, lifting the cushions and peering behind and even lifting the whole thing to look underneath it. You were nowhere to be found. He gripped his head again in panic and stomped his foot in frustration while chanting, "No! No, no, no, no, no!!!" for a good minute before he put a hand to his temple, the other yanking one of his antennae down like a microphone as he began to shout. There was a slight shrill sound to his voice.
"MIKE!! MIKE I NEED YOU TO PICK UP!! --FINALLY! I NEED YOU TO FIND A LIGHTNER! NO, NO! NOT KRIS! NOT THOSE THREE! THERE IS ANOTHER ONE HERE! THEY'VE ESCAPED MY WATCH AND I NEED YOU TO ALERT ME THE MICRO-INSTANT THAT YOU FIND THEM!! YOU'LL KNOW THEM WHEN YOU SEE THEM, MIKE!! NOW GO!!!!"
Not a soul was present to see the words flashing vigorously on his screen.
Oh, he desperately needed you to be safe and out of trouble!! Especially out of sight of the other three!! It wasn't like you were needed for these games, you weren't even part of the family! Presumably lacking any connection to them, unlike Susie, Kris's new friend who came to spend the night. Still!! You were here and that must have meant you were important in some other, unrelated way-- Right? Maybe?
He would have to find out another time. For now, he hadn't much time left to dillydally, he had to get back to the next and final board for Kris and the others. He hoped he can keep his stress in check.
-------
----
Once through the big red doors, you and Jive had finally arrived at your destination. It was a familiar place for you by this point, not to mention far less of an eyesore compared to all the red carpets and wallpaper outside it.
You couldn't help but note that it wasn't crowded like before, only having a handful of staff and more walking about and sitting around. Perhaps everyone was busy somewhere else in the studio?
Regardless, Jive lead you over toward a set of chairs and table by the wall, pulling out one of the chairs for you to sit down. You sat down with a small thanks, your gaze following him as he stepped away and toward a vending machine not far from you.
He stood there for a moment, observing the selection it offered before reaching into his blazer and pulling out what you could only assume was a wallet. He inserted some kind of currency you've never seen before and punched in a couple of codes to make his purchase.
Upon returning he handed the item to you, giving it a light, reassuring shake when you seemed a bit apprehensive.
"..You sure it's safe..?" there was a brief pause before you quickly added, "For Lightners, I mean?"
He nodded and only sat down after you finally relented and accepted the offered food. It was a box that held a simple sandwich cut into triangles, accompanied with a can of some kind of carbonated TV Time brand fruit drink, and a little dessert item sealed in plastic. It looked similar to a cinnamon roll with a glittery, almost golden icing with red sprinkles. The sandwich appeared to be ham and cheese, but atop the bread was a sprinkling of red and gold.. seeds? They were shaped similarly to a TV, as were the two toothpicks, one on each triangle half.
Jive waited for you to take a bite first. You took a breath.. 'It didn't appear as off-putting as the TV Dinner from before..' thinking to yourself as you picked up the sandwich and took a wary bite.
"..Oh..!" You were pleasantly surprised to learn it tasted like any normal sandwich you'd have back in the Light World. Although, this tasted surprisingly better! The condiments you couldn't see initially were just as good, making for a wonderfully delicious mix. Before you even realized, you had eaten half of it.
Jive, meanwhile, happily took the other triangle, very pleased that you enjoyed his selection. He wanted to tell you more, explain that Ramb prepared and stocked the vending machine here himself.. but, he was still just as happy to share the meal with you regardless. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been daydreaming about sharing a serenaded lunch with you. The daydream had been nice, but not nearly as nice as the real thing.
Just as you finished your dessert-- which tasted just as good as you hoped it would-- chasing it down with the bubbly fruity drink (strawberry? raspberry? perhaps both?), Jive finished his half of the sandwich and began to reach across the table for your injured arm. He paused before contact and glanced at you, a small, inquisitive sound leaving him, one that surely asked 'May I?'
You were curious, wanting to know why he wanted to see your arm. So, you nodded, granting him the permission, and he gently slipped your arm free from the makeshift sling. As he rotated your arm around, interlocking his fingers with yours to observe it, it dawned on you.
"It doesn't hurt any more! But … how?! A sprain like that would have taken at least two days to--" Your inquiry was interrupted as Jive grinned and lifted the empty sandwich box, giving it a little wave of pride.
"You mean.. the food here.. healed me?" This world was even stranger than you thought; Possessing features unique to it that didn't exist anywhere else.
There was a small pang of regret as the image of Tenna offering the TV Dinner to you crossed your mind. Your arm could have been healed far sooner if you accepted that offer.. Yet, the feeling was short-lived. Jive spoke up, a very proud and upbeat tune playing from his lips as he was still holding hands with you.
You thought for a moment about the conversation in the hall just a few minutes prior. You held a quiet internal debate before you boldly made your decision. You turned the tables on Jive as you lifted from your seat and leaned towards him, your hands still linked. You quickly gave him a peck on his startlingly soft cheek before once again taking your seat across from him. Your eyes darted toward your remainder of lunch, avoiding more than a mere second's glance at him.
He was stunned, mouth partially agape, and you could have swore his hair rose up like a bird ruffling its feathers for the split moment you looked. Your gaze fell too quickly to catch the growing redness across the inky features of his face. It was silent between the two of you, the only sound being the mild murmuring of the few others in the area and the clinking of glasses from the bar not too far from where the two of you sat.
The silence was broken not by Jive's sweet music, but by a voice totally unfamiliar to you. Jive turned around to look towards the door behind him, the dismay evident in his features making you nervous as to whom it could be. You looked around Jive and were bewildered to see a short and rotund Darkner; he wore a little suit with a red tie and white gloves, and his head was like that of a microphone. Plastered across said microphone was a large toothy grin, contorted into an exhausted sneer. The heavy way he was breathing made you think he was running before he arrived in the Green Room.
"YOU! LIGHTNER!" He shouted, stomping over toward you and Jive, and Jive, effectively shattering the precious moment between you, "I was starting to think Tenna had gone crazy and made you up! (If he did, I would have just quit already and gone back to--) Whatever--!! FINALLY I found you!!" He spoke rapidly. Jive groaned.
You couldn't even fully process before Mike pulled out a little device, pressing a button to begin speaking into it. It's what he said next that made your locked hands tighten their grip on each other.
"Tenna! Boss!" He pulled the device away from his face as Tenna's voice was shrill and clearly on edge on the other end, what he said was incoherent, but Mike continued, "I found that Lightner you were looking for! You can come find them in the Green Room! I'll keep them entertained while you--"
The doors on the other end of the Green Room burst open before Mike could even finish. Tenna stood with a strained, toothy grin on his face. His antennae were bent jaggedly, bobbing and twitching lightly as he breathed heavily. He definitely ran here. His grip on the doors was tense, and they creaked as he let them go before he walked over to where the three of you were stationed.
"HEEEEYYY...!!" Tenna spoke, his voice held a strange quality to it, sounding boxed and tinny, a slight warble here and there, betraying the calm, cool, and collected facade he tried and failed to put on, "Lightner! My special little Lightner! Haha..! What are you doing way out here? Was my game not adequate? I have many other games in stock that you could play instead! Or-- O-Or movies! Lots of those! Would you rather kick back, relax, and--"
Just as his voice had fallen, Tenna's eyeless gaze fell upon Jive's and your joined hands. The TV's stare wound around the scene-- landing first upon your healed wrist, then the empty food packaging and half-empty soda, and finally upon Jive himself. Tenna's neck cricked ominously as he was forced to acknowledge the shadowguy's mere existence for the first time since you got here.
"..You." Static began to fill his voice now. It was eerily calmer and quieter..
And then it got loud. You could feel Jive flinch.
"YOU!! YOU!!!!!??" Tenna's hands twitched and flexed, teeth grinding, "WHY?! WHY YOU?! WHY IN THIS MISERABLE WORLD WAS IT YOU?!" He was screaming. The brutal volume sent any staff you could see remaining in the room scattering out through any available exit.
You wanted to scatter, too-- to escape this nightmarish situation you've found yourself in.
Jive spoke up, but his voice wasn't pleasant like before, instead sounding harsh, stern as he responded to what Tenna said. You could only guess from Tenna's reply what Jive had said back to him. Tenna's face flickered out of sight, yet his screen remained lit. Static filled the gaps where his face once was, causing any attempt to read his expression null and void.
"I'M FRIENDLY!! I AM THE FRIENDLIEST TV HOST IN THE ENTIRE DARK REALM! PEOPLE LOVE ME!! LIGHTNERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF ME AND DARKNERS LIKE YOU WISH YOU WERE ME!" The sharp crack to his words made you feel that even his voice disputed what he was asserting.
Jive barked and honked with a growl to his sound you hadn’t heard before. Sporting an audacity you couldn't help but admire, your friend snapped and sputtered harsh melodies at the massive, furious boss monster looming above you both.
"YOU?! Why would ANY Lightner, or ANYONE at all, choose a mere KNICKKNACK over the technological marvel that is TELEVISION?!" Tenna stomped twice, rearing up to full height and patting his hands to his chest in emphasis of his words, "You can't do ANYTHING but sit there like an eyesore collecting DUST and COBWEBS on a shelf! I am the PEAK of modern entertainment! The news, game shows, movies, cartoons, education, video games, DVD's, VHS tapes, plug-and-plays-- You name it, old and new, I can provide it!! But you?! YOU are NOTHING but a USELESS. PAPERWEIGHT!"
Every special word that flashed and sparkled and blared across Tenna's screen as he spoke was almost enough to alter the color of the Green Room with the sheer intensity of it. By the end of his exhaustive list, the screen was flickering a violent red.
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" You finally speak, butting in before Jive could even get out a single note. "I don't know what is going on, but you do NOT get to speak to him like that! So what if he's a knickknack?! It doesn't make him any less special! Your warped judgment on importance does NOT get to dictate for me what I like and enjoy!"
You glanced away from Tenna to see that Jive had again fluffed up like a bird, his face flushing brightly. As your eyes met with where his would be, he looked away, scratching at his cheek bashfully. However, the sight that greeted you when you returned your gaze to the show host caused a shiver to run down your spine. Tenna was now fully facing you, and his screen had almost completely darkened to black, save for a wide, gritted, fanged leer. His next words came out as a snarl.
"There's always, ALWAYS something else, isn't there?! Something BETTER than TV that's rotting your minds and taking your attention away! Away from the screen.. Away from ME.." Raising his hands in the air and shortly pacing around in a tight circle, "Always, ALWAYS with the 'What's on TV?' and NEVER EVER 'How's the TV?' No one cares!" He clutched his head, claws ripping from the tips of his gloves, nearly puncturing holes in the casing of his head. He stamped his foot again, twisting his body violently this way and that.
"NO ONE!" he cried out, voice fried at maximum volume before quickly fizzling out into a low and sickly register, his posture slumped and his body fell eerily still, "Alone and forgotten as the next BIG SHOT comes into town, hot off the presses to steal the spotlight--!! No amount of bargains and deals can ever bring any of them back..! ..Back to the screen.. back to me.."
Tenna's voice quieted to nothing. The brief respite from the volume of the tantrum was almost heavenly in nature, but it wasn't to last. The silence was broken moments later with a murderous word.
"..But.."
Tenna lifted himself up, looking toward you, then slowly turning to face Jive.
"..I won't have to be the ONLY ONE!"
Before either of you could move to run or even defend yourselves, Tenna lunged forward and snatched Jive into the air. The clawed grip was cruel and unrelenting, and Jive struggled against it, fretting and honking out presumed obscenities. With a cry of rage you tried to run forward to get Jive back, but staggered as a hand seized your wrist. You had completely missed that Mike had been present for the whole tirade, and he now pulled you away from Tenna with a quick and quiet discouragement. "You don't wanna do that! Trust me on this one."
"YOU will be coming with ME. You are still legally and contractually bound to me! Don't forget it! And as for you--!" Tenna looked back to you a moment as he turned to leave, "Mike! Watch them! Don't let them out of your sight! I will be back to talk in a more civil manner. There's still one more game board left to be finished and I do NOT want to be interrupted!"
"Y-Yessir! You're the boss!" Mike didn't sound enthused about this.
Your self-preservation had been trounced at this point, and you kept trying to run over- to do something-- ANYTHING. However, despite his diminutive size, Mike's grip on your wrist was quite strong, and you could only watch in misery as Jive was carried away kicking and screaming. The sounds of his protests were snuffed out as the stage doors slammed shut like the lid of a coffin, leaving only silence and the deafening ring from the electrical hum in the walls.
The room was nearly as hollow as you now felt with the dawning horror.. that you had to wait.
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: Bonding with Tenna gets interrupted, and Jive makes up his rescue plans on the go with surprising success!
Chapters: [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7]
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[Chapter 3]:
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The halls outside were quiet yet bustling at the same backstage.
The ruckus over Lightners being present in the Green Room had caused much frantic chaos among the Darkners of TV World. Shuttahs performing flash photography and handling the cameras to and from each set, Pippins shuffling all around like mice in groups with props and costumes and more. Zappers stood by and oversaw the process, occasionally one or two may pitch in to aid any Pippins in need of extra muscle to haul some heavier set pieces. It was always such a hassle every day, but today was the worst. Everything had to be perfect! They couldn't let anything go wrong lest they incur Tenna's wrath.
He is the star and host, after all! His anxieties demanded perfection! Not a puzzle piece out of place!
The final members of Tenna's staff were the Shadowguys. Practicing their voices and instruments backstage, rehearsing their cues and even their roles within Tenna's games. Some polished their guns, both prop and real. It wasn't just the Zappers who handled security, the Shadowguys had a double duty as backup support as they could be a little more.. persuasive, in a sense. Though, usually they were often lackadaisical, and liked to have fun, they also knew when to be serious and take charge when things demanded it.
And this situation certainly demanded it.
One Shadowguy in particular, of a more sepia hue, was looking awfully glum as he hardly strummed his bass. Usually he would strum with vigor or intensity similar to his mood, and yet, he merely leaned on it, draping his arms around it in melancholy. Already having returned back to his duties, not by choice.. there wasn't exactly much he could do when Tenna had taken off with his Lightner. He didn't even know where he could have taken them when this place held many halls and rooms. Tenna was a surprisingly difficult man to find. Even if he did ask around, it would just lead him in circles.
He simply continued his work duties as requested for the next half hour, hoping that someone would have noticed and said something. It wasn't hard for gossip to spread here in TV World. After all, Jive was privy to many details, willingly and unwillingly, especially about Elnina and Lanino. Those two always had something going on. Most chitchat he heard was about them, currently their breakup during the first round with the Lightners. Something about a strange blue and white man from somewhere else butting in. He didn't bother to pay much attention to the details.
That is, until--
Jive's head popped up suddenly as he overheard two fellow Shadowguys chatting away behind him as they walked in. One mentioned to the other that there was a spotting of a third Lightner in the halls. He whipped his head around with interest. Tenna had escorted them into the TV Game Room? The game board wasn't ready to be played yet after the last round. Is Tenna keeping them separate from the others? He had to get out and get there somehow, but how?
His thoughts were interrupted and attention was diverted, along with the others, when Mike finally came in. He trilled about the band being needed on Stage 1 in five minutes, helping to keep everyone organized. This was his chance! With everyone else busy and listening to Mike flutter and bend their instructions as requested by Tenna, Jive sunk lower than the shadow crowd. Quickly and quietly he tiptoed toward the big curtains where he was out of sight.
He'll risk the point deduction when he was noticed to not be present as Mike did a roll call for who was needed. He didn't care much about the points anyway, especially now when he had a more important mission at hand.
What was he going to do now, though? He didn't think it through, merely going with the flow as he usually does. There was no way he'd be let in by the S-Rank Zapper, he hadn't the points or clearance for that just yet. No way he'd risk being caught by Tenna himself, either, that would only be a worse outcome.
He needed another way into the backrooms.
Strolling down the now nearly vacant hall, most of the necessary cast and crew were huddled up in the main stage room. Everyone was preparing for the next quiz round of Tenna's show. He'd had a few moments where he wished he could have been a contestant, seeing the games and puzzles as quite fun.. but he wasn't allowed any role other than as backup in battles or as a background extra when he wasn't a part of the live band.
Nearly lost in his own thoughts, Jive almost passed by Ramb's bar. That could work! He knew Ramb had his own access back there. He took a moment to peer inside over the counter, taking note of the back door and the lack of Ramb himself. This is going a lot smoother than he could have hoped!
He was just about to leap over the counter when he heard some voices coming down the hall. Drat. Quickly, Jive used his magic and dove into the shadow of the nearby vending machine to wait out the passersby. He'd gotten a glimpse at them before, earlier in the day. It was the Lightners and their Darkner companion, two teens, the human, Kris, and a monster, heading the direction that he had just come from.
They stopped at his vending machine hiding spot for a quick stock. Chatting about the board they were heading to play. The monster seemed annoyed about it, though their Darkner friend was pleasantly reassuring. Jive's shadow, merged with that of the machine's own, crinkled a little with mild impatience. He needed to get to you! Kris, however, stared unblinking at the vending machine.. or were they staring at its shadow? Jive quickly stiffened back out into shape and held out just long enough for the monster, noted to be Susie, to get Kris's attention again and leave for the show.
Thank you, Susie!
Finally, the group left and the coast was clear for him to peel himself free from that vending machine's shadow and back to his 3D form. Quickly, he took a running dive over the bar counter and made his way right through the door. He sang a victoriously little tune to himself as he slipped inside.
-----
---
You were miserable. And Mr.Tenna wouldn't shut up. You wanted to go back to the music, to Jive, that was fun. Not.. this.
