Greetings again. It occurred to me that I should also be putting in here which videos each chapter is based on, just to make it easier for you guys to keep track of things. The last chapter was based on "Kami Meets Dick Sandvich" and this one is off of "Kami Meets Weaselcake." I'll try to remember to tell you this in the future, seeing as how later on I'll be splicing some videos together.
Just as a heads up, this is the first chapter in which I write from Dick Sandvich's point of view as well as Kami's. Again, I will be marking the change, but I thought I should give you a warning anyways.
Now, time to review the reviews:
The Black Fool – Thank you so much! You have made me feel so much better about posting this. I really wasn't sure what the reaction to this would be but I'm glad that you like it, and thank you for giving me a chance. By the way, I love your stories as well.
Disclaimer: Still don't own TF2, credit for Kami, Spyane, and some story elements go to TheInvertedShadow, and credit for Weaselcake goes to Sonicrulez11.
Chapter 2: Weaselcake, Sandvich, & Kami
I crept down the hallways as quietly as I could. I had to get away. I wasn't in danger or anything, I just had to leave. I needed some time alone to think. I paused outside of Dick Sandvich's room and listened to see if he was still awake. If he caught me trying to leave, he'd be furious. No, he was asleep. The man snored louder than a bear, not that I've ever heard a bear snoring. I just assume it's very loud. I continued on as quickly and as silently as possible. As soon as I made it out of "2fort," as I learned our home was called, I allowed myself to relax a bit. I still didn't know my way around the area, but I figured as long as I stayed within sight of the 2fort I'd be fine. Besides, I already had a destination in mind. From my window I could see a series of buildings off in the distance, and I had been very curious about them. It looked a bit like the stereotypical western ghost town. I had asked Sandvich about them once, but he told me that it was too dangerous for me and basically forbade me from ever going there. However, it's in my nature to be curious about new things, and that curiosity is only intensified when I'm told "no."
On my trek out to the ghost town, my mind went over the events of the last week and a half. Dick Sandvich had proved to be a most gracious host, I guess. I couldn't quite figure him out. I mean, he was very kind to me, but maybe that's what confused me the most about him. He started out as a definite threat to me, and now…now I don't know. He could be so unpredictable, going from cuddly teddy bear to raging grizzly and back again in a matter of seconds. And he was so out of control when he was angry, and that terrified me. He could very easily hurt me – possibly kill me – when he was angry, even if it was completely by accident.
And yet he had appointed himself to be my guardian and best friend. I was rarely allowed out of his sight, he always treated me with the utmost kindness and gentleness, and he did his very best to keep me safe, and generally overreacted at my slightest ailment. I'm not kidding either. He once fussed over me for literally an hour when I had clipped my elbow on a doorway. I found his concern touching, even if it was a little odd and occasionally scary. What I had discovered very quickly was that he became enraged whenever he thought I was in danger. It could be the slightest little thing, but he would fly right off the handle. He had once told me that everything out here was a potential threat, that there were people hiding everywhere who wouldn't hesitate to harm me and were just waiting to strike the second I was alone. Had he not been so deadly serious when he told me this, I would've laughed at him. I hadn't seen a single soul out here other than the two of us. Then again, perhaps these others stayed away because they feared Dick Sandvich's wrath.
I stopped short. What if I really was in danger? I hadn't brought my kukri with me. I had been so intent on sneaking out without alerting Sandvich that I had forgotten about it completely. I guess I would just have to be extra careful. Besides, now that I actually was looking at my surroundings instead of lost in my own thoughts, I had reached my intended destination. I investigated the area to find that it was just as deserted as it looked. Satisfied that I was safe, I climbed up to the roof of one of the buildings and sat down.
