It feels strange to be back in this room with Anna, the old lady's back turned to us as she fusses with the kettle, steam streaming from the spout, the clattering sound of her fiddling with tea cups mixing alongside the sound of the steam as it fills the room. There's a strange smell that seems to imbue itself in the wind that carries itself through the house, a scent that seems to mellow the anxious beating of my heart, it almost smells like lavender, but I'm not quite sure. Everything looks just how I remember it too, from what little I can gather from my mind, a quaint little room for a quaint little cottage for an old little lady. I shuffle in my seat for a moment, tapping my bare fingers against the wooden table as the almost awkward atmosphere stifles my throat. I shoved my gloves into my bag a while ago, I can't imagine that it'd be comfortable trying to slip my finger into one of those handles with it on.
Jesus, if this is uncomfortable for me, then I can't imagine how Mabel feels at the moment, probably feels a bit more uncomfortable than myself. I spare a glance over to the girl, her hands laid in her lap while her legs dangle from the chair itself, still wearing the cloak of mine over her miniature form, it almost looks like she's resisting the urge to withdraw herself back into the depths of the cloak itself if I'm gonna be honest to myself. It's not like I can't fault her for that, either, at least we're not surrounded by humans.
She squeaks aloud as I plant my hand on top of her head, the stiffness that latches onto her body seems to dissipate somewhat as she presses into my hand with a pur. The corner of my lips twitch upwards with her catlike noises, it's an endearing little thing to hear from her, I'd rather hear that over her whimpering and scared little noises. Maybe that's why I keep her so close, something to distract her mind from being the scared child that she is, a respite from the anxious plague that clings to her mind. I can't help but wonder why that's how it is, why she clings to me so much, and why I do the same to her too. I really hope she doesn't take after me in any sense, I can't see myself as a good role model for a child, let alone her specifically, but if this helps soothe her mind for even a moment, then who am I to deny it? I prefer this over the alternative, at least, my pride for her doesn't mean I should neglect her limits.
How the fuck you manage to have this kid still stuck on your mind is beyond me, I'm stuck sitting here to listen along with your thoughts, it almost sickens me to my non existent core.
Can't say that I know why for certain, aren't you meant to be some part of me that knows how I feel and shit? Shouldn't you know why it's how it is? You're doing a pretty poor job of digging into my skull, if you ask me. I can't help but snicker a little bit internally as I hear the doppelganger grumble inside my skull, a delightful flickering igniting in my chest as the girl yawns out loud. Ah fuck, she sounds pretty tired, thank god shes got a bed for tonight.
Pfeh, how the fuck do you think I feel? I know how you're meant to be feeling, and how you're meant to act, but often times you just do something completely fucking ridiculous, it's infuriating and it's entirely you. There's some things that I can catch, thank fuck, at least some part of you wants to make sense.
Maybe I should try to find more ways to fuck with you, it's incredibly amusing. A clattering noise brings me out of my internal muttering, sadly, my ears flickering upwards as a porcelain saucer and cup is placed in front of me, steam emanating from the golden brown liquid. Ah, right, tea and shit, I forgot about that.
"Uh, thanks for the drink, Anna." I mumble out awkwardly as I pull away from the kid, looping my finger into the handle and bringing upwards. I blow on it for a moment before taking a sip, a sweet taste dripping down my throat and into my stomach. Fuck, I missed tea, god bless you Anna. I raise an eyebrow as Mabel tilts her head, shuffling closer to look down into her own cup, a familiar brown liquid inside.
"Is that safe for her to drink?" I question Anna aloud as I lean back into my chair, a nervous feeling imbued in my senses despite the soothing tea. Can they drink tea?
"Of course, keidran biology may differ from humans, and basitins, a little bit, but tea wouldn't cause any issues." She answers slowly, sipping down her tea in the meanwhile. I still feel sceptical about it, my muscles tensing as Mabel raises the tea cup to her lips. It takes a moment for her to react, but it's a sweet little reaction, her lips curled into a small smile as she continues to drink it down. I can't help but wonder, though, how the fuck does keidran react to milk anyways? I guess it's not of any real concern, but I'll keep it in mind, just in case. I drum my fingers against the table and continue to down the tea, a part of me hopes that the soothing warm sensation of the tea itself would wash down the choking feeling in my throat, but to no avail. Tsk, why the fuck do I feel so awkward.
"Perhaps it might be best for you to fill me in on what's happened recently, dear." I feel myself almost jolt in surprise as she speaks up, peering into me with piercing blue eyes over her cup, still drinking from it. I chuckle awkwardly as I put my cup down, rubbing at the back of my neck.