"--It's a marvel of my own creation! I did some custom modification of the whole thing to make it just right! You will have so much FUN playing it!" Tenna bounced on his toes as the word 'fun' sparkled on his screen, clasping his hands in a dreamy manner as he spoke about that game of his.
He had been walking beside you for a few minutes now, leading you down corridors you hadn't been before. You haven't been anywhere in here before in general, only the few places Jive had taken you outside of that room you woke up in. Everything was new and you couldn't make heads or tails of your location as the halls twisted and turned like a maze to you.
Stars and posters lined the walls, various doors with star plaques and regular plaques and none at all were noted as the two of you passed them by. You caught glimpse of the words on a few of them, 'Authorized Personnel Only', and 'Staff Only'. The place was far larger than it initially seemed as Tenna led you through a few of those important doors and down some more twisting halls. You didn't think you could navigate your way back to any familiar places very easily.. which only made your unease worse.
Thankfully, the walking finally came to an end.
"And here we are! The Marvelous Mystery Board GAME ROOM!" A sound of celebration and cheer came from his speakers, 'Game Room' bounced on his screen in a strange manner that would have been amusing-- if not humorous-- under different circumstances. His facial quirk with words was a bit hard to get used to. Especially as his face would disappear in and reappear at will in a display of pixels as though it were a mere hologram, yet oddly physical at the same time. He was by far the strangest of the entities you've seen so far.. and had the discomfort of getting to meet.
How did Jive ever handle working for him? You wondered to yourself as you were ushered inside.
The room was rather plain compared to the rest of the building. Sporting orange walls adorned with brown stars, a rich dark wood floor, and a massive TV screen that took up the entirety of the wall opposite of the equally enormously sized couch. It was large enough to fit Tenna himself and then some. Three varied colored cushions were placed on one side of it while the other was left empty.
"Just take a seat on any of the 3 cushions you prefer! Or, I could get you a different color! We have the whole rainbow to select from!" He practically beamed with pride at his own hospitality. Going silent to allow you to answer, finally giving you a moment of reprieve from his voice to speak.
"Uh.. Thanks, but.." 'No thanks' you almost wanted to say, "I'm fine with whatever." You concede, shuffling around him and over to the couch. Taking a short hop to sit down. You gave yourself room between you and Tenna as he sat down on the end with no cushions. Something you figured he would do as he blocked that spot when offering you a seat. Was it reserved only for him?
"Excellent!" There was a small wave that flowed through the cushions as he sat down, raising you up just a bit. You stifled a giggle with your good hand. He didn't take any notice, though, as he reached into his red suit to pull out an extra controller for the system that sat in the middle of the floor. It was a vintage, but that was all you could identify of it. He leaned down and easily reached it to plug the controller in before sitting up and handing it over to you.
"With this special controller, you'll have your own character to control and play in this little game! You'll explore a harsh desert, discover secrets in the temple--"
"..Mr.Tenna..?" You tried, really you did, to get his attention.
"--solve puzzles and pop quizzes! (it's very educational, folks!) I'll be more than happy to give you the run down of how it all works! After all, I--"
"Tenna! I can't play..!" You spoke louder, more stern and frustrated.
"Huh?" Finally, that seemed to work. He turned his screen to face you as you motioned at your arm in the makeshift sling. His antenna twitched and mouth completely vanished from his face, leaving only his nose.
"I can't play your game. Not easily, at least. I appreciate the effort, really, but--"
"Oh, goodness gracious!" He sprang up from the seat, abruptly cutting you off again and causing you to shift. Swiftly he fell to the floor, one knee bent as he held his arms out at you shakily, but not touching. A very dramatic pose that only became more dramatic as he sprang up to his feet once more to bend over, bowing in apology with his hands clasped above his down-turned head.
"Where are my manners?! Please do forgive me!! I have JUST the thing to help you with your little problem!!" In a moment's notice he corrected his posture and snapped his fingers, pulling out an item from his suit like it was the inventory in a video game. He held it out to you and even brandished a convenient spork for you to take.
You took one glance at it and felt mild disgust. Despite your hunger from a lack of breakfast since waking up, you really did not want to eat that. It appeared to be a TV dinner, but it wasn't anything you saw in the Light World. The presumed eggs were entirely blue, what appeared to be meat sparkled with a strange sauce and stars sprinkled on top. Worst of all, the section where a dessert would be for a children's TV dinner was some kind of ice cream that contained cones that flickered like Tenna's own face and nose.
"..I'm.. not hungry, but thank you." You gently declined.
He didn't seem to take that well, even despite his attempt at not showing it.
"Oh..! ..Aha..! My apologies again, dear Lightner!" His smile looked strained, a bead of sweat somehow seeped through the edge of his screen and casing. He took the food back, stuffing it back into his suit. He fiddled around with his hand inside the suit for a moment, trying to figure out what he could offer than he had on hand. Serving TV Slop was the worst option to serve a guest as a host. After a few moments of digging and thought, he finally pulled out some simple tubes of yogurt to offer you instead. He was hoping to save them for the other Lightners, but it would be cruel of him to not share something, and these were the best thing he had that wasn't, hopefully, off-putting.
"It won't heal you b-but, how about this?!"
If you could see his face, you just knew he was smiling with his eyes closed. His desperation at appeasing you was obvious. At least this offering was actually conceivably edible. You couldn't complain when it was at least something for your empty stomach. You held out your hand to take them, which he more than happily handed over as he instantly perked up.
"Yeah... Yeah, okay. I'll take it, but only for later."
"Hooray! Yippee!"
Tenna bounced on his toes with his hands clasped dreamily, cartoon blush appearing on his screen where his cheeks would be. He carried himself with such childlike glee. You couldn't really stay all too upset at him.
"I'll give it a try, too-- Playing your game, I mean. As best I can with one hand, at least." You hoped it wasn't a difficult one with jumping and shooting.
That made Tenna even happier as he did a twirl, a flower blooming from his nose. You were starting to become desensitized to the oddness of this place.
"Oh, really?! Thank you! THANK YOU!" the word popped on his screen with a dazzling star display, "You hear that folks?! The game is on, so stick around!! I promise that you will enjoy it!" and then he rejoined you on the couch. His occasional speaking to an unseen audience is yet another strange quirk of his to add to the ever-growing list as time passes in his presence.
This was going to be a very long day, you could feel it in your bones.
For the next ten minutes, Tenna walked you through the instructions of the game. It was simple enough to control and thankfully it wasn't the genre you feared. Your little character sprite was certainly a surprise when it appeared at the start. Tenna explained that it was an avatar of you to help give maximum immersion into his game! To really feel the heat of the desert and the intensity of battles! To really feel like you're there solving the mind-boggling puzzles!
It was just your run-of-the-mill Monster Entertainment System game you'd find in the 80s. It came complete with the scan lines and fuzzy pixels.
You had just begun to solve your first puzzle when Tenna had you pause. It wasn't so bad, the music was nice and catchy, the colors, although limited, popped nicely on the screen. Tenna's own silly little sprite was present at the starting area, the face on it amused you.
"Hold that phone, folks! I'm receiving an important call!" He lifted a hand to his head as if listening to an earpiece. Something that would be impossible given he doesn't even have ears, yet an antenna dropped down to his mouth. It was quiet, but you could just barely hear the one-sided conversation.
"What? It's starting already?! Oh dear!!" And just like that his antenna popped back in place and he was addressing you once more.
"I apologize for cutting this co-hosting short, but I am needed elsewhere! So, don't go anywhere, 'cause we'll be right back after these messages, folks!"
You watched as he did a wave and practically sprinted out the door. It was like deja vu as you sat alone in the room now. It was far quieter, too, save for the paused game still playing its music, albeit softer.
This would be a good time to try and escape, you thought to yourself. Lifting off from the cartoonishly sized couch, you padded over to the door and gave the handle a twist and push.. but nothing happened. You did it again. And again, nothing. The handle didn't even click as it was twisted.
"What the heck?! Did he lock me in here?! Why the heck would he do that?!"
If you didn't already, you REALLY wanted to go back home.. Or at the very least go back to hanging out with Jive. You gave the door a frustrated kick, the wood of it making a cracking sound, though no damage appeared to be done to it.
You conceded defeat reluctantly and returned back to the game, sitting back down with the controller in hand. Hitting 'continue' and proceeding to finish the rather simple puzzle. You wandered around a little, entering a few dungeons, solving another puzzle, this one more challenging than the first. It was when you traveled down a path with water that you saw something that stood out.
A small Shadowguy npc had popped up from a tree, its colors a little off from the others you had seen. Usually they were completely black and white, but this one was strangely a little bit brown in hue. It looked around for a few seconds before a small '!' marker appeared above it.. and it began to wave at you?
"..Huh?"
Was this a part of the game? If Tenna had stayed just a few minutes longer, you would have had the answer. You could only make assumptions about his game without him present to tell you the answers.
The little Shadowguy jumped from the tree and walked toward your character. It was so strange that you didn't even bother to move away in case it was going to start a battle with you.
However, to further your surprise, it only stopped next to you and waved again.
Did it.. know you?
Wait..
"..Is that Jive?"
As if your voice could be heard through the game itself, the little Shadowguy jumped in place. The '!' marker appearing again, this time accompanied by a sound. A bunch of sounds. Little bit-crushed approximations of a saxophone played as it began to run circles around you. That must have been a yes.
You tested the water and spoke again, trying to see if he would respond again to your voice.
"..Where are you?"
The little smile on his face became a frown and his running had stopped. He made one, sad, bit-crushed note. Looks like he couldn't answer that.
Okay, so he can hear you. Somehow. But that's good! You could ask him questions and receive answers, but.. What do you even ask him?
"I can't get out, Tenna locked the room. Is there any other way out?" You figured since he's an inhabitant of this world for longer than you've owned him, that he would know more about this place.
Looks like you were right. Jive definitely knew a solution as his little character smiled again and began to move on the screen, stopping just before the edge. He made a little noise again, wanting you to follow.
He made the noise again with a jump when you didn't move your character.
You followed him over to the screen edge, and just as you did, a small melody played and the words "--joined Jive's party." appeared at the bottom of the screen. Well, that certainly makes things easier. You didn't question how this game was multiplayer. It may as well have happened. Still, it was rather amusing and you couldn't help but smile.
You sat back and watched as Jive lead your character down and around the map to a small cave. Upon exiting, you were presented with a little raft. Jive wasted no time in taking you on it and following the water up and around. The two of you passed by many different screens when you happened upon a small heart-shaped island hidden away. You were a bit confused by it, and that confusion only grew and morphed into being flustered as Jive went around and interacted with a supposedly random palm tree.
"You found the tropic of love!" flashed on screen, the trees turned multicolored, and funky music began to play.
"..Jive?!" Despite your surprise, you were laughing at the absurdity of it all.
His little character frowned, making a noise as he turned his character to face up so you couldn't see its face anymore. That was really cute. Looks like he didn't intend on that happening, though, being just as embarrassed as you. He quickly recovered, however, and turned his character back toward the tree. You were surprised when he pulled out a poorly pixelated gun and blasted it out of the way, revealing a secret set of stairs.
The whole fanfare subsided at that, the music bugged and cut out, and the trees froze in their varied colors as though that wasn't really intended in the code.
"Huh.. Never would have guessed there was a secret to this secret island."
Jive made a sound again, rapidly, very happily, then he brought your characters inside. The interior of this secret was different from the rest of the game you've seen. It was completely dark aside from the rocky walls, a lone path at the top being the only way to go besides back up the stairs. You sat back again to watch as he lead your character around this secret area. It was interesting to sit back and watch him navigate these new and varied screens. Some were littered with glitches, discolored tiles, and even a few mangled sprites that you couldn't make out. If it weren't for Jive's off-colored sprite, it would have been hard to see him against the black of the screens.
Soon the bugging out visuals cleared up and the dark screens were replaced with a completely new map. Your interest was at its peak now. The screen was still a desert as you exited some stairs among the cacti, but there were blue buildings surrounding the area. Branching paths, left, right, and up, were the only ways to go from here.
"Alright, where to from here? I trust you know what you're doing."
His little character jumped and went in circles around you like before, sounding off those charming bit-crushed saxophone notes. Just as quickly as he did that, he took off to the right... and then back as that only led to a dead end. The left ended only in a path of water that was impassable. You couldn't stifle the laughter very well that trickled out of you as you watched him wander around a bit, seemingly lost.
"..You good?"
He didn't respond, only powering through each screen until he found the one he needed. Passing by a very comical screen with a massive statue of Tenna and a bridge that provided nothing along the way except mildly baffled amusement. A screen later up past a shop was the desired destination. Judging by the pointed nose and smile present on a screen above the doors, this must be an interpretation of the studio you're in.. Right? What is in here in this game that could help you get out of this real world room?
The inside of the building was just as you half expected with pink floors and blue walls. To the left of the entrance screen was an empty stage set, and to the right was an elevator and a quiz door. Jive took the elevator which only redirected back to what looked like a dungeon from the desert map at the start. There was a camera in the middle of the room.
For a moment Jive's character was still, staring at the camera, but turned towards yours then up again toward the camera. Did he.. want you to pick that up? You gave a little test of the controls, finding that you're able to control your character again and went up to collect it. A symbol appeared in the bottom corner of the screen with a small icon for the camera, telling you how to use it. You hadn't gotten very far before all of this in the game, so you weren't aware of this feature until now.
Jive moved back toward the exit and waved to call you over. You rejoined his party and headed back to the studio hall and further to the entrance of it. There, Jive walked up to the back wall and made his signature sound once more. It seemed there was something there, maybe? Judging by everything else that just happened, there was really only one odd possible solution.
With a press of the camera button, you had full control over a small photograph boarder on the screen. You aimed it over Jive and the wall and pressed again to snap. The section the boarder was over turned white and then grayscale. Most interestingly to you, Jive's character changed appearance, looking surprised with his hat jumping from his head at the photo being taken of him. Only for a brief moment you saw a few pixels of pink on its face.
You almost wanted to make a comment about that, but Jive wasted no time in entering a secret door in the wall that the camera had revealed. It lead to yet another hallway, this one vertical in its direction.
The path winded here and there, swapping horizontal a time or two, some doors were spotted along the walls, marked with a symbol on the floor to note what was inside each. None were what Jive was looking for, however, as he merely ignored them all. A man on a mission to do who knows what. It was a couple screens later that he finally stopped at a door with a controller symbol on the floor.. That's.. strange.
He disbanded the party and went up to it, firing off his little gun like he did with the palm tree on the heart-shaped island.
Just as he did, you heard a loud click from the door. Text appearing on screen.
'A door opened somewhere else.'
This was getting stranger and stranger. You froze and stared at it, a cold fear of Tenna barging in again washing over you like a child fearing a parent walking in on them doing something wrong. You weren't doing anything, though.. and nothing happened with the door.
"..What.. the heck..?"
Jive's only reaction was to run circles around your character on the screen and repeatedly play his saxophone sound in an adorable display of joyous success.
You dropped the controller and went back to the door, hesitant to try the handle.
..To your utter surprise, it actually opened.
"HOW THE WHAT--" You cut yourself off from shouting and rushed back to the game screen.
"It's open?! You opened the door?! From in the game?!"
Jive stopped his circles and began to jump and wave, still making his little noises on screen. His attempt to confirm your questions as best he could. He even had enough room in the hall to walk his character up and down in the shape of a check mark to really sell the confirmation.
"Thank you!! I could kiss you and your brilliant mind!!" You didn't notice how his character went still and quiet at your comment of a kiss, "I don't know how, but I'll try to get back to that bar! We can meet up there! Sorry for disconnecting!"
And with that, you shut off the game and bolted out the door.
----
Meanwhile, Jive sat in that hidden back room stunned and silent. Holding his hat over his face to muffle a happy little tune as your character disconnected from the game on his screen.
He hadn't much time to waste, though, and placed his hat back on his head and tossed the remote carelessly behind him. Doing a happy little jig before rushing out of the room. He was so excited to be a little hero! Hardly able to keep quiet as he made his way back to the door to the S-Rank hall.
Ramb stood just outside, looking on in mild surprise at Jive as he froze mid-step, caught in the act of being where he shouldn't. He started to sweat, his smile turning nervous and crinkled. Ramb only chuckled.
"S'alright, luv. I won't go tellin' on ya to the ole CRT. What sort o'business you 'ad in there's no business o'mine. 'M sure you 'ad a good reason fer bein' back 'ere. Just.." He leaned in to pat Jive's hip-- it was what he could reach for being merely at thigh height to him-- and spoke in a more hushed tone, "Don't go tellin' anyone 'bout whatcha saw back there, alright luv?"
Jive corrected his posture and gave Ramb a very enthusiastic double thumbs up. Ramb was happy with that and pulled back, shuffling to open the back door to his bar in the wall.
"Y'might want to go back through 'ere, yeah? Don't want no trouble from the Zapper catchin' you tryin' to vacate through 'is door."
With a lift of his hat and a little salute, Jive thanked Ramb, following him inside and hopped the counter. He had a very important meeting to attend, after all, he couldn't stay any longer to chat.
Jive had to find you, and hopefully before anyone else did.
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: This one is a lot longer cuz this is the actual meat and potatoes of it lol
Chapters: [1] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
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[Chapter 2]:
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There was a soft hum of bustling voices muffled through closed doors, but the clearest sound was a gentle saxophone playing broken tunes as if responding to a quieter voice you couldn’t make out as you drifted back to consciousness.
You laid motionless, too afraid to move and find out what that was. Stilling even further when the saxophone peaked in volume a moment, sounding almost like that of someone straining their voice in a whispered shout. Shoes shuffled away and a door closed and then it was completely silent, save for that bustling hum.
