Felinis: can I just admit that I actually didn't have a plot in mind outside of magical girl transformations and trope shit? Cuz i'm admitting that
Yuri sighed as he scrubbed his latest stains from his jeans. Dumpsters? Why did he always end up transforming in dumpsters? Why couldn't he live in one of that shitty magical girl shows where all a guy needed to do was stand behind a wall and nobody would see him? At least then he wouldn't have to climb into other people's filth.
Things had changed in the past month. The bad news was that Ends changed from being solely a nightly thing. Day or night a few would appear each day and it was up to Yuri or Star to put a stop to them. It was horrible because the ends seemed to have gained something unexpected… Intelligence. More than destruction type of intelligence. Yuri was so used to Ends being mindless monsters that attacked in droves and strategies and ideas were simple. These ones were slow, plotting, almost brilliant. None were just grunts or possessed things. It usually was a person like anyone else and suddenly they'd transform. Casualties rose again and he'd heard rumors that many of the other heroes had come close to having their identities revealed. It had spirits on edge and he'd watch Repede grit his teeth and mull about strategy endlessly. It was a miracle Estelle and Repede weren't already burnt out from sheer stress. Yuri thanked Rita's constant comfort and Karol's big childish grin for that.
The government tried to intervene and make curfews more precautions, but in the end, everyone knew the truth. It was pointless. The less the government did to cause a panic the better. This world was going to shit at the moment and Yuri was desperately working to put it back together.
Right now, he's in the laundry room desperately trying to remove the dumpster smell as he wears the last dredges of his clean clothes. This will be the third time he's run his clothing and the smell never seems to leave the phantom edges of the nose. Seriously, how many times is he gonna run this shirt before it stops smelling like shit? He tosses everything in the machine in defeat and drops a few coins inside.
Yuri leans his back against the wall of his apartments laundry mat and lets his mind drift. He closes his eyes and tries to forget how much shit is going on his life for at least a minute.
SLAM
Peace is broken as Yuri catches the back of blonde tenet hurling his laundry into the machines and muttering obscenities. What's got blondie pissy?
"You mind being a little quiet?" Yuri huffs taking a closer look at the guy. He's no one familiar or even someone Yuri might remember in passing; because unless the guy had a huge scar or t-rex hands why would he. He doesn't look much older than him, maybe younger but it's hard to say with no real view of their face.
Frankly, he doesn't care.
Unless the guy gives him, trouble Yuri doesn't need to bother so much as giving him a passing thought. But, looking at this pissed off blonde made him think of another equally unnerved blonde. If he's honest things between Star and has been worse than usual. There's a new bitterness that comes with a job where you have no idea if you'll show up in time to stop there from being more victims. Or when suddenly you pressed with an aching fear that if not careful they'll wound up discovered by the other. A nagging buzz to keep their lips even more shut then usual because they could pass each other on streets and transform feet from the other. Or that one or both of you can't show up because slipping away will get you caught.
Which reminds him, Yuri needs to give Star a message about how he might be unavailable the next few days because of prior commitments. Karol's birthday is coming up and he wants to be present for the party plus there are some other matters... He just hopes life will cut him some slack.
What they really need is help. A spirit to fall on this town and offer more assistance to balance out the usual hectic mess. Someone who could fill the gaps in the time they scrambled to get any of there own personal life done with. Laundry is giving him a strange bit of solace, so Yuri can be calm for a change. He doesn't need to think about all the shit that's going on but he is, but at the same time it's probably the most relaxed he's been all week.
"Fuck this!" The blondie screams and all Yuri can think is how much he agrees with those thoughts. Really with all the shit, he has to deal with he has the right to scream even more. Karol's turning thirteen and he's gonna a spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair barely able to move his neck. He needs to fix this world and get his wish! Yuri opens up the discord app on his phone and messages Star about the matter. He's not requesting time off he's demanding and if she has a problem she can bite Yuri's ass.
Flynn can safely say that life has become more than just slightly complicated as of late. He's stressed every moment because there's no time to sit and wait for nightfall when the villain can come out anywhere. He keeps his eyes glued constantly to the news updates and his phone. Today has been clear so far but what if in the next ten minutes some new End appears while he's busy doing whatever.
