real-kastek

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 18

I'm Okay

(No prompt, just third-person perspective practice.)

The world burns for a moment, screeching back into place and time.

A single blink, then back to darkness, then to light once more, the cycle repeating until shapes come into form.

”…ris?”

Even the sound hurts. Sound shouldn’t hurt, should it? That doesn’t seem right. Whoever was making that noise needs to be quiet. They had to know they were too loud. Maybe someone just needs to tell them?

”…you are! Oh, thank goodness! We we’re all worried sick, and-“

The noise wasn’t stopping. And now there’s something…fuzzy? Brushing along their face, itching, burning.

”I-If I had known you two were training, I would have dropped everything! Running the kingdom certainly takes up much of my time, b-but…”

A clammy hand slinks out from underneath the bedsheet, waving away the offending sights and sounds. In a flash, the human’s arm slumps back down atop the blanket, energy spent. That will have to do. Words would likely be better when communicating, ‘Please stop everything in the world right now,’ but a bit of flailing would have to suffice.

”…u-um, Kris?”

The pale blue Lightner opens their eyes, blurry shapes blending and bleeding together, until a white fuzzy face comes into view.

”…hi…sei…” The words barely slip from their lips.

A look of worry softens, forming into a relieved smile as the Darkner prince rises from the bedside, brushing his hands down along his robe. He sighs, linking them back together behind him, “W-Well, I erm…I’m glad you’re okay Kris.”

Lifting their head up for a moment, they fall back into the soft pillow, exhausted from the first movement.

”Ralsei? Where…?”

The mage clears his throat, “You’re safe. I-I believe there was a bit of an…accident, during you and Susie’s training this afternoon…?”

Kris squeezes their eyes shut, blurriness finally clearing, “…uh…y-yeah.”

”I…” Ralsei shakes his head sullenly, “If you had simply told me you two were training, I could have been there to ensure everything went okay. I know Susie has started to learn the basics of healing, but training so intensely has…risks.”

The human rises once more, barely able to make it a few inches up the headboard, “…she okay?”

The prince blinks, frozen for a moment before stuttering back to life, “W-Well, yes! She’s quite alright! Just…erm, tired?” A whisper of a smile pulls at his lips before immediately falling away, “B-But Kris! Come now, you were the one that was injured today! I know you two are quite apt with your abilities and techniques, but…” Ralsei sighs at the thought once more, “Susie said she wanted to practice her axe’s magical capabilities? That you were helping her when-”

Kris stretches painfully, finally sitting up in the bed. The blanket clumps and twists along their arm as they attempt to shove the cover away, only for a fresh agony to bloom in their shoulder. The pain freezes them in place, a cold sweat streaking down their back. The deafening wave of suffering begins to slowly calm; their once blue face having turned a searing crimson in the moment.

”P-Please be careful! I mended the wound itself, but your shoulder will still be inflamed and sore for quite some time. There shouldn’t be any true danger, but your body is likely reacting to the shock of it all and-“

”I-I’m okay…” They mutter, pressing a hand to their shoulder tenderly, “…she’s okay?”

Ralsei’s lips hang open for a moment, lost in worry, soon falling back into a soft smile, “…yes. She’s…well, actually-“

He steps away, emerald robe flowing around him. Squinting through the floating colors lingering in their vision, Kris watches closely, spying a quietly snoring dragon in the corner of the room, her arms linked tightly around her knees as she rests upon the floor.

”She…she hasn’t left.” Ralsei clears his throat, “…I think she wore herself out after carrying you here.”

”…wha…” A wave of dizziness slams into Kris as they shake the feeling away, desperate to be present and awake.

”I was still in the castle with Queen, discussing…erm, ‘possible acid pool functionality within the kingdom’…” Fuzzy hands squeeze the edges of his robe, “We were in the middle of a conversation when Susie burst through the main doors with you in her arms. She was…panicked, to say the least.”