A few moments of testing the silence and you stirred. Lifting from the spot you laid and looking around, taking in your surroundings.
Walls of varied shades of green with a a pattern of stars that.. somehow moved seamlessly across the surface. A color shifting orange and green checkered floor that thankfully didn’t also move like the wall. There were blue cords that hung from the dark blue ceiling here and there, and a red curtain or two along a wall. A teal vending machine was tucked by one of the walls, you couldn’t make out what was inside it, drinks? Snacks? A peach colored trash bin sat next to it. You looked down at where you sat, noting it was a green couch with stars.
The strangest part was that whatever was covering your body like a blanket had made it appear like a two dimensional shadow draped on the couch. You picked at it curiously, finding that it was actually a jacket, lifting up a sleeve and soon finding the other. You held it up and observed it was a rather unique piece of clothing, as if vantablack paint was a fiber woven to create it. Peaked lapels told it was a part of a suit. You drop it back to your lap and noted your clothes. Strange, you don’t remember wearing this to bed.. Your simple pajamas had been swapped out for something more fitting of a colorful fantasy game.
Just where the heck did you wind up exactly? You’ve never seen such a place as this.. never knew wallpaper like that could exist. You still weren’t dreaming, the ache in your arm reassured you of that. Lifting your arm up and holding it close, you hissed at the pain. You really must have sprained it. You could still move it, so it wasn’t broken, but the ache throbbed as you tried to rub it soothingly.
“This sucks. This really freaking sucks.. so much. Why is this happening to me?” talking to yourself now, “I really want to go home.. Crawl into my bed.. my unmoving bed.. and just sleep this all away.. Maybe if I sleep long enough I can convince myself that none of this ever happened.. That it really was just in my head.. Ugh.. Who am I kidding? Even if I did get out of here, how the heck would I even get back??”
Almost like an answer to your question to no one.. you heard that saxophone again. Behind you. You whipped you head so fast you thought it would crack, staring now at a figure in the door. You didn’t even hear it open, too lost in your outward thoughts.
The figure, a man.. Stared back. Well. You assumed he did as he lacked any eyes.. In fact, he lacked a fair bit of features.. And colors. Purely black and white.. A hat, a fedora? Was placed upon his head, a bush of hair curling from the back, and a beard pointing his chin. He wore a suit, par for the jacket, with a visible white tie, and his pants appeared a few inches too short with white chains hanging from one side. In the hand not holding the door was a bag.
There was something vaguely familiar about him.. yet at the same he frightened you. He looked like a shadow.. but that was impossible.. Your mind still didn’t want to process any of this. It was ironic given the monsters in Hometown and the human there, too. And yourself. Yet, all those monsters were biological in some way.. A shadow.. wasn’t. And yet again, there this man was. A shadow standing in the doorway.. and now he was walking towards you.
He was walking towards you.
You jolted and made an attempt to jump from your seat.
“!!”
You froze again, your back to him, standing now. The sound.. was that same saxophone as you heard when you awoke. That.. That couldn’t.. You turn around slowly, eyes wide in cautious alert.
His arms were up defensively, trying not to startle you further, to try to seem less threatening. He opened his mouth and spoke slowly, but what came out was the most unusual thing you had experienced thus far. His voice.. was that of a saxophone.
Delirium overtook you and you started to laugh and cry. Overwhelmed with everything that your mind could not understand. Heaving quickly and holding your head in your hands, slowly crouching to the ground.
Frightened and concerned the man dropped the bag and rushed over to you. Flailing his arms and honking notes as if talking in a panic. Feet tapping comically on the floor beside you, uncertain of what to do. Think, think, think--!
Suddenly, you felt something warm land on your head, the light in the room dimming from what it was. You jolted, going silent and looked up from the tile. It was.. his hat? Out of the corner of your vision you saw his shoes dart behind you, you tried to lean and look to see what he was doing, but as quickly as he left he jumped back with the previously dropped bag. Shaking it in front of you almost like a mother shaking plastic keys to soothe her crying child. The ridiculousness of that gave you an involuntary huffed giggle. Watching as he plunged a hand inside.
It rustled for a moment as he dug around, but soon he pulled it out and held the prize out to you. It was an ice pack, a logo printed on it showed a television with ‘TV’ on the screen like a face, the word ‘time’ was next to it in a speech bubble. How strange.
He shook it lightly and let out a short melody, a bend to the sound imitating the rise of a question. He wanted you to have it. You were wary, but nevertheless you took it for your arm. That made him smile and make a musical note before digging into the bag again to pull out what looked like a cloth. In a swift motion he pantomimed wrapping his own arm up into a sort of sling with the cloth then motioned toward you, pointing a finger to make it clearer. He wanted to do the same for you.. Well. At least he was helpful. Meant no harm to you. You relented and sat back up on the couch and raised your arm a little. He got the hint and smiled wider with two thumbs up.
As he secured your arm, you wondered if you should try questioning this strange shadow man about your situation. All he could do was respond in saxophone noises.. He couldn’t offer any real words to you.. but maybe some simple yes or no questions would suffice? You’d at least get something of an answer, even if it’s without details.
"Uhm.." Your voice was quiet, hesitant, "Why are you doing this?"
He finished tightening the end the of the cloth sling and sat back, looking at you with his arms and hands in a thoughtful position. In one moment he smiles and holds up a finger before the next moment he grabs his shoulder, then wrist..? There wasn’t anything there that you could see. It was peculiar.. He motions toward you, all the while he was remarking varied melodies and tunes, trying to explain with his version of words. His next motion was as if he was holding something.. and.. painting it? He seemed so proud of his pantomiming.
Wait..
The realization hit you.. but it didn't make any sense.. yet.. the more you thought about it.. the more you looked at his face.. He was handsome.. The shape.. The beard.. The nose.. your eyes squinting a moment in thought.
You took his hat off your head and plopped it back on his head and sat stunned as you imagined him holding a saxophone.
No way.
No freaking way.
"..You can't be.. my figurine?"
He perked up like a dog that was asked for a treat, nodding his head fervently, those two thumbs up from before returning with the largest grin you've seen on him yet. This was all so weird.. How was this possible? You didn't want to hurt your brain thinking about it.
"..So. You're.. 'Jive' then..? ..Or?"
Faster than you could blink, he pulled out a small card from an inner pocket of his blazer, holding it out so you could see the musical print on it. It really did say 'Jive' on it, like a little name card.
"Okay. Good to know I was correct, hah."
He hummed a happy melody. Smiling as he returned the card to his pocket, hands resting upon his knees. Patting them lightly to an unidentifiable tune.
"So.. I guess the next question would be.. Where am I? Like.. What is this place?" You weren't exactly sure how he would answer that one. Though an impromptu tour should have been a good guess.
Quickly he sprang to his feet and walked to the door. Waving a hand to usher you to follow. Well, you might as well, not like there's anything in this room that could offer any help.. or really anything in here to do. So, you followed.
As the door opened and you could get a look outside, you could see strange entities rushing about, chattering in more parsable languages, as well as more of the shadow people like Jive. One entity type was colorful from neck to toe, large hands with eyes, and where a head would be was a massive grinning mouth, they were talking to another kind of entity.. Small in stature with a head that resembled a die. They appeared to wear a suit and poncho combo. You swore you saw two shadow men with animal ears as Jive led you around. Most of these.. people(?) were quite animated, though the final entity type you could note was more like a bouncer. A guard standing tall and shooing away anyone from a large set of taped-up doors they guarded on the far end of the room.
Everyone was bustling and rushing around, hauling cameras and lights, boxes of props, rolling racks of clothes. Was this some kind of movie studio? You had to walk quickly and stick close to Jive so as not to get lost in the crowds. He took notice and curled an arm around you to keep you next to him. You didn't expect that.. You didn't expect a shadow to be warm either.
You tried not to think about that.
Instead, you kept your thoughts ahead of you. Observing all this place had to offer. There were some posters on the walls as you passed by, promoting movies you assumed. Each one a different genre, yet each one sported the image of a man with a TV for a head.. The largest poster was of the same man, but in a normal red suit and black slacks, the words 'TV Time!' were present behind him. That must be the head honcho of this place..
You wondered if you'd ever meet that guy..
A part of you was a bit nervous at the thought.
"..?"
Jive spoke up, a short note, inquisitive and enough to snap you out of your thoughts. The two of you had stopped walking, standing now in front of a small bar built into the wall.
"No.. No, it's nothing. Sorry. Just.. processing everything. What's.. uhm. What's this?" you motioned toward the bar to distract his concern away from you.
"..!" That made him light up, grinning and speaking his musical tune you couldn't decipher. He stepped over to the bar, arms open in a display to show it off, then he rested one on the counter-top and gave it a good tap. A back door opened up and a small, pudgy, furry man came out. His face looked almost like a plug.. he had ears and a bit of stubble. He was by far one of the more unique looking entities of this place.
"’Ello mate, what can I get ya?"
Now that's someone you can understand, and it seems he can understand the shadowguy perfectly as he stood up and looked toward you when Jive presumably introduced you. You gave an awkward smile and wave.
"Ah, I see you brought a date along with ya-- a lightner, too-- You sure know how to pick’em. I’m Ramb, luv. You lookin’ for anythin’?"
You gave your name, something which elicited a small, lovely melody from Jive. Did he.. repeat your name? You shook your head lightly and returned back to Ramb. Ignoring his ‘date’ comment.
"..No, I'm fine. I don't need anything." Was it even safe to drink? "You mentioned me being a 'Lightner', what does that mean?" Did Jive seem disappointed? He still seemed to give his order for a drink, to which Ramb happily obliged as he answered your question. You felt a little bad about not being able to get it from Jive, though, he seemed so.. jived to show you around.
"Nothin' to worry about, luv. You see, this place ‘ere is nowhere new. It’s all right where you-- or any Lightner- 'ave left it. Although, Jive ‘ere had up’n left not long ago.. it’s nice seein’ a familiar face again. Almost had us all worried for a right bit there, mate.” He laughs, a light chuckle, Jive ducks his head under his hat a little bashful, “What I’m tryin’ to say is, luv, this place ‘ere is the Dark World. A Dark mirror of your world, the Light World. But it’s not evil. You’re the third Lightner we’ve had visitin’ these halls recently. I don’t reckon you’d know’em? A gruff purple monster an’ a human?”
"Sorry.. I don’t get out too much," You shake your head, though the description sounded familiar to a couple of faces you had seen in the market once, "But that answers that, at least. Uhm, So.. What is this place, exactly? I gather it's something like.. a movie studio? Or something? Is that right?"
"Almost. This ‘here is TV World. Tenna’s the one in charge, you’ve seen ‘is posters along the walls, yeah? S’ard to miss’em. Heh. Everyone ‘ere’s got a role, a part they play to keep the place runnin’ fer all the Lightners and Darkners. No one works ‘arder than Tenna ‘imself, o’course.” he pulled out a rag and glass and began to clean as he spoke, an idle habit, “Jive an’ ‘is similar lookin’ crew do the music and back up, quite the rambunctious lot they are. Real friendly, though, once you get to know’em.”
As Ramb explained everything, you glanced toward Jive who happily downed his order. Nursing the small glass and giving it a swirl mindlessly as he listened to Ramb ramble on. You wanted to think it was whiskey, but the technicolor and glittering sparkle swirling around the ice made you think otherwise. A fruity scent wafted lightly from it.. Jive made a quiet sound and turned just a bit, taking notice of your gaze. He gave a slight shy smile as your eyes averted back to Ramb, a heat rising to your face. You didn’t mean to stare..
"I see.. Well, thank you, Ramb. I think I understand everything now."
"Pleasure's all mine, luv. You come back around sometime, don’t be a stranger, an’ I'll fix you up somethin' real lovely. An’ don't worry none, it's all safe to drink ‘ere. Promise ya that, luv."
How did..? No, it doesn’t matter. Jive placed his empty glass down and led you back away to continue your little tour. All things considered, it wasn't too terrible of a break.. You've had worse back home.
Speaking of.. How would you even get back? You don’t even know how you got here in the first place.. Maybe you should take Ramb up on that offer and visit again at some point. In the meantime.. you may as well try to enjoy your time. There’s no use fussing right now.
At some point in your thoughts, Jive had begun to sing.. or talk? It was hard to tell, but the tune sounded awfully familiar. Where did you hear that-- Oh!
“Is that ‘Hey, Pachuco’?”
Jive flinched and went quiet, freezing in place. He didn’t even turn to look at you. He just slowly brought his hat down over his face. His hair fluffed up with static when he did. His free hand fidgeting at his side. What was this? Was he.. embarrassed? You almost wanted to smile. It was kind of cute, you had to admit.
He merely made a small muffled melody in response. Judging by the tone of it, he admitted it was that song.
"..If.. You know that song, then.. does that mean you were able to see and hear everything outside of this place?
You watch him nod with a short fluttered note of affirmation. Slowly, he moved the hat from his face and brought it to his chest, holding it now with both hands. There was a bashful smile on his oddly red tinged face. Blush? You didn't know a shadow could.
"Oh.." it just hit you, your expression dropping to one of remorse, "I'm sorry.. for knocking you over.. and breaking you.. If you could feel that.. I'm really truly and terribly sorry for causing you any amount of pain.." It hurt you just as much emotionally. The guilt of the accident catching up to you with renewed intensity from all this new information you garnered.
Jive panicked at your worry, jerking back before frantically flailing his arms in front of him, uncertain what to do. A string of discordant sounds accompanying his actions before abruptly stopping. Standing up straight with a clearing of the throat that sounded awfully human, he put a hand on your shoulder in an attempt to reassure you. Giving a grin and a tilt of the head, he honked. You couldn't stop the grin and giggle that sound elicited from you. Somehow, that helped.
"Thank you. Uhm.. Sorry again. For interrupting the tour you were giving me.. Where, um. Where were you going to take me again?"
He perked up real quick with a sharp note of glee. Smoothing out his hair and placing his hat back on his head, he proudly and comedically marched-- quit literally, in fact-- to another set of large double doors just at the end of the hall. His change in demeanor and cartoonish behavioral tendencies was quite amusing. Endearing, even, as you followed behind him.
"So, what's in here?"
Jive placed a finger to his mouth and hushed with another toothy grin. Then, he pushed the doors open.
Inside was a large and spacious room with various sets and backdrops and at least three different stages as far as you could tell. It must not be time for any performances right now as the whole place seemed rather empty save for a few of those dice people and other shadowy figures like Jive cleaning up.
Despite that, though, the sheer scale of the place in general was impressive. Although you couldn't understand why the ceilings were so high, now that you thought about it. No one you've met nor seen so far was big enough to warrant such a scale.
Jive played the same melody he made when you said your name earlier, jostling you out of your thoughts again.
"Huh? Oh. Right. Sorry about that.."
He made an inquisitive sound this time, as if asking what was up, but when you didn't answer, he merely shrugged it off and took your good hand in his to pull you along. He led you to a vacant stage with no one else around. Letting your hand go, he took a theatrical bow, then used a bit of magic to conjure up a bass from seemingly nowhere. Giving it a few strums in a familiar beat, tapping his foot in time. Then, he conjured a saxophone. A baritone. He started to play a familiar tune. The one was different from the one before. Grander.
You knew this song.
"'Sing, Sing, Sing'.. I love this song." You actually played it twice when you were fixing Jive up.
Jive paused his playing a moment to nod and make a sound of agreement before going back to playing. He danced with his instrument in a circle around you, serenading you. You really couldn't stop the smile and laughter at these charming antics of his. He was so animated in his movements, really feeling the song as he played it. You hardly questioned why he was doing this.
The music was enough to catch the attention of a handful of other shadowguys who popped out from the shadows and curtains with their own instruments in hand, both literal and makeshift. Nearly a whole small orchestra was gathered to pitch in for the song, surprising even Jive as he lifted his hat at the others with a pleased note. It seems these darkners are very big on music, especially jazz. Who could have guessed?
You’re very greatly amused at this display. Tapping your foot and patting your good hand to your thigh with a grin. Jive leading the band with his saxophone, the bass now vanished. You could spot a few of those dice fellows dancing in a corner behind the band, and even one of those guards was bobbing his head to the beat.
A live band really is different from a recording. Especially a live band as lively and magical as this one was. The energy of it was addicting, so deeply absorbed into it, the world around you completely forgotten as Jive did away with his instrument and offered to dance with you. Even if you weren’t one for such a thing, you complied and swayed, swinging your good arm with one of his, hand in hand. ‘Soft and warm..’ You thought, your cheeks flush with mild alertness to the gentle contact, and rosy from all the smiling and fun. Jive placed his hat on your head again and combed back his hair, his dancing sway had a bit of a bounce to it.
It was really cute--
WHAM--!!
The doors to the stage slammed open, silencing the band in an instant. The dice guys rattled and scattered before a voice was heard. You turned around to face the doors, Jive pulled you closer to him and took his hat back, taking your eyes away for only a moment until that voice came.
“What is all the ruckus in here?! We don’t have time for lollygagging!”
The TV-headed man from the posters stood in the doorway, he was huge. At least now you knew why the ceilings were so high. His screen shown bright in the somewhat dim stage room, taking a stern stride further in towards you and the others.. or. Just you and Jive. The other shadowguys quickly dispersed, their instruments being recalled as they vanished back into the shadows and curtains.
