Beneath Me
Spoilers
Avoid reading if you don't want to be spoiled!
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"You're back from your mission?" You looked over to the man with a scar on his face. He was just coming back from a mission with Team Akuta, consisting of Enjin, Riyo, Zanka, and... Rudo.
"How are you, Tamsy?" You asked him.
He held onto his staff and rubbed it. The wind picked up, gently tousling his hair.
"Entertaining." He answered you.
"Anything to aid us on our mission with Rudo?" You asked him.
The smile remained on his face. He moved his vital instrument to his left hand, allowing him to place his right on your head, patting it.
"No need to rush things. There's time."
You gave a skeptical look. It wasn't long since you joined him; you even remember how far back this partnership started. He never told you his goal, but it never truly concerned you. All you knew is that you wanted to follow him.
As he kept patting your head, you looked over to his instrument. It seemed like some of the yarn was missing.
"You're short."
"Pardon?" He was confused by your statement, "I wouldn't say I am. Such a random comment."
"No, I meant the yarn. You are tall..."
He looked over and saw what you meant. His eyes relaxed, and he took his hand off your head. He firmly grasped it and gave it a little twirl.
"It is..." He answered back.
"Did something happen during the mission? Do you need help replacing it?"
"No, no. I can handle it, don't worry." He reassured you that everything was fine, yet you couldn't help thinking that he was hiding something.
Time has passed since that day. You observed Rudo during this; he has been making more progress in his search to return to the sphere. Tamsy seemed to be getting closer to him.
From your observations, you found out that one of his friends has been taken, a girl named Amo. You asked Tamsy about her, but he brushed off your questions. You tried to press for more details, hoping it'd help progress the mission, but he ignored you.
"Please tell me." You pleaded.
"There's nothing to tell." He replied back, dismissing you.
"You're hiding something from me..." You turned your head from him, eyes facing the floor. Though you work together, it's never been a close partnership. You're more of a babysitter if anything.
He sighed. He placed his index finger on your chin, signalling you to look up at him; you ignored it, remaining firm on what you said. He places another finger on your chin before moving it slightly up. He gently pushed his fingers, making you face him, yet your eyes remained averted.
"(Name)," he called; you ignored him. "Look at me, (name)."
You slowly brought your eyes to face him. As usual, he had a smile on his face—a warm, inviting one.
"Relax, I'm not hiding anything." He spoke, "Please, believe me."
"How could I?" You asked him.
"Have I ever lied to you?" He asked, expecting an answer.
It's true, he's always been honest with you. You had no reason to be wary of him. He still had your hand in his. He caressed the back of your hand with his thumb. He slightly closed his eyes and pulled you in closer, whispering in your ear.
"Let's just drop this topic; there's no need to continue on with it. It's Rudo's problem after all."
Shivers sprung up your spine; his breath was cold, and it felt so distant. You gave him a little shove, sending him back a little. Your face reddened; it was embarrassing to look like this.
His expression didn't change at all; even when you pushed him, a smile remained. You could tell if it was genuine or if he held it up for you.
The memory of how you first met came back to you. It was a beautiful day, even in this trash-filled hole.
The sky was blue, filled with clouds. Light crept out, shining ever so brightly. You sat in a polluted zone. You didn't have a mask; nothing seemed worth the trouble to wear one.
You eyed the sky, trying to take in its beauty. The ground was ugly, nothing to be in awe about. It was under such a beautiful sky, it fell short under it.
It hasn't been long since you've been in the polluted zone; fifteen minutes is how long someone can go without a mask.
You were fine with it taking you.
You lay down on the ground, struggling to breathe as the smell takes over. You coughed and coughed some more, your eyes swinging shut with each one. As your eyes closed one more time, you tried to open them again. You were too weak to open them quickly, so the speed remained slow. Your vision was blurred. You looked up again to the sky, which was now covered in grey.
You heaved at the lack of proper air; a cloudy sky was the last you were to see. Your final moments were coming.
But suddenly, a bright light shined its way through the clouds. It obscured your vision more than it already was. As the light took over your sight, a small figure started to make its way towards you, soon turning big.
It landed on the ground and stood next to you, staring.
"What an awful sight..." it said.
"What a sad way to go, especially in the polluted zone."
It knelt down next to your face. They placed their index finger on your forehead and started rubbing it in circles. Their face was covered with a mask, but you could tell that they were amused. They reached into the bag that was next to them and took out a breathing mask.
"You want this~?" They held the mask above you, shaking it gently.
"You probably want this, right?" It giggled.
"Hey, answer me..."
They took the mask away from your face and took off theirs.
"You gone already?" They poked your head again; they sounded disappointed. They sighed and stood up, packed the mask in their bag, and began walking away.
It was so weird to meet someone here, especially one from the sky.
A sharp cough left you, one hard enough to lift you up a bit. Your head slammed back into the ground; you shivered from it. Your head fell to the side towards the direction of that person.
They were looking back at you. A disapproving look at you. They looked away once more before shaking their head and walking back to you. They knelt down on one knee, pulled the mask out, and placed it on you. You took slow breaths; your vision slowly came back. You faced the figure and noticed a dull stare.
"You shouldn't give up here..." They spoke.
"Huh...?"
"Follow me..." They started to walk away again.
Confusion took over you. You were just saved by a random person, one that came from the sky. You mustered up some strength and followed. You didn't notice earlier, but they have wings on their back; they seemed to be unravelling.
"Excuse me... but..." you spoke up; they didn't turn to you.
"Are you perhaps... an angel?" You asked.
They stopped. They lifted their hand and ran it across their face. A small laugh escaped their lips.
"Nowhere near." They answered before resuming their walk.