"It's, heh, kind of long story…" I manage to stiffly force that response out of my throat at least, giving her an awkward feeling smile as she continues to stare at me. Bah, why do I feel like I'm treading on eggshells here? I'm sure that it's all gonna be just fine, but the thought of her disapproving of me feels… worrying, I suppose.
"I've spent plenty of my life waiting and listening dear, this will be no different." She responds cooly as she puts her own cup down, clattering lightly against the saucer. I sigh to myself and rub at my eyes, I can't exactly run from this conversation can I? Gotta face the music some time.
I still can't help but feel awkward as I fill her in on why I have a keidran glued to my hip, and the unwavering stare she's giving me doesn't exactly do me any favours. Thankfully she doesn't interrupt the information dump or anything, merely bringing the cup to her lips to take another sip from the damned thing. My throat feels borderline clogged with spittle as I finished the story, downing down as much as the still scalding tea as I can, doesn't do much to remove the feeling though. Man, I haven't even told her about what else has happened since I fucked off from here, that's gonna be so much fun.
And now our throat's burning, good going you little bastard.
It's the thought that counts.
Do you manage to think at all?
Sometimes too much, sometimes not at all, you already know that.
Much to my displeasure.
A jolt of energy rushes through my veins as Anna sighs aloud, raising a hand to her temple and pressing her fingers against it.
"By the bloody Masks, kid. I spend the last week worrying my ass off for you, and this is what you've been up to?" My ears flatten against my neck while I whimper, my tail wrapping around my chair as I wrap my hand around the comparatively tiny cup, looking away from the stressed sounding woman. Shit, turns out being scolded kind of feels like shit, who'd have thought that? My ears flicker upwards as she laughs softly, my gaze returning to her for a moment as I tilt my head. "...Despite that, I'm not as surprised as I should be, seeing that you've done something so ludicrous sounding, dear."
"Hey, what does that mean?" I huff to myself as she answers with another chuckle, the edges of my lips creeping upwards as she laughs, the tension in my muscles fading away slowly. Okay, she doesn't sound too mad at least.
"Don't worry your little head about that, kid. What do you plan to do with the girl anyhow? Are you sure that you've made the right choice?" I shuffle in my seat as she pries into me, an almost delighted look in her eyes gives me some solace in what her potential intentions are.
"I'm ah, not really good at planning, not at all. I have ideas on what I wanna do sometime in the future, but I don't think that makes it much of a real plan. As for making the right choice… I dunno, I've done a lot of thinking about that, never seem to do any good, and just makes me more confused. I dunno if that means that it's the right choice in the end, but it feels like the right enough choice for now." I answer her little interrogation as best as I can, the words that spew from my mouth feels like they're a disjointed mess of an excuse, but it's the best I can do. Anna hums to herself, taking another sip of her tea as I spare a glance over to Mabel herself. She seems… rather calm for now, the small smile that comes from the normally meek child is relaxed and thankful, my heart tensing for a moment as she bares a grin to me. Ah, fuck, I feel my heart collapsing already. A welcoming end to this life if nothing else.
"I see, very well then. What do you think of Zeke here, little Mabel?" The girls ears point upwards as Anna speaks to her, the girl seems a bit surprised by the sudden question, her clasped hands wringing together nervously.
"..I like Zeke, he's nice, he gives me food and tries to keep me comfortable. He keeps the bad dreams away at night, he's good." I blink in surprise as she speaks, a small smile on her face as her nervous motions die down, her hands resting in her lap with a surprising stillness. I cant help but feel somewhat embarrassed as I feel Annas continuous staring, it doesn't stop the growing pride that wells in my chest though. I'm surprised that she was so open to speaking, too, did it have something to do with the drink Anna gave her? Despite that, I'm proud that she could answer her, it doesn't seem like she forced herself to do it, either.
"Hm, it seems that you've left quite an impression on her, dear," I let out an awkward feeling laugh as she speaks to me, her eyebrow raised as I rub at the back of my neck. She chuckles to herself once more, cup raised to her hips as she downs the rest of her tea before standing up, waltzing over to me. I shuffle in my seat as she loops her arms around my neck, her head resting atop mine as she lets out a tired sounding sigh, squeezing lightly. "You're a bit of a dumb kid, that much I'll say, but you got some heart."