“Good, good! Get back to work! We have so much to prepare for today! We can’t let our Lightners get bored!" he pauses and leans into the crowd that had disappeared, speaking hushed, "Who knows what Susie would do if that happened--" standing back up he clapped his hands rapidly for a beat, "So we have a lot of work, sooo much!! New premieres, old reruns, returning games, and--!!” He spoke rapidly, screen following the silhouettes slipping away from the stage as his voice boomed. Gripping his screen and tapping his foot impatiently. He seemed stressed.. Then he stopped and looked down towards the two of you. Or.. You assumed he did. Much like Jive at your side, he, too, lacked any eyes despite having a mouth and protruding conical nose.
“Light.. LIGHTNER?!” He shrieked and jumped, grabbing his head and flailing rapidly in a panic, the word ‘lightner’ flashed on his screen in a fancy font, “No, no, no, no, what!!! ANOTHER?!” In one moment he is hunched over and stomping a foot, screen completely black, the next he’s suddenly standing tall, his face back in place, gripping and smoothing out his tie, finally clearing his throat. And then..
“Oh, a Lightner! Welcome, welcome! It’s so WONDERFUL to meet and have you here!” He did a little spin, the word ‘wonderful’ flashing fancifully on his screen. He stopped and bent down so close to you, it was uncomfortable, presenting a showstopping grin, “Mr. (Ant) Tenna, at your service! It’s an absolute pleasure to have you here! I can’t possibly say it enough! Oh! You simply must be my next star contestant on my show!”
The way he spoke disregarded the entire existence of Jive, focusing solely on you. No one reacted to you being a lightner, and no one reacted to you this ostentatiously before at all the whole time you’ve been here and walking around. Only a few odd glances here and there, but nothing like this. He was so intense..
“..Wh..What—” You couldn’t even get a word out before he swooped in, continuing his prattle. With one large hand he separated you from your far more pleasant companion, hovering it just closely enough to your back to encourage you to walk with him. You tossed Jive a fearful look, almost begging for help. He could only watch and hold out a pitiful hand as he watched you be herded away by his looming boss. A sad note dying in his throat being the last you hear from him as you’re ushered back out of the stage room.
“I have so many games and quizzes that I’m practically positive that you will enjoy! I’m as giddy as a holiday special just thinking about it!”
info: inspired by a [post] by @selfshipped-with-shadowguys
A/N: It's finally here!
Chapters: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
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[Chapter 1]:
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It was just your luck.
You didn’t step outside your home too much, spending most time inside doing work and occasional chores. It was a simple life. Filling the void with games, movies, and especially knickknacks that despite the name were filled with a lot of worth in your eyes. So, it was just your luck to see a neighbor hosting a small yard sale. You shuffled over excitedly and perused the wares on display. Even if you didn’t buy much, you did enjoy seeing what all there was to offer. Seeing what kinds of things others were into. You could learn a fair bit about people through sales like these.
Curiously your eyes scanned over a rack of clothes, a shelf of various forms of tapes, a box of well worn sports gear.. and a box of vintage video game gear. You spend some time digging through it, checking if there was anything you may be interested in. With nothing to show from the box, you continued your search elsewhere. Cookware, cleaning tools, at least two boxes of books of all genres, and tucked away on a table in a corner next to a box of old records and a pile picture frames was a box labeled ‘knickknacks’. Bingo! You zeroed in on it and beelined your way around tables and monsters to get to that prized cardboard box.
Knickknacks, one of your favorite simple pleasures in life. And what a pleasure it was indeed when your eyes beheld what the box possessed. Various figurines of medium and small. A common theme among them was jazz. It seemed the parents of the family was an enjoyer of such music. The figurines were quite cute and held a decent level of craftsmanship in their display. Nearly all of them had a simple word inscribed somewhere on the base. You began to pick up and inspect each one with intrigue.
The figures were all of oddly cute nondescript generic beings playing a variety of instruments. First one you picked up was of a woman playing the piano, she wore a fancy dress and her piano read the word ‘Soul’. The next was a larger man sitting on a bench with the word ‘Harmony’ on the back, he played a violin with a microphone in front of him. You went through them one by one until a particular figurine caught your eye.
You delicately lifted it from the box and gave it a thorough examination. A long suitcase rested on the base with the word ‘Jive’ inscribed into it. At the back was a bass, propped up facing away from the figure. The figure was the centerpiece of it, a quite handsome bearded fellow in a suit playing a large saxophone of sorts. Though the face was as blank as it could be, for some reason it gave you a feeling of loneliness. Playing out his little songs for an audience that wouldn’t stay and listen. Putting his all into his playing of the saxophone in hand.
It wasn’t often that you would feel so strongly magnetized to something. So, you decided. This was going to be what you bought! You held the figure firm but gentle as you sought out the owner to pay, and continued to do so as you rushed back to your place to find the perfect spot to display it.
It took a bit of searching, but you found the perfect place for it. A windowsill that overlooked the majority of your living space. You could glance over while cooking or cleaning and see him playing his silent tune. It was silly to humanize an inanimate object, but you couldn’t help but hope it would be happier now.
It wasn't much of a living space, but it was home. You had a vintage television, a record player from your father, some shelves along the walls were decorated with some pictures, but especially other knickknacks you've picked up here and there. They were all various kinds of objects. Some were crystalline animals, and others were ceramic foods that gave you a chuckle. All of them brought a smile to your face whenever your gaze would wander, and you'd catch a glance of them.
And now. You had a new one. A special one. The window you placed it on was just above your sofa, giving you a perfect spot to sit and marvel at it.
As the days and weeks passed since your purchase, you found yourself doing just that every now and again. Sitting and admiring it. You'd even try to imagine what kinds of music he would play on his instruments. Maybe even try to guess what he could have in that suitcase of his. You jokingly settled on a gun of sorts. Something he would use to guard himself and his instruments-- One of which you had looked into and learned was a specific type of saxophone; A baritone.
It wasn't something you'd normally do. Give objects names like others apparently would. You'd only ever done so to a plush toy or two when you were younger. You even still have them. However, you found yourself referring to the figure in your mind by the word inscribed on it. It was silly, sure, but it brought a smile to your face nevertheless. You’d be doing your usual thinking of the figure and come up with all sorts of scenarios and more for little Jive to be getting into. Big concerts with your other décor as the audience to hear him play and chant his name, or little personal songs played out the window to the moon and stars. Just some small and nonsensical things to help pass the time when nothing else would suffice.
It was sort of ironic how much you loved your delicate knickknacks when you have the occasional tendency to be a tad bit of a klutz. You’ve had a fair number of times you’ve bumped into your shelves or fumbled while cleaning. Thankfully, it wasn’t too often that you’d nearly drop or knock over one of your things.
Unfortunately, today your bad luck struck.
You were in the middle of cleaning your house. Vacuuming the floor and needing to move some of your furniture around to get it all. The coffee table was first, simple enough, then the chairs, a little tricky, and finally the sofa. It took a fair bit of effort to push and pull one side away from the wall just enough for you to slip behind it. You pressed your back up against the bit of wall below the window, your feet pressed into the back of the couch. This is where it all went wrong.
As you gave the furniture a good push, your head lolled back and bumped into the figurine. In the matter of seconds you shot your gaze up in fear to watch the figure wobble and fall. You flailed, slipping from the wall and hitting the floor awkwardly as you tried to reach out for the figurine.. but it was too late. It clattered to the ground and the sickening sound of something cracking off echoed in your silent room. Staring in horror at the figure.. now in two pieces.
Shaking your head and shuffling over across the floor to where the figurine landed you picked up and held both pieces. Turning it around you fretted with where the broken piece fit back onto it. It looked clean enough, the jagged parts fit almost like a puzzle, but there was a little chipping of the paint from the fracture.
Well. You did always fancy those restoration and repair videos.
After a moment of fighting back the distress, you uttered a small apology to Jive and sat him gently down on the table before continuing your cleaning. You couldn’t just leave it unfinished.
“Great..” you muttered, “I wonder how much resin costs..?”
You made a mental note to search the internet for what you may need to fix him up. You really did feel horrible about having broken him.. You quickly finished up and went to make your list. Searching various topics and even revisiting some videos online to find what you’ll be needing. It wasn’t too much you’ll need, thankfully. Just some paint, new brushes, resin, special putty, and even some sandpaper to make sure the whole thing is as seamless as you could get it.
The trip to find and buy the items on your list took a while-- two days, in fact-- but you did it. Laying it all out on your table, laptop to the side, and Jive dead center before you. Him and his arm holding the saxophone.
Before you began, you opened up your computer and prepared a tutorial video you had saved prior to help. You followed along as the voice-over began to play with a click of a button.
You took a deep breath to help remain calm and steady, and then you started.
Truthfully, you’ve never done any figure repairs before, so this was a first. Safe to say you were nervous. Following the video as closely as you could, replicating each step as carefully as you could manage. You really didn’t want to make any mistakes and make everything worse.
Without the saxophone in the way as you picked him up as you worked, you were able to get a better, unobstructed look at his face.. or lack thereof. He really was handsome for what you could see. It only made you feel worse for having broken him, yet all the more determined to repair him. You cared deeply for your things.
It would require some extra time for the resin and putty to fully dry and cure before you could continue. You paused your video and pulled up some music to listen to in the meantime. You never really did listen to jazz before, though you did have a couple of favorite songs that fit the genre. Even if swing was a better term to describe them. For some silly reason, however, you felt like your figurine would enjoy it, so you pulled them up while you waited. Even going as much as to turn him to face the screen as if he could even see. A simple joy for yourself.
When it was dry and ready you sanded the putty down so that it looked seamless. The paints were next to help cover any signs of damage or repair. You held him delicately, thumb pressed to his torso, fingers curled around his back, a firm yet gentle grip. Keeping him steady as you worked around his shoulder and wrist. Your wrist began to ache a little after all the sanding was done. A worthy price to pay for the sake of restoring the figurine.
Hours later and he was finished. Looking as good as new, and oddly a little happier..? Well, aside from the paint needing to dry, but that’ll be done overnight. It had gotten late in the evening by the time you finished that it was now time for bed. Picking him up firmly by the base, you got up and carried him off to a good spot to dry for the night. Then, it was off to bed with you.
Strangely.. As you drifted off, you thought you heard the sound of music.. You chalked it up to an ear-worm from the music earlier.
-----------
As you slept, a strange smoke seeped into your home. Blackening the walls and darkening the halls. Until nothing could be seen and no light of the morning sun could reach it.
The shadows on the walls and silhouettes of furnishings twisted and moved. Everything swirled and pulled you along for the ride as you drifted in your dreams, peacefully unaware.
-----------
You've never experienced a lucid dream in your life before, so you were confident that this wasn't a dream at all. Awakening in a world of darkness instead of your own home. Snow that shifted and sparkled like that of a dead air channel on TV was collected on the ground around you for as far as the darkness allowed you to see. The crunch of which you could hear as your bed crawled along through it.
This was no longer your home, and this was no longer your bed.
Where was this? How did you get here? What happened while you slept? Why was your bed moving?
You were terrified.
Gripping at your blankets and pulling them closer, you looked around and observed your bed.. or what you once thought was your bed..
It was some kind of creature now. The legs ending in paws that padded along in the strange snow that surrounded you. With a little effort, you sat up enough to peer over the headboard.. which turned out to be literal. A face was not something you expected. Although, you weren't sure what you were expecting to begin with.
You cautiously slid along the edge of the headboard until you were peering around the side of it, trying to get a better look at the creature. Before you could, however, it stopped its movement and reared its body up. Your hand that had curled around one of the posts in your shifting of position gripped on tightly. That only made it more upset as it suddenly bucked you off.
The landing was rough despite the snow. Landing painfully on your arm, which twisted wrong in your flailed launch. You groaned and curled in on yourself, gripping your arm close. The bed creature merely continued walking away, leaving you now completely and utterly alone in this barren wasteland.
Great.
You let out a scream. Shouting frustration of your situation. And your pain.
A minute passes and you go quiet.
…
…
…
…
A noise.
..Music? It’s sporadic and odd.. but it definitely sounds like music.
You pull yourself up from the snow and look around, locating the direction of the sound-- there-- and began to walk towards it. Trudging through the thick snow. If that music was real then.. maybe you could find someone and find some answers.
…
…
…
…
You don’t know how long you’ve been walking, but you know you must have been getting closer. The music was getting a little louder, a little clearer, but still off in the distance. A light has sprung up in the backdrop of your view, a hazy glow of blue and red. What felt like an hour more of walking you could make out what seemed like search lights dancing across the haze. Strange..
It had been quite some time now and your exhaustion of walking, the throbbing of your arm, and your lack of food was taking its toll on you. Growing weak and tired, your walk becoming more of a hobble by this point. You really needed to sit.. to have a lie down.. The snow was soft..
It wouldn’t hurt to just.. lay down.. rest. The snow wasn’t even cold. You were so close.. but your body demanded you stop.. just.. for a little bit. You fell to your knees and slowly laid yourself down upon the soft snow.
The last thing you hear as you give in to your body’s demands is the sound of a saxophone growing closer..
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has stuck around to keep reading despite my extended breaks in between chapters. I hope each one is worth the wait.
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6.1] [6.2] [7]
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[Chapter 8]: Recuperate
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Your senses were screaming, ears ringing, and eyesight blurred from the tears that wouldn’t stop. Heaving and wheezing and coughing through your pained yet now mostly silent sobbing. Up until this point in your life, you had never experienced this level of pain, gripping your stomach and arms as you buried your face into the comforting form that held you.
Otto, using his real arms, held you firm yet gently against him. Using his mechanical limbs to lift you both and scale down the building, moving from one skyscraper to the next. Panic and concern fueling him as he rushed you to his place for some emergency care.
The man who had done this to you following along overhead, large mechanical wings gliding through the air, weaving around the buildings with ease. Though they were lightweight, they felt unbearably heavy, heavy with the guilt and remorse for what he’d done. Fighting someone who had only wanted to help.. blinded by his own senseless fury over who he had presumed dead just moments prior.
He hovered over the residence of his friend as they had quickly arrived, hesitating to land and follow. Only when one of Otto’s actuators stretched out toward him and waved, beckoning him inside did he do so. Folding the wings back as he touched ground, closing them tight before he walked inside. He would just sit back and wait, he decided, making himself half at home and taking a seat in the living room.
–
Otto scurried down to his lab, frantically whipping his actuators around the room to trigger the table and lights, and to find the first aid kit. As soon as the table rose from the floor he placed you atop it. You winced and groaned and he took a step back, anxious and trying to stay calm.
You kept your head down toward your lap, merely hunched in pain. As much as it was necessary, you didn’t want to move. You didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter, however, as soon came Otto’s voice, directing your attention toward him.
“Acedia.. I.. I-I’m going to need to remove your mask and suit so that I can help you.” An actuator placed the first aid kit on the table at your feet as you let out another silent shaky sob.
You hesitated, looking in his direction as though processing his words. He avoided eye contact and reached to open the bag as you thought about what he’d said. As soon as he heard your little ‘okay’ he turned back to you, passing on a cloth to an actuator which took off upstairs. Otto cautiously brought his hands up to your face, hesitating just at your neckline when he spoke again.
“..Do you mind if I..?”
Otto was nervous, to say the least, about seeing under the mask. Sure he helped you to craft this new costume.. but he still had not seen your face even then. It felt wrong, yet you gave him permission to do it, and he followed through.
Dipping his fingers carefully into the neck of your outer costume he delicately pulled it up and over your face. Unveiling before him your hidden features. With the mask now fully removed, he paused and finally got a good look at you.
Despite the tears, reddened eyes and face.. he felt his own face heat up just a bit. You looked away and sniffed into your shoulder opposite of him. It took only a moment before Otto cleared his throat and his hands were back at your neck. This time he took the zipper and pulled, going down as far as he could before needing to help move your arms out of the way and soon out the holes of the sleeves.
Now with your undersuit exposed he got to work brushing your hair out of the way to get at the zipper in the back of it. He did the same as he had done with the top suit and helped you to remove it. Had your arms not been injured, you could have easily undone it yourself, alas, this was not the case. As he was only working on your upper half at the moment he let everything sit at your waist before moving on.
You hissed while moving around so he could get to you better, to see you better. The actuator returned with the cloth now thoroughly damp, Otto taking it in hand as he turned back to you. With his hands raised once more he got to work helping to clean your face first before moving.. down.
A small whine caught in your throat made Otto pause for just a moment, assuming it was in response to the pain.
..In truth, it only partially was.
You closed your eyes to avoid looking at the doctor, feeling embarrassed. Gosh he was close, and his hands were so warm. You did your best to mentally focus on something else.. fighting off the creeping thought of how warm he felt, no matter how comforting that was at the moment. If it hadn’t been for Otto finding you and stepping in when he did, you couldn’t imagine what the outcome would have really been on that rooftop. What this very moment in time would have been if he hadn’t come to help stop the fight. Fiddling with your hands in your lap to give you something to do you gripped at the zipper and hem of your over-suit. At least now you had stopped your sobbing, it had grown tiring for your body.
Otto, on the other hand, had entered focus mode as he tended to your injuries, wiping away any blood he found with the wet cloth. An actuator was pulling necessary items from the first aid kit while another retrieved another cloth, one more was circling you, examining the further damage Otto needed to take care of.
The poor girl, he thought, covered in scratches and bruises, cuts and scrapes.. and a gash or two, and that was only on your upper half. Otto frowned at the thought, brows knitting together with a mix of concern for you and frustration with his friend upstairs for doing all of this.
–----
Adrian could only sit so long, feeling restless he stood up and paced around the room for a bit. His mind a slurry of thoughts, both relief and remorse. Fretting over everything that had perspired earlier that night.
The man merely removed his headpiece and placed a palm to his face. Running his hand down his weary features, not caring if he smudged the makeup around his eyes. That was the least of his worries.