He knew this hero job would be hard but not like this. Flynn looks at the message from Lupin and scowls. A day off? They don't get days off. They don't have the luxury of peace!
KnightSky: I want a reason
If Lupin is going to skip work when there could be an attack then he better have the best reason in the world.
LupinDa3rd: I can't tell you
KnightSky: No, you can and will
The chat log is quiet for a long minute.
LupinDa3rd: I don't want to say this online. Can we meet up?
KnightSky: Fine. Tonight at the usual spot
What was so important that Lupin felt the need to hide it from an empty discord server? Flynn tries not to think too hard on the matter as he sat paranoid that if he took a nap on his couch like his body was aching to an end would appear and he'd be none the wiser.
Which is stupid, Estelle would wake him up the moment anything happened. In old cartoons, the heroes are always stressed with there double life but he doubts many ever face this much pressure. Estelle had mentioned that a fair amount of heroes had been wiped away because of this new work schedule and that was troubling for many reasons.
One being that he really couldn't remember the names of any of the people he'd been tracking in case they'd need future allies. His notebook full moniker was covered in smudges and smears. The Internet bare of the concept of their existence entirely. It made something in Flynn stir in primordial fear that he had been aware of when he'd first joined but hadn't been able to picture. These heroes were strangers and yet he felt like there was a hole in his existence that was slowly being paved over.
Would it be the same if he disappeared for others? What about his parents?
He couldn't imagine how it would feel to someone like his mother if Flynn vanished leaving behind nothing. Would she even notice something was missing? Flynn barely even registered the missing heroes and he thinks his awareness might solely be a part of being tied with Estelle. It doesn't seem fair for all those people with contracts to lose everything in the blink of an eye!
But, a voice in the back of his head whisper's about how Flynn signed up for this life. He took the contract knowing Estelle could rip him out of reality… What is he even getting out of this? He doesn't have a wish yet. If Flynn never came up with anything would that make this whole thing pointless? He'd have risked his life for nothing because he couldn't think of anything he could be selfish over. His mind drifts to a conversation he'd had with Lupin some time ago about their wishes.
"So is your wish really that important?" Flynn had asked as they sat in a back alley catching their breath and relaxing before getting back on patrol.
"Of course it is." Lupin barked. "I wouldn't stake my existence on something stupid." Flynn had tried to laugh him off and pretend he wasn't asking such a dumb question but it seemed Lupin caught him. "You don't actually have a wish, do ya Star? Thought so."
Flynn was grateful the mask covered his cheeks often when talking with Lupin. He hated getting riled up by people. More importantly, he hated getting caught. "Shut up."
"Why'd you take the contract?" Why? Just look at the city and the world they were living in! Wasn't that enough of a reason to fight for justice.
"I just want to help this world." Flynn had to pull from the wall he'd been leaning on when he noted the bricks were cracking in the heat. "That's it."
Lupin chuckled, his tail flicking. "Noble, but if you get a free wish out of it shouldn't you focus on figuring that out."
"I don't have much I want that badly."
"Then you're very lucky."
But, was he? He only considered having days off when his homework was reaching overflow. Flynn never was busy, but he was also never free… He was living in a paradox of fulfillment and emptiness that he's not sure what to think of any more.
The day is uneventful and when night falls over the city Flynn finds himself almost wishing a monster had appeared.
"Evening ladies." Lupin greets like always with a bow and it's even more irritating a gesture than usual. "Something the matter Star?" That time of the month?
"It's nothing." Flynn sighs tapping at the sword in her hilt. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I need the next few days off."
"We don't get days off."
Lupin hangs his head. "I know we don't but, please? This is important."
"What's so special?" If it's not a good enough reason, then Flynn will hunt Lupin down and force him to fight double time for his actions.
"It's my brother." Brother? "My little brother is having his birthday sometime next week. I can't fly so I'll be useless if an End shows up while I'm with him."
It's the most personal statement Flynn has ever heard Lupin make. They always dance around subjects like friends and family but he's openly admitting that he's skipping to hang out with family. Doesn't he realize how risky that is? "How old will he be?"
"Thirteen. He's a smart kid, ya know." Lupin's face is smiling but the tone is soft in a way that speaks of regret and anger. "He's gonna be a great adult unlike me. After all, I'm just a deadbeat brother!"