"Fantastic, thanks Anna." I say with a sigh, sarcasm dripping off of my tongue even as I smile, the old lady chuckling as she continues to squeeze around my neck. There's not much I can do to reciprocate the 'hug', but it's not as if I'm gonna push her away, the warmth in my chest feels similar to a warm blanket. I let out a steady breath of air and press my head against Anna, my ears flickering against her neck, my eyes closing ever so slightly. This, this feels kind of comfortable actually, I haven't felt this in a while.
Old lady's probably had a heart attack of you ditching her, to be fair. I'm just glad that you didn't fuck this up and somehow manage to piss her off.
And just like that, the magic of this situation is now fucked, thanks Adrian.
Any time, my favourite waste of skin.
"Alright alright, get off of me," I try to shrug the woman off of my shoulders as gently as I can, Anna letting go after a moment, chuckling all the while. I wince and rub at my throat lightly, a soft pang of pain emanating from it, I think she might've squeezed a little bit too hard, nothing I can't deal with. I guess she might've just been a little bit worried. "You know I'm not a kid, I can handle myself in the big bad world."
"And that's something you've yet to tell me, dear, what else have you gotten into since you've left? Something tells me that you've managed to get into trouble, despite what you've said." I purse my lips together as she plants her hands on her hips, balled into fists as she looks down to me. Huh, I kind of walked into that one, didn't I?
"And what gives you that idea, miss Anna?"
"Call it intuition, kid, I've met kids who were far rowdier than you are."
"I feel somewhat slighted by that, don't you think that might just be your old age coming into play, muddling your mind just a little bit?" I let out a pained yelp as she pinches my ear, wincing as she raises it upwards, held tightly between two fingers. Son of a bitch, that fucking hurts!
God fucking dammit Zeke, our ears are sensitive, you little bastard.
"Do you think at all, kid?" I let out a pained hiss as she tugs at my ear again, scolding me in the meanwhile, my hand tapping at her wrist.
"Son of a fucking bitch, let me go woman!"
"Shh! Don't swear in front of the kid, what's wrong with you? Should I wash your mouth out with soap?"
"You don't have to wash shit, let go of me god dammit! Stop touching my fucking ears!" A giggling cuts off the little back and forth between us both, twisting my neck to face Mabel. Her hands are held to her face, poorly covering her mouth as she devolves into a giggling mess, the edges of her smile visible despite the attempts to cover it. I can't help but smile at the sight, something about the kid heaving a genuinely good time watching our shenanigans fills me with a strange.. feeling of joy I suppose, it doesn't feel like something I've experienced before, but I welcome it nonetheless. Annas grip on my ears seem to lessen as she chuckles alongside the girl, much to my pleasure, slowly sliding my ear from her grasp, gently rubbing it as I grumble, leaning back into the chair. Still hurt like a bitch, but at least it got the kid to laugh.
Perhaps she finds your pain enjoyable? Before you get any ideas, please understand that it was a fucking joke, the last thing I want to feel is more pain because of your bad decisions.
Her giggling dies down soon after, a loud yawn taking its place as she shudders, mumbling to herself as she looks to the both of us with half lidded eyes. I smile and reach over to her, softly ruffling her hair as she purrs aloud, pressing into my hand.
"You tired, kid?"I ask her softly, the girl nodding in response almost immediately, another yawn escaping her maw. I figured much, she seemed pretty tired earlier today, too. I turn to Anna for a moment, a wide smile on my face. "Hey, Annnnnaaaaa~"
"Hm, I should've assumed that you'd come back looking for a bed to sleep in," She says with a huff, crossing her arms as she looks down to me. "I just didn't think that you'd come along back here with a child."
"Hey, she could just take my old room here, if that's not already occupied I mean."
"And where do you expect yourself to sleep, kid?"
"Eh, I can sleep anywhere, I'm not exactly picky. I've used a barrel as a pillow for fucks sake. Hell, I could just rent out a room if I'm intruding too much" Annas little glare makes me flinch for a moment, but it's intensity seems to dim as I continue to smile, the woman sighing and rubbing at her head.
"You're a bit of a bother, you know that kid? Don't worry about having to drag the child around, I've rooms to spare, for the both of you I might add. Poor girl looks like she's on the verge of passing out." I nod along with her, Mabels head is nodding off a little, and she's rather sluggish with her movements. The keidran lets out a surprise little squeak as I pick her up from the chair, carrying her frail and light little body in my arms, covered by purple and green cloth.
"Thank ya Anna!" I give her a smile and wink before waltzing away from the table, furrowing my brows as I look to the doors. Son of a bitch, which one was my old one again? All these doors look the same.