After a moment and a deep sigh he placed the headpiece back on and headed toward the door once more, muttering an apology as he did.
“..I’m so sorry.”
–------
With your face now cleaned, you watched Otto as he went on to your arms, taking one in hand at a time. His touch was firm yet delicate, worried he may hurt you more than you already were. You did your best not to stare.. nor have your eyes wander to his face for too long, snapping your gaze away to instead examine the room you were in.
It was just as it was since the last time you were here. A few tables were set up in the almost circular room, some posters and diagrams and blueprints decorated the walls. A couple of boxes lining the walls, some boxes and machines, unfinished projects she assumed, were covered with a tarp or a cloth.
Your eyes scanning and focusing on the sci-fi looking gadgets and devices and more that filled the space, noting that it felt a little more full. Feels more lived in with some old mugs and scattered papers, a dry-erase board with equations scrawled all over it. And a single large aquarium tank at what you assumed was the back wall. Curious.. it didn’t appear as though there was anything in it from your view, though..
Ah.
Snapped back from your thoughts by a sharp surge of pain at your side, you yelped and jerked away. Otto scurried back, fumbling with the cloth and sputter apologies, his face growing red.
“I’m sorry! I–! I didn’t–! I didn’t mean to cause you harm, I–!! Oh dear, oh dear.. I-I should have warned.. Should’ve asked before I went and..!”
“It’s,” you hissed at the still stinging pain, “It’s alright, I just–” another wheeze, “I wasn’t.. Y'know, expectin’ that..!” you did your best to sound reassuring, though it hurt enough to make the tears return.
Otto merely waited while you sniffed and breathed to try and settle down again. Only when you were calm did he approach the table once more, cautious over what he needed to proceed with doing to help you. For now, he skipped over your torso, feeling quite sheepish now from previously trying to merely check your sides. He’d seen the cuts and tears in the suit, he’ll need to fix that later.
He was careful with the rest of the cleaning process, gentle when he had to hold your legs, turning and twisting them around. His grasp was firm yet kind, you couldn’t help your racing heart, fighting off some thoughts that weren’t meant for here and now. You weren’t the only one, however, having odd thoughts, Otto’s ears burning red as he focused on cleaning and patching whatever spots he could find, nothing too serious luckily.
It didn’t take too much longer before he had finished patching you up. Wrapping larger cuts with gauze and tape, and decorating your spindly form with a variety of colorful and patterned band-aids wherever they were needed. With one last check he held out his hands to help you down from the table.
“There, as good as new.. well, as good and new as I can do for not being a medical doctor.” he joked to lighten the mood.
“Thank you..” you let out a tired chuckle and sigh that transitioned quickly into a yawn. Everything that happened that night catching up, feeling more than exhausted. Otto took notice, an actuator sliding over and around you cautiously, giving you aid in staying balanced.
“..Do you think you’re able the get home safe?” he asked with concern.
“I don’t think I could even make it to the front door, to be honest.” you hardly had the energy to do really anything, much less think and worry at the moment.
“Acedia.. Uhm.. N-Now I know how this is going to sound, and I don’t want you to make a fuss, however–” he spoke quickly with nerves, trying to get this out without stuttering, “I could take you back myself, but.. Would you like to stay for the night? I’d feel better to know that you are really alright. I know I’ve already given you that new suit, but allow me to add to my debt paid?”
You jolted at his words at first before chirping back with a tired smile, “I just want to sleep, I don’t really care where right now, thank you.” Fretting over the mere concept of staying the night at someone else’s place, especially the home of a man you’d only met relatively recently, was far from your mind at the moment.
A wave of surprise and relief came over Otto, sighing to himself and offering his arm to help lead you upstairs and out of the lab. Thinking more to himself as he walked you to his spare bedroom. Feeling so relieved you weren’t put-off by his strange sudden offer. He really would have helped you back to wherever it was you lived, the night had been more than eventful, though, and for now he, too, just needed a good rest.
He’ll have to have a word with his friend Adrian later.. about all that transpired. He was intent on giving that old man an earful.
------
---
You don’t remember falling asleep, you were so drained from the night before that your body couldn’t take it as soon as you hit the sheets. They weren’t what you were used to, no weight to them at all, but it was comfortable nonetheless. Your pain had subsided considerably.. More so than you’d expected. Strange.. A scratch you swore you had on your hand was completely gone. Something you noted as you brought your hand out from the covers to wipe at your eyes.
Twisting your body you stretched and groaned, joints popping and cracking as usual, though a few pains from some still yet unhealed injuries made you stop. Your mind catching up with you, your memory of last night.. your eyes went wide and you sat up. He saw your face.. You didn’t linger on the thought for too long as you caught sight of your glasses case placed on the table beside the bed.. He must have found it in your costume pocket when you had taken it off and put it there for you. ‘..That’s.. really thoughtful of him..’ you thought as you took your glasses out and placed them on your face. A cute pair of thick black rims and a set of mainly red, but colorful earpieces. You had a very mild prescription, but preferred to wear your glasses. You had gotten used to them anyway and thought they made you look less dead tired.
With a once over, you pushed from the bed and headed out. A feeling of awkwardness coming over you as you found the stairs, one you hadn’t felt since you first visited Otto. The thoughts of him seeing you and knowing what you look like now started to fill your head again. Interrupted only by the sound of his voice coming from his kitchen. He didn’t sound too happy.
“I have told you time and time again, Adrian, I can take care of myself! Yes! He did try to kill me! I’ve already been through this! Agh, Please..!” Otto stands on the other side of the bar attachment to the kitchen island, “Just. I can’t keep doing this. I know you mean well and all, Adrian, but I assure you I don’t need to be coddled like this.” he takes a moment to stir his coffee and take a sip before he continues, “It’s about time I left Oscorp anyway. The incident and Acedia have both given me that kick and a push to try and find a better use of my work. Now, I can truly seize this opportunity to--” He turned and noticed you in the doorway, cutting his sentence short, “Listen, I’ll call you back later and we can finish this discussion then. Goodbye.”
You apologized for interrupting him, but he reassures you and offers you a stool across from him to sit down. Placing his phone on the counter he finished off his mug and set it aside in the sink, turning to look at you before walking slowly back over. It was the first real look he’s gotten of you since he cleaned you up last night. Your freckles were light, hardly noticed by the glasses you wore, though the mole just below the right corner of your lip wasn’t hard to miss. Long, wavy, dark brown hair that fell just past your hips with a right side parting. What caught his attention most was that you had an overbite just like him. He was so worried about you then that he hadn’t any time to process what he saw. A little warmth grew on his face as he realized we was almost staring, and cleared his throat.
“Good morning, Acedia.”
“G’mornin’.” You respond to his greeting with a quick glance from the marble counter.
“How’re you feeling? Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Uhm.. Was that the man from last night on the phone?” you inquire cautiously. You had heard his name, but wanted to be sure.
“Hm? Oh, yes, that’s correct. That was Adrian, my friend and coworker. Although, I suppose now we are both ex-coworkers seeing as we’re both no longer working under Oscorp. I still can’t believe he would go and do something so stupid like that, but you don’t have anything to worry about regarding him anymore. I’ve already chewed him out enough for now.”
“..Thanks for saving me,” You spoke softly, “but how did you even find me? How’d you know where I was?” It truly was like some gracious divine miracle that he conveniently showed up just in time.
“How? Well.. I was out running some errands and by chance I happened to be nearby when I heard your cry.. You’ve a remarkable voice, though there’s something strange about it. I could feel it interfere with my actuators. I saw Adrian flying above Oscorp and knew Something was definitely wrong. He wasn’t due back for another week..” He sounded a little exasperated at the end of it, but you could sense he wasn’t lying about what he said.
“Ahh.. Okay.” Your voice? What an odd thing to say.. but you couldn’t help the feeling in your chest at the compliment. Nibbling a little at your lip to try and fight the slight smile it gave you in vain. However, the next words from Otto help to kill the smile entirely.
“I’m sorry for my actuators. I only had them on yesterday as I was doing some work in my lab, but due to having to leave for those errands, I didn’t have time to take them off. I’ve since put them back down in the lab, though.”
You completely forgot about those. The pain from the cruelly one-sided fight had distracted you enough to pay them no mind. That, and your sense burned like fire in the back of your head nonstop since the roof, you couldn’t focus on anything else much at all. It’s died down back to normal after your rest, though, thankfully.
“Oh, thank you. It’s alright.” You respond. You did feel a bit sorry for having him keep them off when around you. Then again, you understand that he doesn’t need them constantly. You couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to haul those things around constantly..
“Would you like something to eat? I have cereal, eggs, toast.. I could cook you some bacon or--” The mentions of food snap you out of your thought and makes your stomach grumble. You did just wake up, after all.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Bacon.. the eggs and toast, too.” He smiled at your answer and left the bar. “Do you have anything to drink? Besides water?”
“Well,” he calls back from the bread box, pulling out a loaf to set a few slices down on a plate before walking toward the fridge, “I have, as you said, water, but there’s some milk and apple juice in here, too.” you perk up at that.
“Ooh, apple juice sounds good.”
“Very well, then. How many eggs?”
“Just one. I like them scrambled or over easy. You can surprise me if you’d like.” You were always indecisive.
“I’ll get three then and join you. Would you like to eat at the bar or the table?”
“The bar is fine. Uhm,” you hesitate, eying the bread on the plate that has gone temporarily ignored in favor of the bacon, “Would you like some help?”
“Oh? That would be much appreciated. It’s always nice to have an extra set of hands.” He hums as the first egg begins to sizzle as it settles into the hot pan.
‘Or a double set of extra arms,’ you almost wanted to joke, but remained silent. Instead, you opened the fridge to fish out the butter and then turn to the cabinets and drawers with a pause.
“..Uhh.. Where do you keep your knives?”
“Oh, those would be over in the drawer second to your left from the sink.” He didn’t take his attention away from the egg, not until it was cooked and slid onto a plate with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
You walked over and opened it. Pulling out what you needed, you spun around and was surprised by how close Otto was for a moment as he reached for the other two eggs. He gave a small apology and continued on. You blinked and took a deep breath, then continued yourself.
By the time the food was ready you had already sat yourself back down on the stool at the bar. Otto finished up with prepping the food on the plates before he turned and walked around the counter to join you at the bar to eat. Bacon layered on the slices of toast, an over easy egg sandwiched between two slices on your plate while Otto had scrambled his. When he had his back turned you noted something.
“I hope this isn’t rude to ask, but.. uhm.”
“Hm?” He looks up from his food curiously.
“What’s that thing you got on the back of your head?”
“That? That would be my neural connector.”
“..Neural what?”
He smiles and sets his fork down, “It’s how I control the arms.” He begins, “It’s neurologically linked to the spinal cord and sends little electrical signals up to the brain that allows for received information to get transferred into movements. It requires a fair bit of mental effort--”
“Ooohh, I bet. They look really complex with how they move and all. I can’t imagine it being very easy.”
“Well, yes, but once I got use to it, it became like second nature. It’s no different from moving my own limbs. Or even using my own hands. I made sure of that as their main purpose is to aid me in handling heavy machinery or doing more dangerous and delicate work in my lab. They aren’t meant to be used for anything more than that..” He notes the serious tone and lightens up with a quick, “Ah, but well-- It’s good to have an extra set of hands around the home or lab that you don’t need to worry about, yes?” A light chuckle.
“Yeah, that is true. It’d make daily life a lot easier. Multiple hands to get more than one thing done at once.. I think everyone’s had that thought at least once in their lives. I know I have.” You didn’t think to bother him about the sudden shift, allowing him the peace of mind.
“Yes! A very common thought. If it weren’t for them being stuck to me now, I may have considered revising the design and making something more practical for an everyday purpose. Unfortunately, knowing there are people like Osborn in this world would make that endeavor impossible and unwise. You understand, yes?”
“Yeah, I get that. It sucks, but there’s not really too much that can be done about it. No matter how much or how hard you try.”
“Yes,” he sighs in dejected agreement, “You understand well.”
A silence filled the space between the two of you now. Almost uncomfortably so, as you both picked at what remained of your breakfast. The plates and utensils clinking as the meal was soon finished. Otto fiddled with his hands, staring down at them as he began to talk again. Taking your final bite, you pushed the plate forward and looked toward him.
“Sorry, forgive me. Um, but could you tell me a little about yourself? You’ve already told me about what abilities you knew you possessed, but.. How.. exactly.. did these come about? If that’s.. I-If that’s not too much to ask..?”
“Oh. Well, uh..” You jolted, sitting up straighter and looked away to think, tapping your fingers along the counter edge. It’s been a while, wracking your brain to remember. “Well.. All I can remember was I just, sorta, woke up one day and noticed the monthly rent reminder wouldn’t get off my hand when I went to pick it up. That was the first sign I saw. The rest just kinda.. popped up over the next few days. Sudden increase in strength.. stamina.. being able to cling to walls.. That’s all I can remember.”
“I see.. and you wouldn’t happen to remember what caused it? What happened before these abilities showed up?” Otto looked at you with a thoughtful curiosity.
“I mean.. The day before the rent notice, the only thing I can say was notable was going to the Connors’ research lab. They had a free tour. Ugh..” You were thinking as hard as you could, trying to fight back the blanks, “..I think I remember gettin’ home and trying to grab my stuff out of my bag.. but somethin’ hurt me, so I just left it and went to bed. I still don’t know what it was. I checked the bag later on and there wasn’t anythin’ in there that could’ve hurt me.”
“Hm.. You said it was the Connors’ Research Lab?” you nodded at his words, “I think.. it would be good to give them a visit. Might be able to learn something, get some answers for a few questions I have, too.”
“Oh.. Like.. right now? Or-?”
“Well, it was just a suggestion. Wouldn’t you like to go home and recover a little more from what you just went through? We can return back to this at a later date, no issues. It would do you some good after last night’s.. less than savory event.”
There was something sweet about his concern for you. You appreciated it.
"Yeah.. That's a good idea. I'd like to not wear this anymore." You vaguely gestured to your outfit. It was the shirt and pajama shorts you had the evening before. While you didn't mind it usually when you had the weekend off.. You really wanted some fresh clothes.. and a shower.
"Very understandable." he smiled with a light chuckle, "This would give us time to prepare and make plans. You have my number, so send you a date and you can verify whether that works for you as usual."
You smiled back with a nod. It all sounded good to you.
"In the meantime--" Otto stood up and took both your plates, carrying them around the counter to the sink, "I should get you back to your place. I'm sure you'd like that, too, yes?" There was a tone to his voice that you couldn't read.
"Yeah. Let me go get my things. Thanks for the food.. and for helping me, by the way. The saving and bandaging. Thank you." You flashed a little smile and got up to head back upstairs. Missing the flattered look on Otto's face.
Warnings: Mild mentions of blood and implied death, but not really. It's fine, don't worry about it, they're okay.
info: Old buzzards and misconstrued confrontations.
A/N: I am pleased to deliver my next chapter. I'm very proud of this one, I hope any who read it will enjoy it.
any feedback would be appreciated.
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6.1] [6.2] [8]
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[Chapter 7]: Deja Vu
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"Of all times for you to leave on another one of your business ventures.."
"I won't be gone for too long, Otto. I assure you, if something ever happens, I will swoop back here in a heartbeat if you just give me a call."
"Thank you, Adrian, b-but I'm not a child! Really.. Must you joke now?"
The older man chuckled lightly at Otto's exasperation. The two had been standing outside of Oscorp for a while.
Colleagues for nearly a decade now since Otto's employment into the company. Adrian had ventured off to seek work elsewhere on the regular for 3 years and counting. Offering up his technology to others and refusing to reveal anything to Oscorp. He knew well the sketchy nature of the man in charge, never pleased with his attitude towards his employees. He'd already been regretting his employment for some time, but stayed when Otto showed up and presented a lot of promise and skill. Always circling the new employee and watching over him like a hawk.
Today, he had some business to run out of town for a while. Poor Otto was nervous to be left nearly alone at Oscorp once more.
A taxi soon pulled up, and Adrian took to the door. He turned to look at Otto one last time. It was hard to leave knowing his friend was in potential trouble without him there as a pillar of support.
"I'm sorry, but I really must be going, Otto. You can call me at any time. You've a strong and brilliant mind, Doctor Octavius. Don't let that old coot snuff your spark."
"..Goodbye, Adrian."
"I'll be back within a month! I'll notify you as soon as I'm back. We can have lunch then!" and with that, he gave Otto a wave before ducking inside.
Otto waved goodbye and watched solemnly as the taxi drove off. It was the last thing Adrian had seen of Otto.
It wouldn't be the last he heard from him, however. The two kept up an occasional chat over the phone through a rare call, but mostly through text. Checking up on each other and informing each other of their progress. It wasn't until a few weeks into Adrian's venture that something changed.
Adrian figured Otto was merely too busy or tired to give him any calls. Putting his own phone away, Adrian continued on with his day as usual. A couple of days later, there was still no reply from his colleague. A little odd, but Otto had done this before, albeit rarely. He gave it another week, yet their was still no response to his texts. Something was nagging at him. Otto was a grown man, a strong man. He could easily handle himself on his own.. but he was so cowardly, too, as much as it felt wrong to think of his friend like that.
Leaving a meeting with a briefcase in hand, he pulled out his phone and called his friend for the first time in weeks.
There was no answer.
No voicemail, no automated voice message.. dead.
A feeling of anger and dread washed over the old man..
He needed to get back.
----
----
Plastic cups clatter to the floor as an inorganic vine lashes out, knocking them from the table they were stacked. You get up from your sofa and go to pick them up. Stacking them back up to repeat like you had done for the past 5 minutes. Playing with your newly acquired vine-shooters from a couple of days ago.