Kris’ eyes scan the dragoness, still curled into the corner, the wall seemingly having become her pillow by this point. Stringy bits of mane stick to her face, pulling across her maw and twisting along her leather jacket. Her axe was tossed to the side, soaked bits of her shirt and jacket sticking to her scales with a crimson hue. Beneath the streak of crimson were paler, sickly-looking scales, her cheeks and face especially muted.

”…looks tired.”

Ralsei’s eyes bounce from the bedridden human, to the quietly slumbering dragoness.

”I…would imagine both of you are.” He bites his lip, “Kris…you didn’t look okay.”

A knot forms in the human’s chest.

”Susie didn’t either. She was…yelling. Screaming. I…haven’t seen her like that before. She must have carried you from the training field all the way to the castle. She said she…”

Kris sighs, slumping back down on their side, eyes still glued to the rise and fall of the girl’s form, “…didn’t block it fast enough. I said I would. She was worried, but I was…” They swallow sharply, “Wanted to help her practice. Guess one got through. Think I remember it hitting me before hitting the ground.”

A soft hiccup erupts from the girl as she nuzzles closer to her knees, her breaths quietly shuddering. Kris’ eyes narrow, watching her from afar, tracing the streaks of glimmering scales under her eyes. The light catches, the sight causing them to wince.

They pull their gaze away. The streaks were still fresh, the dampness under her eyes yet to dry.

”She’s been here for hours.”

Kris takes a deep breath, holding it for long enough for their chest to hurt, the air flowing from their lips.

”I’ve been checking on you every once in a while, but…” Ralsei’s fingers loop underneath his glasses, squeezing his eyes, “She wanted to be here.

”…I’m okay.” Kris mutters, burying deeper into their blanket.

The prince nods solemnly, “That’s…I’m glad to hear that. But, she told me…w-well, she said that, if you were to wake while she was asleep, that-“ Ralsei’s lips twist into a pained smile, “She said she’s sorry.”

The knot tightens.

He presses a finger up along his glasses, straightening them, “…I healed what I could, but there will still be lingering aches and pains I would imagine. I know you will need to return home soon, but perhaps it would be best to remain here for just a bit longer?”

Kris nods silently.

”Good. Well, I am going to inform Queen and the others that you’re awake. Despite her…eccentricities, she was noticeably concerned upon Susie’s arrival.” Ralsei grimaces, “I would imagine she may have told Lancer as well, so I should make sure they both know you’ve awakened.”

As silently as possible, Ralsei makes his way back to the door, the entryway creaking open as he slips past the threshold. He turns back for a moment, glancing from Susie to Kris, a concerned look twisting in his fuzzy features.

”You’re not…angry, are you?”

Kris’ eyes go wide, “W-What?! No, no! It was my idea, and she didn’t do it on purpose!” A wave of agony sweeps along their shoulder, barely noticed in their exasperation, “She didn’t…she doesn’t think that, does she?”

Ralsei smiles from behind the door, “…quite the opposite. She…well. You should perhaps speak with her when you two have a moment. Just…just the two of you.” His fingers tap along the doorframe, “Some of the things she said, what she was…yelling…”

Kris rises from the bed, fighting down the sickening pain, twisting and turning to find the prince’s expression.

”…she doesn’t want to lose you Kris.”

”Wha-“

”I’ll return soon. Until then, please get some rest, okay?”

With a click, the door closes back to silence, only the dragoness’ rumbling snores echoing into the room.

Kris’ eyes dance along the bed’s cover, pink and blue stripes blending together in their hazy vision. With one last huff, they fall back into the pillow’s embrace, eye twitching from the wave of pain blooming in their shoulder.

Another sharp snort breaks the quiet, Kris’ gaze turning back towards the bundled dragoness, her amber eyes burning through the darkness across the room.

They stare at her, words failing them, ”…hey.”

Susie freezes, staring back.

”I’m okay.” Kris mutters.

She tries to smile. For a moment, she does. Fangs form into a simple grin, her eyes filled with the usual energy, one normally followed by a snide comment or mocking jab.

But it drops away. All that’s left is shaking, her lips quivering as she tries, and fails, to calm her breathing.