First to your left, forgetful bastard.
Ah, thanks Adrian! Your assistance is always welcomed.
"Hey, kid." Annas call brings me out of my thoughts, a hand of mine already gripping the handle as I twist my neck to face her, the gaze in her eyes looks conflicted, the look on her face strangely stern.
"What's up Anna? Everything okay?" I respond to her with a tilt of the head, a frown on my face, worry stirring throughout my chest. She's silent for a few moments, eyes closing shut as she sighs.
"I wish to talk to you about something, come next morn. I'd do it tonight, but there's things I have to prepare for other reasons, just thought I'd let you know. If you've anything else to do for tonight, just leave the door unlatched. There's little who come out to this place anyways, and if it's needed, I'm very well capable of defending the both of us until you return." She speaks with a cold and flat tone, her blue eyes seeming somewhat torn as she steps away, further down the hall. A chill runs up my spine as I purse my lips together, staring at her back before she disappears into a room. A concerned feeling stirs in my chest as I mull over her request, stepping into my old room and walking towards the bed. I'm really not sure how I'm meant to feel about that, there's an unease that seems to settle in my chest, even as I lower the girl onto the covers. What could she want, did something happen while I was gone? Is Anna okay?
"Zeke?" Mabels gentle voice brings me out of my brooding, shaking my head clear of those thoughts before resting a hand on her head, ruffling her fur softly.
"What's up kid, you okay?" I quietly question her as I run my hand through her hair, the corners of my lips twitching upwards as she smiles, a small squeak of a yawn forcing its way out of her maw.
"You're gonna come back, right..?" Her smile falls to a small frown, discontent and nervous even as she pushes against my hand. My digits gently dig into her fur, massaging her scalp as softly as I can, an attempt of some kind to comfort her.
"Of course kid, I promise you that much. I'll check on you when I get back, and I'll just be in the next room. If you need anything, just wake me up, okay?" She still frowns even as I try to comfort the girl, but doesn't seem too unhappy at the very least, nodding in response. I step away from her as she pushes herself into a seating position, fumbling with the cord that holds the cloak together, eventually pulling it off of her miniature form and shoving it towards me.
"Here! It's, uhm, it's yours and all, I don't need it for now." I can't help but smile as she squeaks out those words, taking the cloak from her hands, a small smile on her face. I loop it around my neck and tie it all together, the familiar and welcoming weight pressing on my shoulders, a familiar feeling blanket around my body. I ruffle the girls hair as I gently press her back down onto the bed, dragging the blanket up and tucking her in, her head and purple scarf sticking out from the covers.
"I'll see you soon kid, I promise." The happy purring from her is as good an answer as any words, her eyes slowly closing, nestling into the pillow. I stand beside her for a moment before making my way out of the room, stepping on the wood as soft as I can, giving her a final glance before finally dipping out of the room. I let out a sigh as I lean back into the door, rubbing at my temple with a hand. Fuck, what did I need to do again? Go meet the captain around here, then come back and get a sleep, talk to Anna in the morning. That sounds about right, right?
Said captain should be in wherever the barracks around here would be, obviously. Why do you feel so relieved to get this shitty cloak back? I can feel it in your heart, can't imagine why you're excited to wear this again, it smells of dirt and fox.
It's not a shitty cloak, it's a comforting little thing that I enjoy wearing, like a comfort blanket. Besides, I can always wash the smell away.
Pfeh, fucking weirdo. If you like this thing so much, why do you pass it off to the girl?
If it helps her feel less nervous, then she needs it more than me. I shake my head and bring myself back to the real world, pushing myself off of the door and marching throughout the dining room. My gaze lingers on a glint of light from the lingering setting sun that leaks in through the windows, stopping in my tracks and waltzing over to it. Hey, I remember this mirror.
The moment you figured out that we weren't exactly human anymore.
I squint and examine my reflection a bit closer, brushing my hand over the fur of my face. My eyes are as blue as I can remember, thank god for that, and yet… did I always look so gaunt? Did I always have such bags under my eyes? I can't help but draw a finger across the dip beneath my eyes, humming to myself. I guess I can chalk that up to poor sleep, but still, I haven't exactly been taking care of myself have I?
I could've told you that much, dumbass.