It was a shame not to use them at all, so you opted to at least play with them. Thinking of it like target practice. You really had no sense of aim, worse with your left, but it was fun regardless. Simply shooting a vine and reeling it back in after managing to knock a cup or more over. You didn't really have much else to do to pass your time in the evening besides draw or browse the internet. So this was a nice change of pace.
Another clatter of the tower of cups, and you're back to stacking them. Up from the couch and onto the floor once more. As you picked up the fifth cup, however, a familiar buzz started up in the back of your head. You sat frozen for a second, turning your gaze to the window next to the table. Hesitating, but you rose and glanced out through the curtains. Turning your gaze up toward the sky, you scanned as much as you could see..
And then you saw it.
You don't know what it was, but something large flew by overhead.. silently. It was impossible to make out anything, even despite the under-glow of the city. Regardless of what it was, you knew it wasn't good. Turning your gaze to your apartment door a moment, then to the vine-shooters on your arms in thought.
Well.. You suppose this is your chance to actually put your costume and gadgets to real use. Although you would rather not, you couldn't help but be drawn to it.
Abandoning the cups still strewn about the floor, you rushed to your room to get ready to head out for the night.
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----
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A clock ticks, a pen writes, and a hand types.
The final signatures, the final emails, the final assessments to end the day, and a mug of coffee to top it off. Routine. That’s how Norman likes it. Like the smoothness of well oiled cogs in a machine. Stacking, pinning and filing the signed papers to set aside, he closed his laptop and stood from his chair. Taking his mug he made his way to his newly repaired windows, one last look over before he headed out. Staring out at the sprawling, glowing city like a king on high to his kingdom below. The thought was enough to crack a smile as he brought the mug up to his lips.
But then something went by.
The building is over 50 stories, what on earth was that?
He leaned in to the window to look around, but didn’t see anything. He placed his mug back on his desk and put a hand to his head. Stress. That must be what this is. Stress and exhaustion. Perhaps he should invest in a holiday for himself, let his company run in the background for a little while without--
Clunk! Crick!
Norman froze and looked toward the window again, catching glimpse of something passing by again. There was a chip in the glass.. A crack. Why was this happening? What was happening? He waited again, watching the window with almost bated breath to see if it happened again.
And it did.
Whatever it was, it circled the building once more and once again beat at his window. He could just make out a few details illuminated by his office light. A figure, almost human, yet not? And.. a cane? It came crashing into the glass, causing it to nearly shatter, cracks splintering all across its surface. Then the figure disappeared, all within a moment’s notice.
He knew he needed to leave. He didn’t want to be here when whatever it was broke through. Spinning around, Norman rummaged his desk for his things and tucked them away in his pockets before rounding the desk to make a run for the door. But he wouldn’t make it. Not before the window finally broke, shards flying out and clattering to the floor.
And in came the figure like a vulture to its prey.
Large black metallic wings shielded the figure, spreading just a little to shake off any fragments of glass. Then, the wings rose up and folded back, revealing the man they were attached to. A strange black headpiece with a red visor shielded his face, obscuring his features. Not obscured enough to hide the sharp scowl, however. Poised to attack at any moment, he stared the redhead down.
"Norman.. You've certainly been busy." The man's voice dripped with venom, the metallic claws he had for boots puncturing through the carpet and crunching the glass beneath. "But the question is.. with what?" He tilted his head and raised the cane to inspect it as he spoke, flicking his eyes up to leer at Norman, "Pushing forward the progress of technology? The progress of medicine? ..Or,” He trailed, walking closer to the CEO, almost circling him as he did, his piercing gaze never leaving him, “the process of removing bloodstains off the carpet?"
“I should have you arrested for breaking and entering. Do you have any idea how expensive those windows are? More than your life is worth.”
“More than Otto’s life? Don’t ignore me, Osborn.”
"You should be used to being ignored, you'd think it would give you thicker skin."
"Don't—" He stepped forward.
"’Don't’? You make an awful lot of demands, Adrian, like a petulant child.. what happened to Otto was his own fault, he’s already costed me enough damages and now you've added to the mess, perhaps I should add it to his check."
Adrian clenched his jaw and gripped his cane tighter, his scowl deepening.
“Ah, but he isn’t here anymore.” Norman continued, “Good riddance, though, I say. A shame, but not a loss to me nor this company.” and that was the last straw.
Adrian ran towards him, reeling his cane back before slamming it, metal handle first, into the floor. Norman dodged out of the way just in time, falling onto the floor in the process. It didn’t matter, Adrian turned on heel and raised his cane once again to try and beat the man.
Zwip!
Before he could even swing, a strange vine shot between him and the Oscorp CEO.
Both men turn their gaze in the direction it came from, resting their eyes uncomfortably upon you. Norman appeared more confused than Adrian, a mutual sense of deja vu for the both of you in this predicament. Adrian, on the other hand, glowered over his shoulder, reminiscent of a painting you’ve seen before. A fallen angel, crying. Yet, no tears were shed.
You reeled the vine back and quickly tried to shoot it again, cursing yourself for your lack of aim. You knew you were entirely out of your element. Your already pounding heart said as much. The vines, however, were your only means of being able to do anything, which was a step up from last time.
“Uh, Y-You shouldn’t do this..!” You stammered out, missing your shot again to vine up the vulture-like man. He merely dodged. Using his cane he wound the vine up and you panicked. Plucking the vine free from the wrist piece just in time as he yanked it, causing you to stumble a little.
Adrian looked down toward Norman and hissed, “When I’m through with her, I’ll be back to collect your corpse for what you’ve done.” And he took off for the window.. and jumped out.
Glancing between the window and Norman on the floor, you spoke, “I’m really sorry!” and bolted toward the door and out to the elevator.
Norman grumbled as he stood up and patted at his suit. Stepping over the shattered glass and torn carpet, he peered out the window to see Adrian disappear over the roof. Great. He turned back to look at his office.. he would need to make more phone calls yet again. And perhaps even up the overall security around the building, inside and out.
This was already getting old.
---
---
The air was warmer than the last time you were here, though it hardly mattered as you were hundreds of feet in the air. Adrian circled overhead, his wings large and looming. As soon as he has noticed you, he swooped down, shouting when he got close enough. He didn’t attack, not just yet.
“This has nothing to do with you, child! My troubles are not your concern!”
You ducked and covered your head, letting out a little shriek as he flew by. How were you supposed to deal with this? Sure you were gifted with superpowers.. but you really were so far out of your element.. You’ve never had a lesson in fighting in your life, can’t throw a punch.. All you’ve really got is your words.. and vines.
“I’m not a child!” You called back, “I-- I-I only want to help! You really shouldn’t be doin’ this!” Neither should you, you thought to yourself.
“I hope you realize that man is a murderer!” He snapped, circling around.
“And you killing him is no better!”
“And you think defending him makes you above us both?!” Adrian swooped down once more, this time directly overhead, causing you to fall back onto the ground as he hovered above you, choking out the words with such vitriol, tears finally breaching the surface, “HE KILLED MY FRIEND!”
Your own tears began to well up behind your mask from the genuine fear of this situation you found yourself in. Fear, and not knowing what to do. What could you do? What could you say?
“That’s not..! I’m sorry--!” But he took off back into the air, not hearing you at all.
You attempted to get up, to stand, but you were knocked back down. A pained cry was ripped from your lungs as his cane collided with your back as he swooped back around. Catching yourself as you fell to your hands and knees with a choked sob, gasping for breath with shock.
“You’ll never understand! He was a good man! A bright future for a brilliant mind like his, cut short!” He circled overhead again, preparing another attack, “And you’re going to defend the man who KILLED him?! I may as well kill you BOTH!”
Your sense flared to life in the back of your mind, albeit delayed, giving you no time to evade, but only enough to look up. You let out a primal cry of fear as you raised your arms up to cover your head. The talons of his boots grazing your skin through the cloth of your suit. The sting from the sharp metal burned and the tears welled up. You are out of your mind coming here.
“I've always known that man was corrupt,” He circles again, allowing you to finally get back to your feet with a hobble and a wheeze, “Never once had he ever uttered an apology in all my time of working at Oscorp. I knew he’d do something like this. I’ve seen a few employees suddenly disappear and be immediately replaced the next day with new recruits!” He slaps the cane in his hand, gripping it as he rolls his head in thought above you, “No explanation at all except an excuse to cover up my hypotheses that Osborn was behind it. They weren't fired nor did they quit,” his attention snaps back to you uncomfortably quick, “they were terminated!” And he swoops down again.
You quickly whip your arm up and try to aim and shoot a vine at him, but you miss. Crying out as he slams his hand into your chest, “Tossed out into the metaphorical shredder so that no one can have them if Norman Osborn can’t abuse them for his own gains!” he pushed you roughly into the ground. The sharp talons on his boots sparking against the concrete roof on either side of your body.
“It was already bad enough with that alone, but my friend?” his nails were like talons themselves, able to pierce both suit layers and scrape your skin as he gripped your clothes and pulled you up to his face, the red makeup highlighted his rage, the distress in his sharp eyes, the huffing of his breath fogging the beak of his birdlike visor a moment before he spoke again, his voice harsh and loud, you could almost swear the fur of his collar spiked up from the force of it.
“He crossed the line too far!”
With as much effort as he could muster, he threw you back to the ground. All you could do was shriek and cry as you made impact. You didn’t know what to do. You wanted to run. You scrambled to stand up, to get to your feet, but as you did, he started talking again.
“There’s nowhere for you to run!” he called out and stormed toward you. You begin to sprint, but he’s on you, kicking off into a quick flight and slamming you into an HVAC. The sound of which boomed and echoed, much like the peculiar shriek that was once again ripped from you. Adrian yanked you a moment, his mechanical wings seizing up at the sound of your shriek and he groaned from the sheer volume of it. Glancing at you through squinted eyes in confusion and curiosity of what that was.
“Please! Don’t kill me! Don’t hurt me! Please! Please! Please, don’t!” You gasped and sobbed, heaving. The lenses of your mask wincing with you from the pain and fear you felt. It seemed to work as he pulled away and you slump back to the ground, landing on your hands and knees, trying to catch your breath.
“Hah.. Neat trick.. But it won’t save you!” You lift your head, confused by his words, your mind throbbing, “I won’t ever forgive you forgetting in the way, and I won’t ever have to after this!” He kicked off, wings lifting him back into the air and all you could do was deeply inhale with a whine.
Clackle.
“I am going to kill Norman Osborn and you will not stop me!”
Shunk.
There was a sound. Getting louder. One you recognize.. not for the better. A mechanical sound.. and the crushing of glass and concrete. It makes your fear rise beyond what it already was. You curl tightly into yourself, hyperventilating then screaming as the sound reached its crescendo above you.
It all happened so fast. Adrian yelling as he swooped down to deliver the finishing blows. Reeling his cane up and over his head.
The slamming of metal to metal booming, followed by the crunching of the HVAC crumbling into itself as if it were made of aluminum. The sharp clash and flutter above you.. All of it made your heart jump and drop. You couldn’t stop the crying, the fear, the pain-- Gosh, you wish you were back home. You hardly even registered the familiar voice shouting at your assailant above your own harsh sobs.
“ADRIAN! STOP! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?!”
“O.. OTTO?!”
“What do you think you’re doing acting like a madman and trying to kill and innocent woman?!”
“I.. I.. I-I thought.. thought you were..” He could only stammer. Shaken to his core to see the man he thought dead was still very well and alive. Standing before him, hovering above the Oscorp roof, supported by his actuators. Two of which closed you in protectively as he stood between you and that vulture of a man.
“Thought I was what? What did you think of me that would cause you to attack her?!”
Adrian yanked his cane back and landed some feet away from Otto and you. Looking down at his hand, the cane, his other hand coming to hold at his head as he looked back toward Otto who was now lowering himself to his feet.
“I.. You can’t be here..! This can’t be happening-- You’re supposed to be DEAD--!”
The word caused the two free actuators to reel.
“Dead? Well, I have news for you-- SHE,” Otto steps aside and points, his actuators protecting you moving just enough to show your miserable form, “SHE is the reason I’m not! So instead of attacking her, you should be thanking her!” He hasn’t yelled like this since he, himself, had attacked you over a month ago. Never once had Adrian ever heard him yell like this before. The sight and sound alone made his wings flinch.
“..Otto.. I.. Oh gosh.. This is too much..” He stumbled back, gripping at his head, trying to process and understand everything. The weight of his actions, the relief of his friend being okay.. Tears started to well and fall from his eyes with the overwhelming stress.
A particularly guttural whine from you caused both men to look at you. Otto didn’t waste any time to rush over to your side, an actuator coming up to shine some light over you to better see your state. The tatters and tears in your costume, the blood and stains forming from your side and arm, the sight of it all made Otto’s heart sink.
“Adrian, we will discuss this later, but right now she needs help!” He turned back to you, “Acedia? A-Acedia, it’ll be alright. You’ll be alright, I promise. I’m going to take you home. Come-- Come here.” He was careful of your injuries as he helped you into a position better for him to lift and carry you. He turned back around to face Adrian who was still there.
“We can’t take her to a hospital, she’ll have to be tended at my place.”
“I’ll come, too.. See that she’s okay..”
With a firm nod from Otto, Adrian took off from the ledge. Otto followed, raising himself up with his actuators and began his rapid descent.
A very important thought to plant from my head to yours of a more mature fic idea with Mysterio. He is yearning for reader borderline obsessed with them. He's a villain unhealthy obsession comes easy. But he's afraid what he's truly like under his costume might not be good enough for them.
So he has a hologram of them that he uses to keep company and that very quickly turns very heated alone. Aching to really touch them, wishing more than anything to feel their palms. Perhaps the hologram just stands or lays there or even moves around for him. But he is alone.
Just absolutely insane heated sexual yearning
it's always passionate sanity reducing yearning with this man. when is it ever not? lots of intense and complex emotions.
reminds me of a post I made on my main back in November of my spidersona and my version of Mysterio, just replace "hologram" with "robot duplicate" ha ha: [link] (it's the last bit in the post, just for reference)
although, I did have another thought even further back, 2 years, that did involve a smoke hallucination tho which would be a little more close to this concept you have. you can see and read a little about it here, actually: [link]
This is a good idea tho. I think people should definitely think about this sort of thing more when it comes to thinking about Mysterio in general. I wanna dissect his brain. metaphorically.
he's so deeply fascinating, a tortured artist, a tortured poet, a man of passion so untamed.. refined and unrefined at the same time.. love makes him crazy, delirious, even. Hard for him to contain himself. Expressing himself through his own art and craft as it's the only way he knows how. a potent, almost toxic concoction of emotions boiling inside him, threatening to combust. the yearning, the longing, the desire, the need.. and the fear. oh the fear and worry. his inferiority peeking its ugly little head up from the bile of his mind.
he's a bitter man.. a bitter man to the world.. but only his love makes him sweet, weak, and soft.. a constant battle raging on within him. his heart and mind at war. and he is but the poor fool standing in the middle of that no man's land between the two warring sides.
similar to [this post] but here's a collection of fic prompts and concepts for general Mysterio (not mcu) that I've thought about over the past 2 years that are of a more mature type.
this will probably be a little long, but please feel free to take one and go for it or even more if you have any further ideas and would like to write any of these. I would love to see some of these be brought to reality and fill up the Quentin x reader tag on ao3 (minus mcu, there's only 6 fics..)
again, just like the other post: I will add more as I think of them. but please enjoy these, I'm a little shy/embarrassed to be sharing these jkdhfsdj but I hope y'all enjoy them!
..Listen. I know we all find him hot. his costume is extremely sexy, okay. most of these can be summed up as "getting intimately acquainted with the man in costume". I am a very simple and basic woman, I'm sorry. I know what I like and want. and it's Mysterio.
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- You've been dating Mysterio for awhile.. and he wants to treat you to a little karaoke night. You're not much for singing and he knows this, that's why he's reserved a special room to put on a special little show just for you. Truth be told, he's a bit nervous and hopes this goes well.. after all. He's gonna be giving you a little lap dance in full costume. Serenading you with song and dance.
- Just some good ole Mysterio using his illusions to create dupes of himself (making the reader giggle and kick their feet internally). Surely that won't lead to him getting jealous of his own clones while tending to his beloved and trying to fight them off for dominance?
- How do you suppose he'd react to finding out that your deepest desire is him when you're placed inside the Mysterium? Him being very talkative and excited, but as soon as he sees himself in the illusions.. he stammers and goes quiet. Awkward silence as the illusion does its own thing.. walking towards you, greeting you.. Does Quentin leave the control room to meet you in the illusion room? Or does he remain and simply watch with curiosity to see how this plays out.. after all, it IS based on your desires.. I think the thought of someone being so desiring of HIM would certainly stroke his ego. Make him a little crazy.. ;)
- Have you considered the reader being the spider-person and tying Mysterio up sexily in their webs? I bet if the feelings are mutual, he'd be very into it and giving a bit of banter to keep things going. Things are going to get very interesting if this keeps up between the two.. and they're both very very invested in this little two-player game.
- Listen. I just want him to touch me like he did to the Tablet of Order & Chaos in Shattered Dimensions. I'm sorry. The way he just.. runs his stupid sexy clawed gloved hand along the tablet as he dips his voice and says "to have a taste.. of the real thing.. ahaha..!" I need him whimpering.