The blanket is tossed to the side as Kris swings their legs over the edge, stifling the agonizing wave of pain in their shoulder. Fumbling for a moment, they meander across the room, slumping against the wall and down to her level. Susie draws her arms and legs close to her chest, the shaking worsening.

They fall into her, leaning their head on her shoulder.

”…I’m okay.”

Kris closes their eyes, the shaking beneath them dying away, a weight soon resting back against them.

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 17

Four Letters

(No prompt, just third-person perspective practice.)

”Seriously, she’s got it out for me or something. It’s not even a long name; how do you screw that up?!”

The human shrugs, swirling the steaming drink around in the mug, “…happens sometimes.”

”Oh come on, she knows what she’s doing. We’ve been in the same class together for…I don’t know! A while?!” Claws roll along the table’s scratched surface, a low growl bubbling up from the dragoness, “It’s five letters!”

”She did five letters.” Kris mutters, staring down towards the girl’s hands, wincing as her talons bend inwards on the paper cup.

”That’s not-“

”Pronounced the same too.” Kris shrugs, taking a sip from their drink, eyes searching through the diner’s window and out through the surrounding golden forest.

A calm breeze blows through the boughs of the trees, sweeping fiery leaves up into the sky, twirling and spinning before scattering along Hometown’s streets. Fall was in full swing at this point, a season that most definitely called for warm drinks, heavier clothing, and-

”…it’s not how you spell it.”

Kris pinches the bridge of their nose, “Susie, it’s just one letter.”

The scaled girl sulks from across the table, crossing her arms and sweeping the patchwork jacket into a heap, “Yeah, and she probably did it on purpose. You try to break into a place to see if they have any leftover cinnamon rolls one time and apparently that’s enough to hold a whole grudge or whatever.” Susie slumps further into the booth, a sharp squeak emanating out, “Only broke a couple plates while I was looking. Like, I could’ve paid for them.”

”Want me to talk to her?” The human mumbles, taking another watchful sip, crimson irises burning through their curtain of hair.

”N-No! It’s not like…ugh. It’s just stupid.” She pokes at the white cup, billowing steam rising from the cover, “But like, look!”

She twists the container around, black text hastily scrawled along the label.

S-U-Z-I-E

”Do I look like a goddamn ‘Suzie’?!”

Another loud sip rings out.

”Seriously, you know someone for months and months, go to class with them all the time, and you don’t even know how to spell their name? It’s just…it’s on purpose.” She shakes her head, wild tendrils of hair scattering along the booth, “Bet that’s why my burger was scorched last time.”

”That’s how you like it.” The mug rattles back atop the table, “But maybe she was busy? Catti was running around a lot, taking orders and-“

Another growl echoes out. In a flash, boots stretch from underneath the table, laying atop the human’s booth at their side, “Yeah, I guess. It’s just weird, right?”

Kris meets her gaze once more, leaning down slightly to find the girl’s eyes now level with the table itself, maw half-buried in her slumped position.

”You know someone for that long and they can’t even get your name right.” She grumbles, sinking further, “Like, I know her name! It’s C-A-T-T…”

Carefully looping their fingers into the mug’s handle, Kris lifts the beverage off and away. Better to not chance an annoyed dragoness right now, much less with a scalding drink so close at hand.

”…I!”

”What?”

”I. It ends with an I. I think.”

The human’s eyebrow raises for a moment, only to place their focus back onto the steaming drink, several marshmallows bobbing along the surface.

”I don’t know. It’s just weird or something.”

”Mm-hmm…” Kris taps the side of their drink, lost in thought, “So…you still want to go see Ralsei today? I bet we could-“

”Like, maybe she got busy or something, but it’s still weird.” Susie mumbles.

The mug creaks in their grasp. Angel help them.

”I could get it if the place was packed, but there’s only a few people here after school, and most of them aren’t even ordering anyth-“

”Spell my name.”

A single marshmallow falls down into the chocolatey depths.

”…what?”

Kris clicks their tongue, “Spell my name.”

Boots return to the floor as Susie sits up, amber eyes drilling back into the human, “Why?”