I snicker lightly to myself before tearing my eyes away from the mirror, forcing myself to march out of the door and into the cold air outside. The suns started setting a while ago, it seems, the light from it managing to slip in through the trees, spilling across the cottage and grass alike. It's a nice little view, and the cold nips at my senses a little bit, a small rush running through my veins as I march up the hill. I slip my gloves over my hands, flexing my fingers lightly as I hum to myself. I probably should've dumped off at least some of my equipment while I was in Annas home, notably my sword and shield, but fuck it, too late for me to worry about that too much for now.
Do you have any idea where the barracks for this shitty town would be?
Not at all, I'll wing it until I find it, I could just ask around.
Fantastic, your planning capability knows no bounds.
My capability to fake it till I make it is frightening, my favourite little doppelganger.
Gods above knows that it frightens me, just don't get us killed, and don't jinx us either.
Come on Adrian, what's the worst that could happen?
I fucking loathe you, dense mother fucker.
….
Thankfully, the barracks themselves weren't too hard to find, essentially placed in an offshoot close enough to the inn of the town. Such convenient placing, if I'm gonna be honest, can't imagine how rowdy the guards around here would be. The barracks itself doesn't seem to different from the last I've been in, at least from the outside itself, odds are that there's a specific set of construction instructions to build these things. Makes sense, better than winging it.
Sometimes when you talk, I can feel the brain cells in my skull die.
I'll take that as a complement, Adrian. A strange and uncomfortable silence seems to linger in the air as I step inside the barracks, the foyer of the place scrubbed clean of both grime and guardsman, a solitary figure standing behind a curved wooden desk, his back turned to me as he tends to something else. I silently approach the man, my paw pads pressing against the cold wooden floor as I stand in front of the counter, a nervous feeling stirring in my chest as I drum my fingers against it. I don't think this dude is anyone I know, clad head to toe in visage obscuring typical guardsman armour that glints in the torch light. Should I uh, get his attention? What the fuck do I do here?
Probably, stomach your nerves for once.
"Uh, hey?" I give the mysterious guardsman a small wave, even though he can't see it, the man giving a gruff grunt of acknowledgement.
"Moment." He says shortly, tone filled with disinterests as he keeps his attention to… whatever the fuck's in front of him. I sigh and resign myself to waiting, digging my hands into my cloak pockets, fiddling with the mana crystal that's still held within. I kind of forgot about this thing for a while, I should probably try to practise magic a bit more later on. Hopefully with less things going awfully wrong.
I've already accepted that my thoughts on the situation's just gonna be tossed into the garbage can, don't mind me.
The residing guardsman finally finishes whatever task he's in the middle of doing, turning to face me. I purse my lips together as I stare into his helmet as best I can, there's not much I can do to try to identify this dude, his helmet covers most of his features other than his face and nose in a shade. Can't help but wonder if that's magic or something, he doesn't seem like a very notable person otherwise.
"We don't deal with keidran, you best get out." He says curtly, his rough sounding voice doesn't make him seem like a very approachable person, either. I bite back the aggravated growl that stirs in my chest, instead biting the inside of my cheek to keep it at bay. Right, that's how it works around here, I almost forgot about that. Such a shame really, here I was hoping this would be an in and out business.
"Thankfully, I'm not a keidran. Can you direct me to wherever your captains meant to be? He's expecting me tonight." I try my best to keep a level tone as I speak to the man, tapping my paw against the floor. He doesn't react, at least visually anyways, his deadened stare still lingering on my face.
"And what business do you have with our fair captain, subhuman?" I can't help but feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, a fire igniting in my chest. I already immediately detest this fucker, is this the type of people who trained with and alongside Edward when he was becoming a guardsman? No wonder he was a bit of a dickhead when we first met.
Ooh, minorly inconvenienced by a guardsman, you gonna beat his face in with your dense fucking head like you did in those memories?
Ich, probably not, I'm not that pissed. Just somewhat fucking annoyed.
"That's what I'm wondering, he asked me to come visit him, hence why I'm here. Why don't you go get him for me, guardsman? I'm sure you don't want to disappoint the lovely captain here, right?" That certainly seems to get a rise out of him, his chapped lips turned down into a scowl, much to my delight. The way he grits his teeth is fucking hilarious to me, his teeth doesn't really look like they're well looked after.
"Listen here mutt, even saying the captain's rank is a privilege that's beyond you."
"How terrifying, I'm on the verge of shaking in my boots. Come on, it's just a fucking rank, nothing special about that. Doesn't he have a name?"
"Such a beast like you doesn't deserve to know the mans name, you're naught more than a dog that ought to be kicked about."