- Mysterio playing "villain" with the reader who is the spider-person (literally) and it's just them. there's no real big event happening, they're just doing this as a little fun play thing. Reader is giggling and enjoying every minute of this as Mysterio is playing his part, oh the things he's saying, the way he keeps getting closer. The way he touches them.. it makes them melt and flustered. Mysterio is also enjoying every minute of this, getting one heck of an ego stroke from how much they love and trust him, even when he's "trying" to be all scary and intimidating.. It just makes things all the more.. titillating for them both. ;)
- I just.. come on. Spider-person!Reader and TSSM Beck.. he isn't in his Mysterio outfit, but is instead in his suit.. reader is in costume and.. well.. both of them have always had a nagging thought about how badly they wanted the other while in those clothes.. and now they have the chance to act on that little thought and live it out.
info: Art meets craft.. they get along quite well.
A/N: This is very long so I broke it up into 2 parts. This is the longer of the two, but it's necessary I keep it in tact.
any feedback would be appreciated.
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6.1] [7] [8]
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[Chapter 6] Part 2
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There wasn't much to really see in it. It was rather sparse save for some boxes and shelves. A few tables had been set up with computers around the walls. Some larger furnishings were covered with tarp. The back wall was rounded off, and in the center of the room was a short platform. Strange grooves in the flooring of it noted potentially hidden extras. This was proven correct as Otto walked a little deeper and pressed a button on a nearby desk. The shapes marked into the floor by grooves rose up, revealing tables tables. Pressing a few more buttons, the lab really lit up, allowing you a better view.
"This is only the first half. The other half is through that door over there." Otto pointed toward the wall on the same side as the entrance. There was a sturdy door built into the far end of the wall.
"There's nothing to see in there besides some large machines.. and the.. a-arms." He was hesitant and quiet as he said those last three words, a bit afraid to cause you any discomfort as his guest.
"..Wow.. This is.. really cool..!" Your gaze wandering around the room with fascination did quell his mind, however. There may not have been much to see in the lab, but it nevertheless impressed you. It was the first time you’ve ever been in a real lab. Well.. aside from the Connors’ lab you toured in.
“My housing and the renovations for a lab to be installed into it were all funded by Oscorp, as are the machines.” Otto mused, "although, I suppose I own them myself now. I have all the time in the world to tinker with these machines however I see fit." It was an attempt to make a positive out of the situation. The implication that Oscorp would require him no longer hung in the air uncomfortably.
"I'm really sorry about your job."
"Hm? What for? You had nothing to do with it."
"I know.. I just feel bad." You began to fiddle with your hands, looking away.
"That's alright. The job was torment, anyway. Rarely got anything fun out of it despite it being a dream career. I can find better employment within my field elsewhere without Oscorp breathing down my neck now."
You didn't know what else to say, so you remained silent, save for a little hum in acknowledgment of his words. The two of you stood idle in the silence of his lab a moment before Otto cleared his throat.
"An.. Anyways. Now that you know a little about me.. May I know a little about you? Like.. If you don't mind me asking.. Why did you do all that? Saving me.. How did you manage that?"
"Uh.. um.." Suddenly you felt quite put on the spot, "I--" Your mind raced to think of a response, "..I just kinda.. sensed it. Somethin' was wrong, and I followed it to Oscorp.. I climbed up the side of the buildin' and into the busted window to your lab. That's when I found you. I-I didn't know if you were alive a-and it really scared me.. but when I did, I picked you up and carried you out. I just wanted to help."
"You..?" Otto blinked, unable to hide the fact he looked you up and down. His mind processing and calculating, dumbfounded by what you had told him, "You managed to do all of that? ..That's quite the superpower you have. Are you, perhaps, a new superhero? If so, then.. perhaps I could--"
You regretted how fast you responded, "Oh, no! I.. I-I mean.. I could never handle that kind of work.. What I did already was more than what I was able to handle.."
"Oh.." He sounded rather disappointed, which only served to make you feel even more regret.
"..I mean.. it'd be cool if I was. I don't even have a costume, though.. I'm not a fighter.. I can't even throw a punch.."
"..Well.. I could help with the costume.. I-If you're willing to allow? I was just about to suggest it." When he received no answer beyond a surprised yet puzzled reaction, he continued speaking, "It would be a better level of payment than simply just repairing your other clothing. After all, I owe you my life."
Otto remained on his side of the lab, allowing you the freedom and space to consider his offer. You only stood there in silence. Your hands held at your chest, fiddling with your fingers in anxious thought. A small part of him wished he could read your expression.
"..I.." You began, your quiet voice cracking through the tense air between you, "..I'd really appreciate that.. Thank you." It felt bad to keep receiving from someone who got nothing in return, but you had already come this far.
Otto seemed hesitant at first but quickly perked up. It wasn't every day that a small project idea of his was ever accepted.
"Oh, wonderful! Now, uhm. Where to begin--" He shuffled quickly around the room, rummaging through the drawers of a desk and cabinet, retrieving some pencils and paper, "I've never designed any clothing before, nor have I made any, b-but I think I can manage." Carrying the newly acquired items, he walked back to you and pulled out a chair from a nearby desk and motioned for you to sit, "Come, have a seat. We can brainstorm some ideas and go from there. Do you have anything in mind?"
You stared at the doctor and the papers on the desk, not having moved yet from your spot. Hands gripping the strap of your bag tightly a moment as your mind raced. It was at a sudden idea that you began to move. Taking your place across from the man, you pulled out your phone from your bag and opened up your drawing app.
"I'm better digitally." You mutter shyly, "Uhm.. let me get a base started."
Otto merely watched in curious awe as you moved your fingers to quickly and well-trained across the screen, sketching out the shape of a human figure. Copy, paste, flip, and edit.. in no time at all, you had completed your base.
"You're quite good at that." Was all Otto could say.
"Thanks."
"Now, do you have any ideas? I'm more accustomed to crafting machinery and tools than I am with costume design.."
"No.. sorry, I don't know where to begin.. uh.. I would like to look cute and friendly, though.."
"Hm.." his eyes wander in thought from you to the paper, to the door leading upstairs, then back to you before speaking up again with an idea, "Would you mind if I made a start? I think I have something in mind we could work with as a starting off point."
"Sure, go ahead." You were curious now.
As Otto began to sketch out the idea he had, you leaned in to watch. While he wasn't much of an artist, his skills weren't too bad. You could tell, however, that his way of using a pencil was more for drawing blueprints and making notes. The movements were more mathematical and rigid, a far cry from your more free-flowing style that most artists had. Aside from the quality, you observed the content of what he drew. After one sketch, Otto paused. He took a quick glance up at your masked face, searching your unreadable expression. Brows knitting and eyes squinting with another idea as he moved on to another sketch on the page.
The look of it still didn’t feel quite right. Nothing super heroic about it. He tapped the end of the pencil to his chin, his front teeth just barely digging into the soft eraser as he thought again. Finally, he had one last idea. Moving to a new empty space on the page, he started to sketch once more. He sat more upright with a little pride and turned the paper for you to view it better.
“What do you think?”
“Oh..!”
It was this final sketch that gave you quite a big idea. Perking up and fumbling with your phone, you went back to the app and started a new layer to draw your costume on. There wasn’t too much you changed or added. Puffed shorts that connect and sag around the knee create a unique silhouette. Markings on the thighs that could be pockets and a belt with a circular buckle. Upon the buckle is a peculiar little design, the abstract face of a sloth. The vest and sleeves and even the mask from Otto’s own sketches were present within your new design. There was a black zip-up vest with a green v-shape across the chest and 2 brown stripes around the waist on either side. The legs were black with a green gradient from the foot to the knee, and a yellow stripe separated the toes, which were given lines to resemble more claws.
Otto was quite fascinated by how quickly you managed to draw and color all of that on your phone so well. Adjusting his glasses as you finished and handed over your phone for him to see it.
"Well now.. This is some remarkable work!"
You couldn't help the little smile at his compliment. Even if he couldn't see it, he could hear a small giggle escape you.
"It will be a bit of work, but I think we can manage this. Although," he laid the phone back down and twisted it for you to see as he explained, "It appears we may need to make this into a 2-piece outfit if we're going to make it work." He pointed to where the knees of the shorts and legs met, "Perhaps not spandex itself, but some other material could work for an under layer. Do you think.. you could design that for me?"
You nodded your head curtly and took your phone back again. Another layer and another several minutes later, and you slid it back over for review once more. The design was a little fancy, but what really caught his eye was the hands. He even questioned if they were finger-less, but you corrected him.
"Oh, no, it's fully covered. I thought it'd be cute if it looked like the claws a bit."
He had to agree. It did look cute.
"Well, all we need now is an idea of what it looks like from behind, and then we can begin with measurements and go from there. I'll leave that to you while I go look for something to measure with."
As Otto left, you continued to draw. Drawing always helped to keep you calm and think. Distracts the mind, getting absorbed in the process of design. Within the time it took Otto to retrieve his things and return, you had finally finished your work. Each element had been separated into its own folder of layers as well as additional notes on the design to make it comfortable for you. You were most proud of the hole in the back of the full head mask for your hair.
"I did a li'l extra tweakin' on it. I think I'm actually kinda happy with it.. I hope it's not too complicated..?"
"Oh? Have you? Let me have a look-see."
As Otto sat his things down on the table and found his seat again, he took one final look at your work.
"To say I'm impressed would be quite the understatement. This is really good!" His face lit up with awe at the work you had done and even more as you explained the layers as he flipped through them to see all that you had done, "I'm sure we can find a way to make this all work out just fine. O-Or at least as much as possible."
Otto handed your phone back to you and reached into his supplies for the measuring tape. He hesitated when turning back to face you, giving you a quick, nervous look before nodding his head.
"I'll, uhm, need you to stand up for this. I'll need to take your measurements, after all."
The tension grew a bit awkward then, but you complied. Standing from the desk and walking around to stand a bit closer to the doctor as he unfurled the tape. From this close, his height was all the more obvious as your eyes were down-turned to see his face. It was only a moment that you looked at him, but as soon as he glanced up at you and your eyes met that, you jolted and looked away. He cleared his throat just as you did.
"This.. Th-This is only going to take a moment. If you don't mind." With a hand, he lifted your arms out like that of a scarecrow, "I’m just going to measure your limbs, if that’s alright?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“I’ll give you the tape when I’m done, and we can get the rest of your measurements. For now.. hold still.” And with that, he stretched out the tape and began measuring your arms. You couldn’t help the memory of high school cropping up in your mind. Getting your measurements now feels no different from then.. aside from the lack of a potential audience. Luckily, Otto was quick with his hands and took a few steps away from you as he finished up. Offering you the tape with a smile. You took it with a small thanks.
“The final measurements will be your.. uhm.. y-your hips, waist.. and bust.”
He didn’t look at you as he struggled to speak that last bit. You couldn’t blame him, though.
Since you had done this once before, you knew what to do and got right to work wrapping the tape around your body. Calling out the final numbers the doctor needed, and he jotted them down with the rest. Dropping the tape off onto the desk, he turned back to you with a glance and a smile, holding up the paper.
“Well, now that that’s done, I think I can continue patching up your other costume, and we can decide upstairs what we’ll do for the next step.” he led you back out to the living room as he continued, “Firstly, we’ll need the materials-- I already have a few things in mind that could be good, but I’ll need to know what colors to use.”
“Browns and blacks would be good. More natural colors.. like a sloth. Bits of green, too, since they often have moss growing in their fur for camouflage, and ‘cause they’re so slow.” you responded. Your nerves from the start have dissolved away by this point, and you’ve become relatively comfortable. You’ve even nearly forgotten all about how awkward it was that you were still wearing your masks. Even Otto, himself, seemed more at ease, too, by this point.
This whole experience thus far has been surprisingly enjoyable, all things considered. Sitting back down where you had first sat when you arrived, you kept your attention on the doctor. He prattled on about various questions and topics as he picked up where he left off on patching up your clothes, and you responded whenever necessary to his inquiries. The time passed by comfortably enough, a little laughter shared between the two of you, and soon enough, your outfit was fully patched. He held it up to marvel at his work before handing it back to you to place back into your bag.
“Well, now,” he began, “I suppose it’s time you get to heading back. It’s been..” he trailed to check his watch, his expression went from a calm little smile to a flash of fear and surprise, “O-Oh dear! Has it really gotten this late? Have you really been here this long?”
“Oh, crap--! Yeah, I really need to get back!” his surprise was enough to make you also aware of how much time had passed since you had arrived, entering your own state of mild panic, making “The sun’s gonna start setting soon.. I really gotta hurry before--!”
“O-Oh, no! It’ll be much too late by the time you get back to the city limits, even by bus! That one has never been too reliable. Please, a-allow me to take you there myself? I’d feel horrible allowing you to go home alone like that. It’s unsafe.”
“..Well that’s true.. but how? Do you have a car or somethin’?”
“I do, yes. It’ll be better than having you walking around with, well..” he gestures slightly with his hand at his face as he looks at you, “that on your face. It’d be awkward, and I don’t want any more discomfort between us.”
“..Heh, you do have a point..” You felt a little self-conscious now, being reminded of your facial coverings. Your head turned down in embarrassment but lifted again at the reiteration of his question.
“So.. Would you allow me to drive you? I-I understand fully if you’d like me to drive you to someplace nearby and not directly to where you live. I’m still a stranger to you, after all.”
“I know you’re not a bad guy,” you said quickly, but realizing how that might be a little weird, you added, “I-I mean-- You’ve been really nice to me, so.. I don’t mind if you took me.” You didn’t know how to explain the senses you had.. you didn’t even know if you should.
He shot you a quizzical look at your initial comment but was relieved and a bit flattered by your acceptance of his offer. He beamed and stood up, offering his hand to help you up from your chair.
“Excellent. Come, I’ll show you the way.”
“Thanks, and okay..!”
---------
The ride back to the city was a relatively quiet one. Music was playing on the radio as you gave Otto directions from your phone to a destination not too far from your apartment. The two of you agreed to meet up there to make the trip to and from his home all the easier for you. Especially concerning the protection of your identity and your general comfort. Upon arrival, you both bid the other farewell and made plans on your next visit. Making note of it on your phone, you waved goodbye and removed your masks as soon as he drove off, taking in the cool evening air. Despite the buzzing nerves, you were oddly a bit excited to do this. Thoughts of what the finished product would be like flashed through your mind as you made your way back home.
The meeting came and went, laying down the foundations of what materials were needed as well as estimates of how long it would take. Further visits were planned subsequently throughout nearly the whole month. It was fun watching as scraps and cloths and metal were meticulously cut, sewn, and molded into shape. You offered and did all you could to aid in the process. Hand sewing some elements with his gentle instructions. Pockets of tan, yellow, and brown decorated the thighs, all done mostly by you. A brown patch, too, on the back of the small yellow-furred hooded green vest. Otto handled the bulk of the creation, however. He was quite diligent on following your request to make the costume look cute and friendly. Emotive eyes on the mask were a detail he was quite proud of.
The costume was nearing completion, and the two of you had become more comfortable and familiar with one another throughout the process. You even shared what you knew about your abilities, even going so far as to demonstrate them with the doctor taking notes with a deep fascination. It was all valuable information that added to the production.
Soon enough, the costume was complete, and you were waiting in the living room of Otto’s place until he was ready for you. You had begun to wander, gazing at the decorations and photos. He seemed to have an affinity for aquatic life, eying two small and cute ceramic octopuses on one shelf with a smile. You turned your head to another shelf, your eyes being drawn to a particular set of photos. One showed Otto and Norman Osborn at what you assumed was a science conference.. You weren’t sure. Another showed Otto at a graduation ceremony, a smile on his face, and a rolled up diploma held firmly in hand. You couldn’t help but smile back at it.
The last photo was more interesting. It showed Otto standing next to another taller man, both of them in lab coats. The other man was older with circular glasses perched on his hooked nose, a chain falling from the frames around his neck. One hand held a fancy cane that if you leaned and squinted looked like a bird, his other hand placed familiarly on Otto’s shoulder. Despite the rather plain coat, he had a rather striking look to him..
“Something catch your eye?”
You shuffled back with a gasp when the doctor suddenly spoke beside you. He apologized with a small jolt of his own, not expecting you to have reacted like you had. You noted in his hands was a rag, likely one from his lab he was just in. He spoke again, turning to look toward the photos you were gazing at.
“Hm.. I should text him as soon as I get a new phone..” Otto muttered quietly to himself as he looked at the redhead in the photo. You were hesitant, but your curiosity was piqued.
“..Is he someone important?”
“Hm? Oh, well, I’d say so. He’s a good friend of mine. Business partner, too. Despite how he may appear, he’s quite a considerate and friendly man. A brilliant mind, too, taught me a few things since hire. He's one of the best things to happen to me in Oscorp for the past nearly 10 years.”
You hummed in understanding, looking back at the photo. Eying the man’s face a moment before Otto spoke up again.
“Well, anyway-- I’ve got your costume all set in the lab and ready for fitting.” he fiddled with the rag as he spoke, holding out his hand in the direction of his lab with a smile, “I’m very excited about this.”
“Me, too.” You happily followed him downstairs.
Just as Otto had said, the costume was set up on a table. Laid out neatly was every part they created. Mask, under suit, over suit, belt, and hooded vest. There were two small boxes off to the side on the same table. It didn’t concern you, though, as your eyes were glued to the costume in awe.
“Ooohh!!” Eyes wide as you rushed over to the table to get a better look, leaning and looking it over with excitement, “It looks so cool all put together!”
“I’ve set up a little dressing area behind the curtains over there for you to try it on whenever you’re ready. I’d like to know if I need to make any minor adjustments.”
“Okay!” Wasting no time you gathered up the costume and rushed behind the curtains. It was a bit awkward to be changing your clothes in his lab like this, but you appreciated his consideration to build you a spot for some privacy. You made quick work at doing away with your face coverings and any other clothing that would get in the way. Slipping into the under suit, you marveled at how breathable and stretchy it was.
