@vucto | Charlie ;; { Protection }
It was a normal day like any other. She woke up, Dakota put the coffee on, they had breakfast and went about their usual days. She wasn’t the one opening the shop today because she needed to go to the nursing home for her part-time shift as a care taker. It was easier there, the elderly folk were undeniably adorable and kind and she enjoyed spending time with them. When she’d gotten back, Dakota had to leave for his part-time shift with the cleaning service so they caught up shortly over lunch and again, went about their usual days. So why had it ended up like this? Her heart was stuttering in her chest as she found herself staring down the barrel of a loaded handgun and her words wouldn’t come out. What was going on? Why were they here? At first she thought maybe it was another incident like the past but with a different weapon this time around.
It wasn’t though. She was being instructed to stand away from the registers. So it was a simple robbery? Somehow she felt relieved. So long as she did nothing and said nothing, it would be fine. The shop was doing well so losing a day’s profit wouldn’t hurt. They didn’t have a safe and everything was kept in banking, so it really wouldn’t be a problem. Except when she glanced up and saw the clock. Immediately her heart lunged into her throat. This was about the time Kuron came to visit. In that instance she was hyper-aware of everything that was happening. The click of the hammer, the yelled instructions to not move even though she was beginning to fidget-- what was she going to do if he showed up here?
What would he do if he saw this? He’d probably try to jump in, right? No, she couldn’t let that happen. Charlie didn’t want him to get hurt. She couldn’t let him get hurt. Not over something like this. Her frame shifted a little more,”I’m j-just standing i-in front of th-the door so no o-one sees, okay?” Her hands are kept up, there’s no obvious signs but they’re getting even more disgruntled with her actions. “Y-You can really t-take it, its f-fine. I d-don’t want any u-unnecessary trouble. It’d b-be even m-more of a p-pain if police w-were involved. I’m t-too anxious t-to deal with th-them, really.” She’s trying rationality but where was the rationality in a small time robbery? These guys probably hit up the first place that looked convenient. What was easier than a shop with only one very small girl standing in it?
What she was trying to do was block the door and make it impossible to get in without breaking it at least. Though somewhere in her thoughts, she figured if anyone could, it’d be him. Still, she just kept bowing her head and keeping her hands up when shouted and cursed at. Something she was used to yet still terrified her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe when she saw that familiar figure out of the corner of her widened eyes. No no no, go back, please go back. Her breath hitches and she swiftly locks the door while they’re focusing on each other and the task at hand. Good, he can’t get in. That was the simplest solution in her mind. Make sure he can’t get in and give directions for them to leave out the back instead.
Except-- why was one already staring her down like he already knew what she was doing? She clenched her jaw and waited a few seconds until she heard those words. What? Ya expectin’ somebody, sweetheart? In an instant, her demeanor shifted at that cretinous voice. She lowered her body just a bit, brows furrowed and determination on her features. When it came to bravery, Charlie was the least likely to have it-- unless someone she cared for was in harm’s way. If they were? She’d go through hell itself to keep them safe. “Y-Yes and y-you should g-go now.” There’s a cackle in the air and it grates her nerves, chills her spine. This isn’t going to end well, she thinks. Because now they’re confident-- no, they’re arrogant. Anyone could hold a gun but only the true idiots got cocky with it.
“P-Please go, out th-the back,” she’s not paying attention to anything else now. Her frame blocking the door, fingertips flexing slightly as she tries to calm herself down as much as she can. She’s already calculated the most plausible thing she can do if it comes down to it, strategy was her forte even if she didn’t realize it most of the time. Her constant need to escape made her quite the strategist and right now she was trying to apply that to this situation but instead of escape-- she was trying to get rid of them before anything could happen to him. Teal hues dart between them and she goes over every second they’d been here. Only two were carrying long range weapons and one was carrying a blade. No matter how much one planned though, you could never really plan for every variable with unpredictable and egotistical opponents.
We're not done yet, so no. Her heart thrums violently in its ivory cage and she clenches her teeth,”I’ll h-have to insist.” It happens in a flash. Somehow its not as bad as she thought it might’ve been. Perhaps because it happened so quickly. Her back hit the door and it took a long few minutes for her to even realize what had happened. Red splashed across the floors and her first thought was having to clean that up later. Her second was wondering where it came from. Her third was a realization that it came from the bullet that seared through her right ribs. The wind was knocked out of her, she needs to remember to breathe throughout the panicked shouts of the idiots in front of her. Why’d ya go and do that for ya fucking moron?! Robbin’ ‘er was one thing but murder ain’t somethin’ I’m gonna do time for!
Ah, so they really were morons, she thinks. Her legs feel heavy. Or was that her arms? She’s not sure when she ends up sliding downwards to the floor. Her first instinct isn’t to check herself though but instead, to check the glass behind her and make sure the bullet hadn’t gone through. Luckily, it hadn’t. A quick assessment, it must’ve been stopped by hitting one of her bones. Right. She’ll have to fix that later. Her breaths are hitching but it doesn’t matter, it didn’t go through, that’s all she cares about. She barely even hears the panicked footsteps and closes her eyes to try to find some focus. Adrenaline is her best friend, really-- she lived with it constantly so she barely felt a thing right now. That didn’t ease up the tension in her spine nor the weight of her limbs though.
Crystalline flowers had already started to sprout through her skin by the time she got her wits about her enough to shakily reach up with bloodied fingers to grasp the lock. She couldn’t just leave him out there. He’s probably panicking right? Her vision isn’t doing too well right now so she can’t tell, but she barely manages to flip the latch before her arm just falls to her side. So long as he was fine, it was okay. This much she could deal with.