If I was completely honest, it was nice out here. Granted, you have to ignore the scorching heat of the desert day and the often freezing nights, but it was beautiful. I've never seen the sky so full of stars, and the full moon was absolutely stunning against the deep blue sky. And I'll admit that I did like living with Dick Sandvich. Back in the city, I was always felt isolated, which seems odd since there I was surrounded by people practically 24-7. But it was very every-man-for-himself in the city. People didn't care about each other; they cared about themselves. I guess I can't judge them too harshly since I'm probably guilty of the same crime myself, but that doesn't mean I liked that way of life. But this world I had stumbled into by accident was nice. I found myself wanting less and less to return to my small apartment. Not that I could if I wanted to. I still hadn't asked Sandvich if he knew how I could get back. I was tempted to ask him at first, but he just seemed so happy to have some company that I just didn't have the heart to ask him how I could leave.
It was nice to have someone who actually cared about me. And I suppose that I cared about Dick Sandvich, too. He really was a sweet guy once you got past all of his oddities. It was kind of cute how he insisted on tucking me into bed each night. I was really starting to like him, maybe even love him. Well, not romantically love him, but more like the way you'd love a best friend or a family member. If I did end up stuck out here the rest of my life, I didn't think that I'd mind it too much.
The hair on the back of my neck suddenly rose. I had the distinct feeling that I wasn't alone anymore. I looked around but didn't see anyone. Then a deep ominous sounding chuckle came from behind me. I jumped and whirled around. I caught a glimpse of a smiling face before I lost my balance on the roof and fell. I hit the ground with a thud and stayed still. A part of me was convinced that I was dead or at least that several bones had been broken, but when I dared to get up I found that I was miraculously fine, save for a few spots that undoubtedly would become some fairly large bruises. Those would be fun to explain to Dick Sandvich. I heard a sound behind me that caused my heart to skip a beat. I slowly turned to come face to face with the most terrifying and somehow fascinating thing I had ever seen in my life. A man, if you could call him that, stood before me. Or rather, floated before me. His legs were broken and bent upwards at an odd angle, and he had his hands on either side of his head. "I'm Weaselcake," he said in an Australian accent, and then gave me a smile that caused the words "RAPE FACE" to flash in my mind in large capital letters.
I really, really wish I had just stayed back at 2fort.
Suddenly "Weaselcake" turned pinked, inflated, and a cake appeared in front of me. I blinked in confusion. That was not what I was expecting, not that I was entirely sure about what I expected from a floating man. "Um, thank you," I said as politely as possible. Weaselcake chuckled but didn't do anything else. Well, it didn't seem like he was going to hurt me. I allowed myself to relax a little.
Big mistake. Someone behind me grabbed my shoulder. "Peek-a-boo," said a female voice with a French accent. I looked over my shoulder to see a purple-haired woman dressed in black standing there.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying not to let my fear show in my voice.
"Since you asked so nicely, I am Spyane," she said as she pulled out a butterfly knife. "I'm going to gut you like a Cornish game hen."
"Help," I squeaked even though I knew it wouldn't do me any good. Lord, I really should've stayed home. Was this some plan set up by Weaselcake and this woman? Dick Sandvich was right. It was dangerous out here, and now I was about to pay for not listening to him.
And then Spyane looked up at Weaselcake. "What?" she asked, sounding very worried. I dared a glance at Weaselcake. The grin was gone, replaced by a snarl. He glared past me, and I realized that he was staring at the knife. He inflated again, this time turning light blue. "Oh no," I heard Spyane moan behind me. I glanced over to see that she had turned the same color. And then she was literally thrown across the yard and into the side of another building.
"Piss off, ya bloody piker!" Weaselcake shouted, and then changed dark blue and fired a nail from his mouth. Spyane turned around just in time to receive the nail to the face.
I stumbled backwards, somewhat bewildered by what was going on. I really wished I had a weapon of some form. Weaselcake may have been handling the situation beautifully, but I would feel so much better if I could fight as well. My foot hit something. I looked down to see a longsword just lying on the ground. I knew that hadn't been there before, but at the moment I really didn't care where it had come from. I picked it up. From the corner of my eye, I saw Weaselcake change light blue again. I suddenly felt different, like I wasn't in control of my own body. I looked down at myself to see that I, too, was now light blue. Oh dear, my completely lost mind thought as I was suddenly thrown through the air. I had enough sense to hold the sword out in front of me, and I watched as it drove into Spyane. The second I was released from Weaselcake's hold, I staggered away. I spun around to look at the impaled woman. She suddenly became black, no doubt thanks to some other ability of Weaselcake's, and inflated. I heard her mutter "merde" as she floated helplessly up into the sky and then exploded.
