Alright…this'll be the newest chapter for awhile, since of other stuff and the fact I don't have anymore right now. Anyway. This chapter mainly sets up a few things, more so about Readagar's past experiences.
Enjoy.
Chapter 6 Finding Private Red
Kevin was trying to be courteous, as Fungus was a family friend, but he just would not step. Honestly, he could understand what his dad had to put up with when he was a full-time scarer. He sat on the red cushioned bench outside the office, batting the leaves of a potted plant with his bottom left hand as Fungus rambled on about something he didn't much care for. When Randall finally came through the office door did his son jump off to run over and hug him. Not just out of love, but out of freedom.
Randall gave Fungus his usual thanks and took off with Kevin to the car. It was already night. Not too dark, but enough to make any wolf howl or any shadow lurking to emerge. As they drove, Randall caught himself a bit of tension within. He peeked over at Kevin beside him. His youthful son was looking out the open window, his fronds spraying around by the accelerated air the car was making. He couldn't help but smile a bit as he watched. After a second of doing so, he looked back, his smiling failing. The feelings of neglect and avoidance set in. He never wanted to be..."away" from Kevin at all. But his job as CEO was demanding. He wish he had never taken up Sullivan's offer. But then again, Randall had been naïve. He knew the extra money would be good for his son and wife and, so far, it was. One thing Randall did know, a reason he knew, was that he didn't want Kevin having an...unfulfilled life. So Randall had hoped that he could give Kevin anything he wanted. But what this whole job is doing is making Kevin lose one thing he wanted. A father. Even though Randall always came home sometime, he felt as if this job was purposely trying to tear him from his family...
Randall smiled. Why not take tomorrow off? What the hey? The employees could handle themselves. He'd call Celia and tell her he won't be coming in and tell everyone that he wasn't. He had worked his scales off to make Monsters Inc. what it is today, and he felt he deserved a break. Those other so-called CEOs didn't have families, he could tell, so they'd have no way to react. What would they do? Fire him?
Randall chuckled, making Kevin look at him. For a moment, Randall thought up a few things, small at first, then big later on. "Say Kev..." Randall started, getting his son's ready attention. "Yeah dad?" Kevin asked, looking directly at his father. "Listen umm...since summer's up...believe me I can feel it..." Randall started, getting Kevin to giggle in amusement. "I figure well...I'm gonna take some time off...for you me...and your mom of course...". "But what about your job?". Randall scuffed. "Ah...they can do without me for a couple of days...". He paused for a moment. "Uh listen...I was thinking you know...why don't we have ourselves a movie night huh?". Kevin looked him over with a smile. "Really?". Randall nodded. "Yeah...I mean heck...you me and a bag of snacks...all packed with action seems just like a good way to end the day huh?".
Kevin could tell this was a simple idea. People did it all the time for really no occasion. But the fact that his father would take leave from his job and do those simple things didn't make them simple. He would be able to spend time with his father, which was rare occasions. Randall would usually come home when Kevin was asleep or Randall would be too exhausted. They spent dinner and mornings together, but Kevin welcomed any time that they could spend together.
"Ok dad...that sounds great...". Randall loved it when he did that. He loved it when he made his son happy. To him...it was all he needed.
(NS)
"Remember when that Zeppelin came down? I mean that was like KOOSH! Ha ha!". "You guys think that was fun...I outta tell you something that was fun...".
After, perhaps, a few minutes of fighting, the three had calmed down. Caylin had left to get Randall as a "backup" since he pretty much couldn't hold his own in this fight. Leia and Joy just watched with amusement as the three reminisced the past adventures that they had undertaken. In fact, it was a walk down memory lane.
Sean rubbed his bruised arm and leaned in to the table. "You guys really should have seen me with Hands in the back...boy was I good...". "Oh come on...you got hurt..." Randolph interrupted with a smile. "Yeah? So what? I got rid of him didn't I? Till he came back and blew the Zeppelin up...make a mental note not to bring a gun on something that uses gas and air...". He chuckled, letting Readagar smile. He scratched his cut cheek scale and started his.
"Oh you boys have seen nothing I tell you...if you've ever been in a war before...you'd know what real fighting is...". "You never did tell us what you actually were in you know..." Randolph interrupted. Readagar straightened himself. "I'd rather not share...". "Oh come on Red...it'll be better than Randolph's story..." Sean said. "Hey!". Readagar coughed, crossing all his arms. He waited a moment for anticipation to rise.