"I'm sure that you do a fine job keeping the boots around here nice and shiny to do the booting, you certainly look like a man with enough time to do his part." A smug little smile forces its way on my face as the man continues to grind his teeth together, his glower prominent and pronounced, much to my absolute glee. This guy's a ball to fuck with!
"Is there a problem here?" A cool sounding voice cuts through the back and forth between the two of us, my neck twisting to turn to the source of the noise. Hey, it's the captain, isn't that convenient? Even late into the night, he's dressed in that decorative looking armour, his arms clasped behind his back. I snicker to myself as the guardsman races to give the captain a stiff salute, following suit with a lazy mock of a salute.
"Hey cappy, how are ya doing tonight?" My grin is wide and my chuckle a mirthful one as the guardsman continues to grit his teeth, I can feel his gaze burning into my side. The captain lets out a soft sigh, a disappointed sounding one at that.
"Zeke, I'd rather you not taunt my men."
"Awh, but it's so much fun!" The captain continues to stare at me, unwavering and emotionless, silence filling the room. Well fuck, now I just feel awkward. I sigh and put my hands in the air, surrendering the conversation before reaching a hand out to hjm. "Alright alright, fine. Sorry about that guardsman, wanna shake on it?"
The guardsman doesn't seem to match my friendly vigour, that scowl of his still staining his face I'd imagine, however masked from view it may be. I shrug and retract the olive branch, digging my hands into my pockets again.
"At ease, private. I'll take it from here." The guardsmans salute doesn't falter as he replies with a stiff 'sir!', the captain's head making a motion to follow him before he turns away, marching down the hall. I give the stationary guardsman a final glance before following the captain, his back already turned to me and fiddling with papers.
"Please, forgive my men for being rather… on edge as of late, tension with the nearby keidran territory has been brewing for quite some time." The captain pipes up with a nice and even tone as we waltz through the hallways, a snort of laughter forcing its way past my lips.
"Really? I didn't notice," I respond to him, sarcasm dripping off of my tongue as my eyes wander, the plain wooden walls don't exactly do much to catch my attention for long though. The captain doesn't follow up with anything, sadly, not even a peep from him. I sigh to myself and rub at my face, now I just feel like a bit of a prick. "It's okay, I should've expected it to be honest. Maybe I shouldn't have poked the bear too much."
An uncomfortable silence takes over in place of conversation, the echoes of the captains boots thudding against the floor echoing throughout the hallway as we move onwards. There's not much to speak about, I suppose, digging my hands further into my pockets and fiddling with the mana crystal.
The captain seems like a rather curt and commandeering man, can't imagine he'd respond well to your antics.
That's definitely the vibe I'm getting from him, too. Is he held in such high regard due to fear or respect, I wonder, either can be possible. We finally arrive at a large set of doors, looming above the both of us, the captain forcing it open. I follow in close behind him, the door slamming shut behind me as I look over the room.
It's a very spartan looking room, cold and unwelcoming, nothing but bookshelves placed at the end of the room stuffed to the brim with scrolls and parchments, a singular desk placed in front of them. There's a single window to the outside, placed far above the bookshelves.
"Take a seat." The captain says flatly, a nervous feeling in my chest as I follow his orders, planting myself on the seat given. I shuffle in place as he takes his own seat across from me, an awkward silence filling the air.
"So uh, what'd you need from me cappy?" I question the man, attempting to relax into the wooden chair as best as I can, not that it helps much. The captain sighs as he reaches up to his helmet, gripping at the base of it as he pushes it up. I blink in surprise as he plants the helmet onto the table, the man slouching ever so slightly. His wrinkled face is free of facial hair, and yet it's as if it's on the verge of being withered from old age, crows feet on the edge of his squinting grey eyes, his short cut of hair stained a pure white. Holy shit, he looks fucking old.
"I'd like to thank you for your assistance, both with the mission I gave to the two of you, and with my dear nephew." He bows his head ever so slightly. I blink in confusion, furrowing my brow as I look over the mans face. Such a rapid shift in tone and how he postures himself, to say that it's a tad strange would be an understatement.
You don't need a little mask to hide your own emotions, you can make do with whatever you can gather to hide your face. The old bastards probably been in the guard for longer than we've been alive.
"Eh, don't worry bout it too much cappy, it's just a job. Why'd you even shove the two of us on that mission to begin with? Sure, it turned out alright in the end, but I imagine that there was some ulterior motive behind it?" The mans chuckle sounds off putting, especially coming from a once curt captain, but it sounds genuine enough, wrinkled lips curled up into a small smile.