I fell to my knees, staring at the spot in the sky where Spyane had been in horror. I felt like I was about to pass out. I had been hoping for just a nice relaxing evening, but that obviously didn't happen. I moved backwards and huddled up against the side of the building, trying not to have a nervous breakdown. Weaselcake appeared beside me and floated there in silence. I was actually grateful that he didn't try to strike up a conversation. I had just watched a person blow up for no understandable reason. I really wasn't in the mood to talk. Even so, I was glad for the company. It was somewhat reassuring.
Suddenly he vanished, leaving me alone. I felt fear rise up in me again. What if someone else tried to attack me? I didn't think I could fight off another assailant. I heard the sound of running footsteps and looked up, afraid that the night was about to go from bad to worse. Relief flooded through me as I saw Sandvich approaching. I now understood. Weaselcake had stayed until he knew I would be safe before leaving. And I certainly was safe now. Sandvich would protect me.
But my heart fell when I saw the look on Sandvich's face. He was pissed.
"Kami!" he roared, grabbing me by the shoulders and literally picking me up. "What are you doing here?"
"I-I just –" I stammered and was instantly cut off.
"I told you to stay away from here! It is dangerous for little girls like you! You are stupid to not listen to me. What if someone had found you? You could have been killed!" He emphasized the last sentence by shaking me. Sandvich dropped me, and I would've landed flat on my behind if the wall hadn't been there for me to fall against. "We go home now!" And with that, Dick Sandvich spun away and left, not even looking back to see if I was following.
I watched him leave, very hurt that he had yelled at me. I looked up at the sky, feeling very alone and sorry for myself. I knew I had done something wrong, but did I really deserve all that? Couldn't he tell I had already had a hard enough night? I became slightly angry at him for how he treated me, but even so, I still hurried after Sandvich. I mean, he was still my friend. At least I hoped so.
I was still a little out of it from everything that had happened. It felt as though my body wasn't quite obeying what I told it to do. This caused me to trip just as I caught up to Sandvich. I fell forward and slammed into Sandvich's back. I bounced off him and fell backwards. Sandvich spun around, still furious, and glared down at me. I curled into a tiny fearful ball. What was he going to do to me?
And then Sandvich's face softened infinitely and he gently reached out to me. I held out my hands for him to take, expecting him to help me up to my feet, but he ignored them. Instead, the giant man picked me up and cradled me like a child in his arms. I clung to his shirt, partially afraid that he was going to drop me. He simply smiled and started walking again, carrying me back to 2fort. I slowly relaxed my grip on his shirt, feeling a little silly about believing he would drop me.
Despite all I had been through, or perhaps because of it, I felt my eyes begin to droop. The gentle rocking of his gait combined with how safe I felt in his arms was slowly lulling me off to sleep. He seemed to realize this too, as I felt him hold me closer.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left home without telling you," I said softly, struggling against the pull of sleep.
"And I should not have yelled at you," came the rumbled reply. "You were scared enough. I am sorry too. Now hush. Sleep. You need rest."
I smiled up at my friend. "Thank you," I whispered, finally letting my eyes close.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I gazed down at the little girl in my arms. Kami was so fragile, so delicate. I could snap her like a twig. But I would never do anything to harm her. Never, I promised her silently. I do not know why I would not hurt her. I had never met anyone before who had affected me like this. I have killed men for smaller injuries than that wound she had inflicted with her little knife, but she had reduced me to tears. Why? I do not know. And she could have run away or even finished what she started, but she had let me live. She had stayed. She had offered me friendship and I had accepted. I hate people. I prefer my solitude. Now I wanted her to like me as much as I liked her. It was funny to me, how such a little being could hold so much power over me without even realizing it. I do not understand it, and I do not want to either. I was happy with Kami, and that was good enough for me.