"Nothing to tell really...". All four, Leia, Randolph, Sean, and Joy listened. "My family were always in warfare...my father's side anyway...I guess he wanted the same for me...though it's not like I ever wanted to risk my life for a stupid war...that is...until I later found out it was all a draft...my father and I...had a little trouble about that...but I'd rather not tell...". Sean noticed Readagar's tail stopped swaying, his eyes not even looking at any of them.
"I met a few friends there...in the military...Diz...boy...was she great...possibly the only other of us in that place...she was beautiful...always so energetic, athletic, and aggressive...". Sean and Randolph smiled at that. "Yeah...she and me hit it off great...errmm...anyway...Jason was also with my unit...he was built like a tank that guy...if anybody wanted to be in the military...he possibly would take bullets without even flicking...like an impassible wall...He was a jerk at first...but we got along...". Readagar paused.
"And Leon...well...anyway...". Randolph was going to object to him not finishing, but Sean held the reptile's hand down. "We were each on the same unit...no duh...we were a first strike team...pretty dangerous...I wish I had never gotten into that unit...simply because we were in the front lines...sure...we did allot of covert operations...but when it came to brawn well...". Readagar pulled his right hand up, extending his white claws from the suction tips. "Makes me wonder you know...how much...vitality I had spilled on these...who it came from...where they lived...why they came...what they were fighting for...what kind of family they had...". Randolph's fronds went down, pretty much the same with everyone's downed expression.
"...I don't know what really happened after the war...it's a haze...something I guess I'd rather not remember...". He looked at Randolph. "...Like you and your brother I guess...". Randolph didn't take it as a jerky comment, he could see Red was serious about this. In fact, he probably had been no more serious in anything else.
Sean twiddled his glass for a moment, trying to see Readagar in his usual self through it. "...I gotta take a sec...". He rose up, pushing his seat back, heading to the stalls in the top left corner of the bar. Randolph continued to stare down at the table, Leia and Joy at Readagar, who was starring at his clawed hand.
(NS)
(TTTTSSSHHH)
His face invited the cold liquid with a tickling sensation, which quickly ended with the dabbing of a paper towel. The water grew thinner and thinner, till it could hardly been seen. Sean rolled the towel up and three it in the bin in the corner. He gripped the edge of the faucet and looked down at the sink, contemplating his thoughts.
He hated war. He hated death. Why was there so much death...so much...senseless death in the world. Readagar poured his soul out there for a brief few minutes, and Sean was sure it had affected everyone. What he could have seen, what he could have heard, what he smelled, what he tasted, what he had experienced. What's the purpose of fighting for something and dying for it? How would you protect it then if you die? It just seemed pointless to him, naïve or not.
"...the war...".
"Huh?".
Sean looked side to side quickly, starring at the entrance door to the restroom. "...What?...Wait a sec...". He looked down at his pant pocket. It couldn't be that again would it?. He reached in slowly with his hand. With a moment of struggle, he pulled it out. "(Is this thing a reactant or something?)". The crystal. The one he had gotten in the hospital. Or...somewhere.
"...Did it speak?'. He looked at it. He could have sworn something moved inside, an aura or something, but it was gone before he could even tell what it was at all. He looked back up at the mirror. :AHH, He backed up, hitting his back against a bathroom stall. It clang open and hit it's respective wall with a clang that echoed. Sean had pulled his head away from what he saw, reminding himself he didn't bring his sword. But when he looked up, all he could see was himself in the mirror. He took a moment. Panic wasn't common for him, even for a split second. But what he saw...
He took in a breath and started for the mirror, touching it to make sure it was real. "(What the heck was that!)" he questioned. But then he realized something, backing up from the mirror and gripping the crystal in his left hand. The...thing that he had seen...when he moved back...it went back. He came to the thought that...something was moving with him. That whatever WAS in the mirror...was a reflection. Not of something he couldn't see...but a reflection of him...
All Sean knew...was that it wasn't human...
OOHH! What was that? What? You expect me to tell? Heh heh. Well anyway, next chapter won't be for awhile.
OH! And uh, Invander Bling, Randall's stopped Sorrow of Banishment for quite a while now, but I'll see what I can do to get him to at least post one chapter