Kris shrugs quietly.

”Oh come on, I know your name! We’ve known each other for months now dude!” She chuckles, “Ralsei took me a minute though. Still forget how to spell his weird-ass name sometimes.”

The hot chocolate swirls about, “So spell it.”

Susie’s eyes narrow, “…seriously? It’s like, four letters. Couldn’t screw that up if I wanted to.”

”Alright, go ahead.”

The diner quiets to a low murmur, a lull settling into the once busy establishment.

”…f-fine! God, you’re such a pain in the-“

A sharp tapping rings out from the side of the mug, the human watching intently from across the table.

”S-Stop staring at me like that! Creepy little…” Susie stares off through the window, a sharp gulp breaking the silence, “Bet you can’t spell…I-I mean, like, how about you spell someone’s name, huh?! Let’s see you spell Ralsei’s weird Darkner thing.”

”R-A-L-S-E-I.” Kris states.

”Oh. W-Well, see?! People that know each other can do it easy! I just don’t get why Catti can’t-“

”Your turn.”

The silence returns, another marshmallow succumbing to the pull of sugar and milk.

”F-FINE!” Susie roars, slamming her palms atop the table, sending several napkins flying.

Kris pulls the mug close to their lips, taking a sip, a flood of scalding chocolate hitting their senses.

”It’s…u-uh…f-four letters, and…”

The tapping sound returns.

”…um…”

The final marshmallow falls.

”…C?”

”Nope.”

”Goddamn it.”

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 16

Would You Rather

(Prompt: Susie confesses to an anxious Kris.)

…how many spikes did her bracers have?

The tip of the pencil taps along the page, leaving barely visible traces of grey behind.

There were at least three on each side. So…six? But if you were to draw the bands from the front, then you would only be able to see a few anyway.

You gently bite the bottom of your lip, dragging the pencil away from the sketch’s hands and towards the imposing axe resting upon her shoulder. Maybe you would start with the weapon first. That was more fun to draw anyway. You just needed to make sure the handle was curved enough and-

”So?”

You blink, ”Huh?”

”Which one?”

”Uh…Werewires, I guess.”

You hear a chuckle from above, the bedsheet crinkling and pulling at the back of your sweater.

”Seriously? Come on, the Maus weirdos would be way easier to deal with. Even if they’re giant.”

You sigh, allowing the pencil to fall between the journal’s crease, “Yeah, but there’d be three of them.”

A dull talon pokes the top of your head, the scaled hand drifting over the edge of the bed, “But the ten Maus-sized Werewires? Got no problem with that?”

”…easier to dodge.” You grumble, settling back against the side of the bed. Fumbling in place, you drag a bit of crumpled blanket out from underneath you, tossing the loose cover off and away. You watch the quilted gray material settle in a heap below the bed itself, burning orange light illuminating the cavernous space, highlighting a number of dust bunnies lurking below. You grimace. Keeping your room clean was hard enough with a monster constantly twisting the sheets of your bed into a pile, much less having to sweep underneath the bed itself.

”Guess that’s fair. You kinda suck at keeping up with those things.” The bed creaks as the dragoness flips over, beginning to punch the soft white pillow back into form, “Still-” She grunts, dropping back down with a soft thump, “…remember when one slammed into you face first? You were picking fuzz out of your teeth for a while.”

You roll your eyes, “Uh-huh.”

Pinching the pencil between two fingers, you return to the task at hand. Soft grey lines begin to form, a razor-sharp blade manifesting with each stroke, the hulking weapon effortlessly carried upon the sketched girl’s shoulder. You firmly press against the looseleaf paper, ensuring harsher black lines make up the cruel edge. The pencil’s tip drifts away as you examine the drawing thus far.

Your eyes narrow. The axe was…okay. Even the jacket hanging off her shoulders was pretty accurate. But her expression…

You sniff, brushing a sleeve across your nose before poking at the beaming smile etched onto the page. Her teeth were way sharper than that. Especially when she smiled at you. There was a way her fangs turned inwards ever so slightly that you found yourself noticing more and more by the day. Her smile was…intimidating? At least at first. But after enough time spent in the Dark World, watching her lips curl into a wild grin following another victory at the dojo, or finding a moment to relax in the café together, the look was less intimidating and more-

”Wait, I got it!”