"He's who your wish is for," Flynn says thoughtlessly and regrets the way it makes Lupin wilt. He hasn't seen that side of him before. The side that's probably closer to who he really is underneath the mask. "What happened to him?"
Flynn almost expects that the answer is that Lupin's brother is dead but what comes out is far more reasonable but at the same time awful. "He's paralyzed."
"For life?"
"Duh," Lupin huffs, "That's how spinal paralysis works."
Flynn had thought that there were ways to fix that sort of thing. "Are you really okay telling me this?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Lupin sits on the edge of the roof stretching out his back with his smile. "It's not like you're going to go hut down my brother and make him spill my name."
"Of course not!" Flynn couldn't even believe that Lupin would suggest he'd do something like that!
"Great, then you understand. I need my brother to get better and I hate seeing people die so don't call me a slacker."
It's a surprise to hear those words in particular. Flynn has never thought Lupin a slacker, loser, and a nobody yes, but never a loser. Lupin was clearly a hard worker and Flynn had never doubted that fact for a second. He sits beside him on the edge letting his body dangle dangerously with the knowledge that he can always fly up if he needs to. "I'd never think that. You're irritating but you are my partner in all of this."
"Yeah, partner!" Lupin held up his hand and they high-fived for the briefest bit of time before Lupin was shaking his hand in pain. "Seriously, you need to do something about your skin being the same temperature as a stove."
"Hey, not like I can help it! Estelle has the same thing too." Flynn said and then paused in how he found that Lupin's body wasn't warm like his. If anything Lupin's body seemed cold in comparison. "Why aren't hot?"
Lupin feigned a wince, "Oh, you wound my pride, my Queen! But, if you really want to know it's because Repede is a comet, not a star. Ironically does not give you ice-powers- but, hey, go figure."
"That does explain the speed," Flynn looks down at the fluffy tail hanging near his right leg. "And the tail."
"Really Star, that's the best pun you can come up with?" Lupin teases. "I'm STARting to think that there's been a DIPper in your wit."
"Dear god, stop." Flynn shakes his head in embarrassment as Lupin continues without any sign of slowing. "For heaven's sake stop your puns!"
A comfortable silence falls as they sit a little longer before remembering the obvious. It's Flynn who leaves first and as he changes back he finds more and more he's respecting Lupin for who he is, but he's also afraid. Lupin might be getting too comfortable talking to him.
What if he spills a secret he can't take back?
Like a drop of dew on a leaf would be the aptest metaphor for the describing the one in front of her. Estelle had stopped the moment she spotted him across the street while walking with Rita.
Go home and forget you saw me today
She had whispered in the girl's ear to as she waited for the Celestial to step in front of her. Skin like an ice-sculpture and eyes like purple chalcedony and hair like spun threads of silver. Like all her kind there was no mouth on his face, but one had been painted on with gold rouge along with ceremonial markings that popped against the sea of white his body was. He was different from her also in that he had legs yet they were spindly things that like break if he actually were to use them. He hadn't floated so much as appeared and if the teal veins that patterned the inside of his body of were anything to go by he was from the far end of the heavens and therefore younger than her by centuries.
"Why have you come to my city?" She asked as the one in front of her stayed stoic and calm. "Has your vessel died and you seek another?"
"No, my vessel lives well and strong, but I come with words of the high ones." The voice is soft and Estelle wonders why one so young is fighting in this war. Have things really gotten that terrible? "A third player is needed on your board."
A new player… "But, I don't-"
"One is being called on." Still, while that would ease there burdens it would mean that... "You must also give them this."
A small bead is dropped in her hand and Estelle doesn't have to look twice to know what it is. She's understood for a long time that part of their duties as Celestials is to find Ends but this… It's all for the sake of the universe. That's what she must remember.
"Don't hesitate. Besides, even if they show us kindness they are merely humans in the end. We will always part ways at the end."
"I understand." As a celestial it is her duty, no all of their duties to win by any and all means.
As she turns to leave the celestial whispers in her ear. "By the way, that girl you were with- if you fall in love with her you know what will happen." Of course, she does, this isn't her first descent and it wouldn't be her last.
"You take not to do the same. I hear your vessel charms other easily and I'd hate to see a child like you suffer.