"Ah, perhaps you're a bit more astute than he gave you credit for. You're correct in that observation, part of it was as a punishment for disobeying orders, but part of it was in hopes that he'd be a bit more… approachable when he returns. Not to speak behind my nephews back, but he was a bit one note in his view of life due to certain events. He's been far more outgoing since returning, which you've my thanks for." I purse my lips together as he answers the question, drumming my fingers against my thighs, his tone polite and clear if nothing else. Certain events, eh?
"I think I know what you mean by 'certain events', hell if I know for sure, I ain't one to pry." I say with a shrug, my mind wandering back to the last time I tried that. I ain't doing that again, no sir. The captain seems somewhat surprised by that, his hands clasped together as he leans forward.
"Truly? I fully believed that he divulged such information with you before you two returned, given with how he's spoken of you." I can't help but smile a little at that, a giddy feeling inside of my chest. Awh, Edward talks about me, huh? That's cute.
Eaugh, I'm gonna hurl.
"Nah, he hasn't told me yet, maybe someday." I shrug once more, a worried feeling stirring in my chest as the captain eyes me down, tapping my thigh with a renewed fervour. Why's he looking at me like that, is he scheming something?
"Do you wish to know what happened then, Zeke?" I feel my brain turn off for a moment, the gears in my head turning as I raise an eyebrow?
"Excuse me?" Surely I misheard the man, right? He can't be serious.
"I could very well tell you what happened, should you wish." I furrow my brow as I stare down to the man, pure fucking disgust rearing its ugly head, the feeling of bile stirring around in my stomach. This mother fucker is serious.
"That's a hard pass from me, cappy. If I wanted to know what happened, I'd hear it from Edward himself, not scheme behind his back to hear about his past from someone else. He's my friend, you fuck." I keep down the building anger as best as I can, an irate sounding grunt still forcing itself through my throat. God, I'm fucking pissed, scheming bastard of a captain, no wonder he does deals with Gerome. Surprisingly, the captain doesn't react defensively, if anything, he seems to be glad that I turned the bastard down, the corner of his wrinkly lips curling into a faint smile. That just makes me more pissed at the fucker, did he try to pull a fast one on me? See if I'd actually take the bait? That's all this was, wasn't it?
"Ah, Edwards words weren't for naught, thankful-."
"Do you want to cut to the chase, captain? I have other places to be, notably a fucking bed." Bastard of a man, my blood's boiling with anger at the fucking gall of him. The man seems surprised that I cut him off, a small frown pushing its way onto his face.
"Please, understand that it was a test, nothing more. A test that I feel some shame in attempting, but one that I felt the need to implement regardless. I don't enjoy the thought of meddling with his life, but considering his past 'friends', it's better safe than sorry. You've seen how it can be around here, filled with naught but hate for others, our family relation doesn't help in regards to those getting closer to him for their own gain. You understand what I mean, correct?" I growl a little to myself as he speaks, a bubble of anger still flowing around in my chest. Fucking bastard of a man, I knew that it was a fucking bait, and now he's picking at my heart strings about it. Doesn't help that he's ignored my want to just move on to do it, too. I sigh to myself and rub at my face, the hot rage cooling down slowly.
"Pfeh, I guess I understand, I'm still pissed."
"I'm aware, but I do what I need to do, surely you understand that, too." I take in a long, drawn out intake of air, trying to smother those memories, though it does little to stop the mental images. This meeting went to shit and this night blows ass.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Do you have anything else to say, or are we actually done here?" I say with a dismissive wave, shuffling around in the uncomfortable feeling chair.
"I do, actually, I have a proposition for you."
"And what would that be, cappy?"
"I want you to come under my wing, and join the guard." I feel my brain turn blank as I blink and stare at the man, his face unmoving and emotionless.
Second time tonight, too, and in such a short amount of time! I feel your last two brain cells pinging between one another.
"Wat." Is he pulling my leg? Is this a joke, or another bait that this fuckers planned in advance?
"I'm serious this time around, honest to the Masks above. Think about it, you have a stable income, a place to train, you spend some more time with Edward…" He raises his eyebrow as he trails off, the corner of his lips curling up into a smile. I can feel my face morph into a scowl, furrowing my brow as I look down to the table. Fucker's trying to use Edward to get me to join him for this shit, manipulative bastard, I wonder what strings he's pulling at behind the scenes. Despite the distaste in my mouth, my mind can't help but wander. I was worried about never seeing Edward again, right? This could be my chance to ensure that we do end up together.