But I hated myself for yelling at her. She was scared enough when I found her. But then she had scared me by leaving. After she came to 2fort, I had gotten into the habit of checking on her at night. I told myself that it was just to make sure she was safe, but that was partially a lie. I knew she would not like it if she ever found out, but I loved watching her sleep. It was the only time that she looked truly content. I liked seeing her that way. But this night when I had peeked into her room, she was missing. This terrified me. I thought someone had gotten in and taken her away from me. But then I saw an explosion come from the abandoned farm she had so desperately wanted to go see. If that was where Kami was, she was in danger. If she had left on her own to go there, I would be furious. But now she was in trouble. I had to help her.
My heart almost stopped when I saw her leaning against the building. I thought I had been too late. But then she got up, and that is when I lost control. I was furious that she had disobeyed me and had scared me half to death. I did not even notice that she had been scared too. I should not have been so angry with her. Even if she did sneak out, the relief had been plain on her face when she saw me. She thought I was coming to help her. Instead I yelled at her and shook her. I do not think I will ever forget the hurt look in her eyes.
Kami did not belong out here. I knew she did not. It was far too dangerous for her. I knew I should help her find her way back to her real home, but now that I had found a friend, I could not stand the idea of losing her. I would just have to be more vigilant. I vowed that nothing would ever harm or frighten my Kami again as long as I was around.
We reached 2fort, and I carried Kami to her room. I placed her on her bed and tucked her in. The poor girl did not even seem to notice. I stroked her hair, smiling at the way she leaned into my hand. "Rest well, little Kami," I told her and turned to go. I had just made it to the doorway when I heard a small whimper from behind me. I turned to see Kami had curled up into a small ball. Worry lines appeared on her forehead as she let out another little mewl. She looked like she about to cry. I returned to her side. "Shh…Is good, Kami. Just bad dream," I told her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She relaxed when I touched her, and the pained noises stopped. And then she did something I was not expecting. She took my hand and held onto it for dear life. I felt my heart melt. I could not leave her to face her nightmare alone.
An idea came to me. She would not like it at all, but at least I would be there for her. I gently picked her back up and brought her to my room. I placed her on my bed and carefully settled in next to her. She did not wake up, but she somehow must have known I was there because she rolled over so that she was facing me and moved closer to me. I placed an arm around her, hoping that this would not wake her. She had only just started letting me hug her, and I had felt how tense she was when I picked her up. She always became nervous when I touched her, though I do not understand why. Did she think that I was going to hurt her? I would never do that. I protected her from pain. Why would I want to be the cause of it? I did not know why she had trouble trusting me, but I did know that she would be scared if she woke to find herself lying with me.
Still, I liked being able to hold Kami this way, and I had to fight the urge to pull her even closer to me. "Ne volnooysya, ya zdes," I told her, forgetting that she could not understand Russian. But I suppose that it did not matter. She was asleep and could not hear me anyway. There was something I wanted to tell her for a long time, but I never had the courage to say it for fear it would scare her somehow. This was a good opportunity for me. "Ya tebya lyublyu," I said softly, watching her face to see if there was any reaction. Of course, there was none. I sighed. I almost wished that she had heard me. I desperately wanted her to feel the same way. Maybe another day I would be able to say it to her while she was awake, and maybe she would tell me that she loved me too. "Dobroy nochi, Kami. Priyatnyh snov."
Yes, I did put some Russian in there at the end. I actually went a step further and figured out how to write those lines out phonetically. I did this because whenever I read things, I like being able to hear the words in my mind, and it does annoy me slightly whenever they're written in the correct alphabet as opposed to it being sounded out using the English alphabet (in this case, the proper alphabet that Russian words should be written in is a variant on the Cyrillic alphabet). I know this means you can't look them up anymore, but I have the translations of them for you right here: "Do not worry, I am here," "I love you," and "Good night, Kami. Sweet dreams."
As usual, reviews are appreciated, as is constructive criticism, but nobody likes flames.
