Inktober12 Shattered
a/n: Super short story with Frye rescuing another patron of the Repenta. Not exactly sure who he saved, but he only made one friend. Yeah! Frye needs friends.
Alcohol and something not nice. I removed the swears, put them back in as you see fit.
All the good things belong to Monolith Soft, foremost of which is Frye. My imaginary Cross Case is lucky that he's around.
The glass hit floor with a bang, audible above the noise at the diner. Pieces skittered between the patrons' feet, one coming to rest at the tip of Frye's boot. "I didn't do it!" he shouted cheerfully. He wasn't the only one. He picked up the sharp splinter carefully.
By the bar, a female BLADE was facing off against an older man. He was probably the glass' former owner, guessing by his flushed face. Maybe it was only flushed from alcohol. Then he grabbed at the woman. She tensed her shoulders and took a steadying step backwards.
"I think this belongs to you." Frye waved the shard in the man's face. He'd shoved himself between the two. "Gotta watch out for these. You can get a nasty scar. See?" He twisted his bad eye toward the other. "Unless you want one, you should piss off."
The man stood a moment, bumping chests with Frye, until he gave a disgusted snort and walked away, ranting uncharitably about many things. "You can stand down now," Frye muttered to the woman behind him.
He turned to look at her better. Her jaw was tight. He stared into the cloudless green of her eyes until she blinked suddenly. He didn't stop the staring match until she had unclenched her fists and stepped out of attack pose.
"There you go. I was afraid you were going to kill him. Were you?"
"No. I don't know. I don't think so. No." Her eyes wrinkled in concern. "Could I have?"
"Probably not. They have pretty good bouncers. I should know." He grinned ruefully. "They'd have stopped you. This is a good place to drink."
The manager had drifted closer, polishing the bar with fierce suspicious swipes.
"Another round, Arya. For me and my new best friend …"
"Case."
"My new friend Case." Frye laid the piece of shattered glass onto the bar. "Please?" he added with saccharine sweetness. He turned back to Case. "So, ya wanna get plastered with an expert?"
Her face was regaining a touch of color. "Teach me, senpai."
a/n: May I offer "Reaper Man" by Mother Mother as Frye's internal playlist? Had that on loop, until I was done. Then I listened to "Voidfish (plural)" by Rachel Rose Mitchell to feel better (?).
I have spared you the details of the mission Case just left, but it involved my recurring villains, the Dog Squad. So far: they have been punched by Doug (Noctilum Picnic), Irina/Rosalee/Neesae/Gwin/Nagi/some xenos (Great Skell Robbery), probably Gino/Ricky Bobby/Lara Mara (Rosalee and Lucky). They will get punched by Case. Eventually, I hope to have some Marnuck eat them, but I might not manage that.
Next up: I don't want to look. Teeming.