"What about your men? I can't imagine that they'd be excited to have to work with a 'subhuman'." I question the man as I look up to him, eyebrow raised.
"What I say, goes. They will understand." He retorts, quickly and simply, his lopsided smile rubbing me the wrong way. That's certainly not ominous sounding at all. I take in slow and deep breaths of air, closing my eyes shut and retreating into my mind for a moment.
Hey, Adrian, what're your thoughts on this mess?
I don't have a strong opinion, though I'm adverse to more fighting. Can't exactly stop you from doing dumb shit.
"I'd like to have some time to think about it all, if you mind." I finally respond to the man as I open my eyes, staring into his. He gives me a small, probably not very genuine smile, nodding his head.
"I understand, it's just an offer is all. That's all for tonight though, if you want to take your leave." He motions with a hand towards the door, the conversation seems to be at its end. I give the man a nod before pushing myself onto my feet, silently making my way to the door.
"By the way, kid," I twist my head to turn back to the captain, the man in the process of putting his helmet back on. He shakes his head for a moment before it finally slips on, his back straightening as he looks to me, the scheming man making way for the captain of the guard. "I'll inform my men of your existence from hereon, they shouldn't give you too much strife for much longer, should I need your services once more."
"Sounds fantastic, see you maybe, cappy."
"Until then Zeke, good night." His visage disappearing behind the closing doors. I stay still for a moment before letting out a loud sigh, slouching against the oversized doors. Two faced bastard of a man, I loathe that I agree with him on some points, I trust him as far as I can throw him. I can't see why Edward sees up to him so much, I know he has an inkling of how he is.
Is it right to call someone else two faced when I'm stuck inside your head?
You don't really count as a 'face', do you? You're more like, a really annoying parasite that loves to comment at inopportune times.
Your attempts to try to deflect your anger by speaking to the voice in your head doesn't go unnoticed by me, I hope you know that.
I know, I'm very well aware. I sigh and push myself off of the door, wandering down the winding hallways. I just want to get some good fucking sleep for once.
Another thing we can agree on, it seems.
….
The cottage is deathly silent as I slip in through the front door, latching the thing shut as I slink through the empty room, making my way to a spare room as quickly as possible, a deep seated sluggishness that infests my muscles brings me a small aching pain as I shut the door behind me. I can feel my eyelids droop as I lazily drop my equipment, unlatching my belt and undoing the straps to my shield, tossing them both atop my bag. People are probably in a deep enough sleep to not notice some banging, right? It wasn't that loud.
Ich, where the fuck did this fatigued feeling hit us from? Can I double pass out in your brain or some shit?
I can't even muster up a mental response to Adrian as he chimes up, lazily slumping into the previously neat bed, any soft feeling a god damned blessing to me. I draw the covers up to my neck and nestle into the warm bed, a delighted feeling running around in my chest. Fuck, I didn't even take my cloak off. Ah fuck it, whatever, it's extra warmth.
Despite the welcoming feeling of the bed, and how fucking dog tired I am, sleep doesn't exactly come easy, nor swiftly. I toss and turn in the bed, the sluggish feeling that weighs on my limbs only feels heavier as time passes, my lips morphing into a frown. Why the fuck is it so hard to sleep god dammit? I'm in a fucking bed, I'd be jumping for joy if I could feel my legs.
My ears flicker as a squeaking noise fills the air, pushing myself onto my elbows to examine the intruder, squinting my eyes to see through the darkness. A small smile falls on my face as the small figure slips into the bed, her soft purring piercing through the silence as I ruffle her hair.
"Bad dreams, kid?" I question in a quiet voice, even though I don't expect her to answer. She silently nudges against my chest, purring even louder as I embrace her into a soft hug, warmth encompassing us both as I keep my hand atop her head. A strange peaceful feeling presses against my chest alongside her nudging, my eyelids drooping once more as I let out a loud yawn, finally falling shut after a few moments.
Sleep comes far easier than before, the bed seems as if it's a soothing and tranquil place of peace for now, shared between the two of us. I feel like there's something else I should do, something to comfort the girl, but this seems good enough for the both of us. I give her a final rub behind her ear before dozing off, into the embrace of sleep.
Authors Note: There'll be a small hiatus between this chapter and the next, I'm moving houses, here's hoping a slightly extra long chapter would do for a while.
28/11/2000: Finally changed the tea conversation after pussyfooting a fair bit, shouldn't affect much else.