All the while, you were getting dressed. Otto had gone to a different corner of the lab. Examining some notes and blueprints he had been fussing over on his own time. It shouldn’t have been too hard to create, but some of the materials he would need were.. well.. difficult to come by. He called out to you after a few moments.
“You’ve probably already noticed, and its not like you’d be needing them, but I’m terrible sorry I couldn’t make those claws you designed. This little project would have taken a lot longer to complete otherwise, and I’d have been more than happy to do it. However..”
As he turned around, he paused as you stepped out in full costume. The lenses on the mask give quite a cute expression as you adjust your hair, pulling it out from the vest. He was very pleased to know the simple tracking worked perfectly.
“That’s okay. The rest of it fits really well! It’s really cute and comfortable. It’s so cool I’m actually wearin’ this! Sorry, what were you saying?”
“I-It is? Why, thank you..!” Otto beamed and fiddled shyly with his glasses a moment. He wasn’t all that used to having such enthusiasm in regard to his creations. It wasn’t a very common reaction he got back at Oscorp, “Y-Yes. I-- I was just saying,” Walking back toward the table, he picked up one of the two boxes you noted before and brought it to you, “I was able to create something else.”
With your gaze turned toward the box, he popped it open. Inside was a set of long wrist bands that shared the same colors as your costume. A small yellow device sat on the top with a little button attached by a short wire. He sat the box down on the table and pulled the bands out to present them.
“I am most proud of these.”
“What are they?”
“Well.. Let’s call them ‘vine shooters’.”
“Vine?”
“Yes. You see.. Over the past week while you were away, I got this wonderful idea. Now, I know they don’t actually climb or hang from vines, but I thought you might find it fun to use.” As he spoke, he motioned for your arm and helped to slide it on. He turned your hand palm up once it was attached, “There’s a little slit here on the grip pad where this little button fits.” He slipped it in, then stepped back to give you some room.
“I’ll let you see what happens when you press it. I’ve already tested it myself to make sure it actually worked. Go ahead and point your wrist at that pipe over there. Palm down, of course.”
Just as you were asked, you took as good an aim as you could at the pipe he pointed out. Using your ring and middle fingers, you pressed the button, feeling it click satisfyingly. All in a moment, a yellow metallic chain with green leaf-like décor sprung out from the wrist mounted device. The chain encircled the pipe in seconds, latching onto itself with a little clawed hook at the end. Words could not express how amazing that was to you, though you still let out a little‘Whoa..!’
“Vines! Just as strong as my actuators, they’d be nearly impossible to break. So, you won’t need to worry about your strength as you hold onto it! What, uhm.. What do you think of it?”
“This is so awesome! I REALLY love this! Thank you so much!” You chirped, beaming beneath the mask. Otto’s nerves were put at ease, knowing his hard work was so well received.
“I-I’m glad to hear that..! And thank you, too, for letting me make it all! It was nice to have something to do while looking for new work. Kept the hands and mind nice and occupied.” He lifted the remaining box as he spoke and showed you what was inside.
“By the way, those vines are very special and come in these little cartridges. They can be reused at any time, but I made a bunch just in case. You never know.”
“Ah, thanks..! And yeah, sometimes things can happen. Get lost or broke. I get it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to use any of this, but it’s cool to have it at least. I really appreciate everything.”
“No worries, that’s alright. You don’t need to use it, but,” checking the time on his watch, “Seeing as it’s almost getting late, I don’t think you’ll be using it to get home, either.”
“Ah.” You pulled your phone out from one of the costume’s pockets where you had stashed it earlier to see what time it was for yourself, “Wow, you’re right. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.”
Otto laughed at that.
“Indeed. Now, I’ll go grab my coat and keys while you get changed.”
“Alright! I’ll meet you upstairs.”
---
As you worked on stashing your costume into your bag downstairs, Otto couldn’t help but return back to that photo of him and his friend. It’s been a while since..
“..I’ll get a new phone while I’m out.. give the ole worrywart a text.”
info: Second impressions, an awkward reintroduction.
A/N: Happy New Year. This is very long so I broke it up into 2 parts. This is the shorter of the two.
small cameo of my treasured friend @ghoul-bunny who was mentioned before, but unnamed in chapter 3.
any feedback would be appreciated.
Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6.2] [7] [8]
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[Chapter 6] Part 1
==============
It had been a few weeks since that incident at Oscorp, and over a month since the incident that started it in the same location.
You had gone back to your usual routine by this time. Working and occasionally following your senses to try and help people, even if you didn't have anything on you to make a bigger difference. It sure would be nice..
'..I don't know how, but I would like to make it up to you.' His words echo in your mind. 'It's the very least I could do, but would you allow me to repair your costume?'
That had been something you've been thinking about ever since. You were nervous and uncertain, even going so far as to speak with your friend about it. Such is the case of now as you turned to enter your favorite little restaurant, the Commodité Café. It was just a fancy name. Walking in and heading towards your favorite windowed booth, you spotted your friend already enjoying a little meal.
Sai was a very unique individual. A small, fat mutant covered in a rich green fur from head to toe. Digitigrade with a tail that ended in the shape of a fin. Sharp teeth stuck out like an overbite from their short rabbit-like muzzle. One vibrant green right eye and a scar over where their left one would have been. Finally, shoulder-length furry green ears fell down with a little outward flare at the ends on either side of their head. A few piercings on each ear to match their red beanie and pink heart jacket.
"Hey, Sai..!" You greeted comfortably as you got seated.
"Hey," they replied, swallowing a mouthful of seasoned fries, "You still worked up about the scientist guy?"
"Yeah.. I really just don't know whadda do.. He didn't give me any bad vibes. So, I know he was bein' genuine, but like.. I'm scared of something happening or even losing my outfit.. I know I'm probably better off goin' somewhere else and gettin' it repaired there, but that's so expensive.. But I'd feel worse that I'd be gettin' somethin' like that for free from someone and--"
You began to ramble on, and Sai's attention began to wander as they listened. The rush of cars and the hustle and bustle of people outside was a common sight through any window. The chime of the entrance rang quiet, nearly lost to the chatter of the other patrons. Watching as a tall, tan man with a black bowl cut and brown suit walked in and headed towards the back of the restaurant, papers clutched in hand. A family of three came in shortly after and found their seat. It was a moderately busy time of day. Their gaze dropping back to their food, then back to you once more as you finished.
"Listen," they began, "as much as I hate this guy 'cause he attacked you, a free patch job is a free patch job. 'Sides, if he gives you any trouble again, I'll personally hunt him down. You can always just text me if anything happens."
They had a funny way of reassuring you, but nevertheless, it worked. You made a note to head out as soon as you could to take the doctor’s offer.
--
'Here is my contact card if you ever consider accepting my offer. Again, I'm terribly sorry..'
You fiddled with the card in your hand, his words ringing softly in your ears. 'Doctor Otto Octavius' the pastel yellow card read in a pretty red ink. The subtle glitter of the red lettering was enough of a distraction to pass the time as you took the bus to the suburbs outside the main city. Traveling alone always made your anxiety churn, feeling a little ill as a result. Holding your bag close on your lap, the onesie tucked neatly inside, your mind begun to spin.
What were you to even expect upon arriving? You were heading to a complete stranger's house. To say you were nervous was an understatement. You only hoped and prayed this wasn't like any of the intrusive thoughts that flashed through your mind. Shaking your head, you stuffed the card inside it and pulled out your phone. Opening up the map app, you input the location on the card and watched as you got closer to your general destination. You figured it would be wise to have it at the ready, never knowing how confusing suburbs could be in their layout. You remember fondly the times your parents would get turned around and a little lost when trying to navigate such areas back home. How different could New York be from Texas?
As the bus reached its stop, you were about to find out.
Shutting the phone off and tucking it into your pocket for now, you got up and stepped foot outside onto the sidewalk. Pulling out the phone again, you turned it back onto the map and began to follow the trail.
The houses were quaint and varied. Colorful with at least one or two trees in the fronts of half the houses you passed by. A few had decor, the swings, and at least one hammock you saw along your way made you long for some rest and relaxation. Alas, you had to keep going and focus on the signs.
Map reading was a moderate talent of yours, making it quite easy to find your way in no time.
After a few lefts and a right or two, you shut your phone off and tucked it back into your pants. Observing the numbers of the houses you walked by, you finally took pause. The street you were on was on a curved uphill road, the houses having small fences and steps leading up to the front doors. Various trees provided a nice level of cover from the sun. Otto's house stood before you. It was lain with beautiful black and red bricks and topped with a black roof.
Making your way up to the door, your sense of feeling out of place grew stronger. You had come too far to back out now, your anxiety be darned. You took from your bag your masks you wore in your onesie and put them on. Swallowing down your nerves, you took a deep breath and gave the bell a ring.
The silence that followed the cute jingle of the doorbell made it painfully awkward as you waited. Allowing your gaze to wander to pass the time. Pots and plants hung from the awning and upon the steps and railing of the covered porch. You wondered to yourself if he did gardening as a side hobby; something you didn't know much about as all the plants around your apartment were fake. You never had the time that would allow for learning. At best you could probably stand to care for a devil's ivy or a resurrection fern..
Sounds from inside made you jump, jolting your thoughts back to the present. You stood a little taller and gripped your bad strap a little tighter as the door finally opened with an interrupted apology.
It was the first time you got a good look at the man.
His stature was short and stout; a few inches shorter than yourself, yet his size made up for that. He filled out a green sweater vest rather pleasantly with a lovely yellow button-up dress shirt below it. A cute reddish bow-tie was like the cherry on top of his overall outfit. A far cry from how you had found him in that Oscorp laboratory all those weeks ago. Even his hair was different from then, no longer was it mostly combed back-- No, it was short and curly in a way which hid the almost bowl-like cut. A middle-parting with thick dark sideburns framing his face quite nicely, matching his eyebrows.
He merely looked at you in surprise, eyes lingering around the masks that covered your face for a moment before finally darting away. Fidgeting with the large square-framed glasses perched on his nose with a cough. You couldn't help but think him a little cute, especially with his matching overbite to your own. You smiled to yourself beneath the mask at that.
"Oh..!" He finally spoke, "You're.. You came. I-I didn't think you would, if I'm being honest. Not that I would blame you.. Ah! Forgive me-- Would you like to come in?" He stepped to the side with a smile and held the door open a little wider to allow you some room to enter, an arm stretched out inward to welcome you in.
All thoughts in your mind had come to a sudden halt as you merely watched the man stumble on his own words and give greeting. He was surprisingly different from how you had seen him before. You gave a nod and stepped inside. The way he eyed your masks made you feel all the more awkward..
“Please, have a seat, make yourself at home.” He led you down the entryway, past 2 sets of stairs and toward the living room. It was a very comfortable space with a sofa and two chairs sitting atop a large circular rug. A lovely brown wooden home entertainment center set up on the wall opposite to the sofa. There were a generous number of plants and framed photos and many, many books on the shelves of it.
Otto took his seat on the sofa and you in a chair across from him. There was an awkward silence creeping in, but it hadn't had time to settle before it was broken again. Otto cleared his throat before turning to you.
"Would you like a drink? I-I have water, and--" He was just as much of a nervous little mess as you. Somehow, that put you a little at ease.
"That'd be nice, thanks."
"Got it. I'll be right back."
And he left the room. The kitchen was nearby enough that you could hear him getting what you asked. You clutched at your bag again and looked around. Staring up at the ceiling with barely a thought. A small trickle of questions passing in your mind. What to say next. What to do. You really wished you were more capable of thinking things through more to the end, planning ahead..
Luckily, you weren’t alone for too long as Otto returned shortly, two glasses of iced water in hand. He placed one on the side of the coffee table between the both of you that was closest to you, sitting back down with his own. He took a sip and allowed you time to take your own, a silence settling heavy. There was a thick tension in the air, neither one of you sure of what to do. It made you antsy. It seems he noticed your discomfort with a glance and decided to break the silence.
“I.. I know this is probably very uncomfortable for you, but I’m a little relieved you actually decided to come here.” he began, “I respect your choice of anonymity.” Noting your masks, “That’s understandable..” he trailed off a little, but quickly piped up again, “but you don’t have anything to worry about, though.”
“What?”
“The actuators--” he stopped himself, figuring you wouldn’t know what he was referring to, correcting himself with something more or less to the point, “Err, my metal limbs. I don’t have them in, so--”
“..In?” you inquired.
“Oh. Yes, they can be removed. It’s just the harness. You don’t have to worry.”
Your eyes wandered a second towards his middle as he motioned with his arms as he spoke. He lifted his vest up to show the dark metal harness just below it, still bound around him. The shirt he wore was bunched up around the top of it from what you could tell before he pulled the vest back down.
“That’s.. good to know, thank you.” You averted your gaze back to your lap and the bag that lay there. It was a reminder of what you came for.
"Uhm..” You lifted your head again to speak, eyes dipping from Otto to the bag and back for just a moment, “I-I brought my outfit with me. It's in my bag. I.. don't know when you wanna take it to work on it.. and.." You trailed off.
"Oh! O-Oh, yes, that's right! W-Would you mind letting me see?" He jolted and looked toward your bag. You hummed with a little nod and began to pull out the costume. It had been washed and dried since the incident, taking your best care not to distress any of the tears further. It was still folded to the best of your abilities as you handed it over.
Otto leaned over and took it, resting back on the sofa as he unfurled the costume to see the damage he had done. Remorse danced uncomfortably on his features, making mental note of each rip and tear and hole that needed to be patched and sewn. He felt a little sick remembering and thinking of what he could have potentially done had you not been there.. if you hadn’t reached out.
“This shouldn’t take too long. You wait here, I’ll go and get my things.” he placed the clothing down beside him and stood up to leave, “You are welcome to help yourself to a snack in the kitchen in the meantime. It’s right over there.” he pointed in the direction he’d gone to retrieve the water. Seeing you look over and nod, he gave an awkward smile and headed off upstairs.
When Otto came back down a few minutes later with a box of sewing supplies in hand, he was surprised to see that you had not moved. Truth be told, you felt bad about taking from the home of someone else. He didn’t question it, however, and merely cleared his throat as he placed the supplies on the center table and sat himself back down. Shooting one last nervous glance your way, he began to retrieve the things he’d need; needle and thread and a thimble or two. It was as he was thumbing through the threads for the right colors that he spoke again.
“..Do you mind if I ask your name..? We.. Uh.. W-Well.. We haven’t been properly introduced.. My name is Otto, i-if it puts you at ease that I go first..?”
You turned your head from where you had drifted off into space, blinking at him with a start. You hesitated to speak your real name, opting instead to continue the false one you had used once before.
“I’m.. Acedia. Otto’s.. a cute name.”
“..Oh. Well, thank you.” That surprised him, making his first stitch, “Acedia is a rather unique name. Pretty, despite its history.”
You perked up a little at that comment, happy to have it acknowledged.
“Yeah, I thought it was clever.”
He chuckled and agreed, continuing on with his sewing. He was 2 finished tear patches in when another silence settled between you. You had pulled out your phone and hesitated to turn it on. Fiddling with your apps and texts with your friends. You weren’t on it for long, turning it off and looking at your reflection in silence.. You turned your phone around, feeling more embarrassed and awkward about your masks. It appears Otto had noticed as the next thing you knew, you were jolted by the sound of the TV suddenly turning on and the light clack of the remote being placed back onto the table.
“..I thought we could use some noise.”
“Ah, thanks.”
“Of course.”
You looked over at his work, seeing how well his stitching was. It had you wishing you could remember what you had learned all those years back in high school. That one year learning about sewing and making clothes..
“Halfway there. I’m usually better with knitting..” came Otto’s voice with a small, awkward chuckle. “Ehm.. What about you? If you don’t mind me asking..?”
“Oh, uh.. I don’t mind mind. Um, I can’t really sew.. I never had a machine.. forgotten everythin’ I learned back in high school pretty much instantly, even before I graduated. I’m.. more into art. Never was crafty..” You fiddled with your hands on your lap, your gaze wandering.
“Oh, an artist? I’ve always admired art. Beautiful work.”
You hummed in response, feeling a little more at ease.
“If you’d like,” Otto paused his work to look your way, “I could show you some of what I know? It’s not a lot, but it’s not hard to learn. Just some simple stitches.”
“..Really?”
"Yes. It'd be no trouble at all. I may not be a tailor, but working in my lab can cause some accidents to happen."
"..Your lab?" you felt a bit uneasy.
He seemed to perk up, however, "Would you like to see it?"
"..But wouldn't we have to leave..?"
The look of dawning realization and horror spread across the doctor's face, embarrassment settling quickly as he jumped and sputtered to correct the misunderstanding.
"Oh, heavens no!" He shook his head and hands frantically for a moment, "I don't mean Oscorp! I have a lab in my basement..!"
"Ah, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to--!"
"No, no! I-It's entirely on me for not being more specific."
"It's okay, I really shouldn't have assumed.."
"I suppose.. we're both at fault then."
"Mmh.." You hummed in agreement and looked away as yet another bout of silence started to creep in. Fortunately, it hadn't time to make itself uncomfortable as Otto reiterated his question.
"..Would you still like to see it..?"
You quickly looked back up at his words. Curiosity always made itself at home in your heart. You also had nothing better to do anyway.
"Sure. I don't see why not."
That seemed to make Otto perk up. Standing up from the sofa, he made a comment about leaving the final patchwork for later and beckoned you along. You promptly rose and followed suit as he led to toward one of the two sets of stairs in the hall. Taking the one on your left and flipping a small switch, the doctor led you down into his lab.