The pencil digs into the page, nearly penetrating the thin paper. A shuffling sound builds from above as locks of dark brown hair drift over the side of the bed. You turn, finding yourself face to face with an upside-down Susie, her amber eyes burning into you. Her white t-shirt billows around her neckline, the once bulky purple coat long since discarded off into the corner of your room. Excitement creases along her lips as she smiles back at you, scales glimmering amidst the light pouring in through your bedroom window.

You shrink away, turning back to the journal in your hands.

”Okay, let’s say you’re alone. Ralsei’s out cold and I’m…” She pauses, dropping her arms limply off the side, picking at the carpet below, “I dunno, I’m fighting something else.”

You raise an eyebrow, allowing the notebook to fall into your lap, “Sure.”

”Anyway! Who would you rather fight: King or Queen?”

”…can I use items?”

The scaled girl grumbles, sweeping her claws back and forth along the floor, “Nah, just you and your sword.”

”King.”

Susie snorts, a gust of air blowing a few strands out and away from your vision, “Even with all his chain junk? You remember how he threw that stupid thing out of his stomach at us, right? Guy messed us up the first time.”

”He doesn’t have acid in a cup.” You mutter, brushing away the hair in your eyes.

”Eh, acid’s not a big deal.”

”Says the person with scales.” You lean your head back against the exposed mattress, staring at the dragoness with a bemused look, “Queen also has those wires. And if it’s just me, and I get caught by one of them…”

Susie’s smile drops away, her tongue slipping between her lips, limply hanging as she ponders the scenario, “…right. Yeah, those things mind control you and stuff. Eugh. Alright, King it is.”

You silently nod, cracking the journal back open, “Besides, the King has it coming. Guy’s a jerk.”

Susie chuckles, stretching her arms in front of her with a quiet pop, “Damn dude, he still pisses you off?”

You stare down at the half-finished duo etched into the lined page, a rough semblance of you and Susie, her arm on your shoulder, a subtle smile on your penciled features.

”…don’t like what he did to you.”

The words hang in the air for a moment, a fist gently colliding with your shoulder soon after, “Dweeb.” Susie snorts once more, dagger-like teeth on full display, “Appreciate it.”

You grumble, stifling the grin blooming on your lips.

”Hey, so…think your Mom is cool with me spending the night again?”

You tap the page, staring up past the scaled girl and towards the dim afternoon light peeking through the curtains, “Probably. It’s the weekend; not like we have school tomorrow or anything. We can probably just watch movies all night.” The bed quietly creaks as you lean against the plush side, “And she likes having you over I think.”

”Psh, sure.” Susie scratches her neck, scales bending and weaving as her claws drag along, “I mean, I guess. Your mom’s pretty cool, for a teacher. Thought she’d have a problem with the school bully hanging around her precious kid.”

”Uh-huh.”

”…maybe she thinks I’m a good influence or something.” A dopey grin forms on her face.

You quietly eye her, shooting a wry look back.

”What? Come on, you actually do stuff now. Not just stuck in your room all day.”

You roll your head from side to side, “Don’t think she was happy about us staying out all night last week.”

”Eh, you’re mom was cool about it. Besides, you were the one who wanted to see if the ICE-E’s mascot came alive at midnight.” She snorts, “…probably just needed to wait another hour or two, might’ve seen it hunting.”

You sigh longingly, a distant look in your eyes, “Yeah…”

The dragoness grumbles as she pulls herself back up atop the bed, blowing strands of wild mane off her maw, ”But your mom’s pretty alright. Wish she’d let us close the door when we’re hanging out in here though.”

You grip the pencil tightly.

”Like, we could blast music or…or do other shit. I don’t know.”

You swallow sharply, ”Y-Yeah…could uh…do that.”

”Eh, probably thinks we’ll tear the place apart or something.” She chuckles, “Don’t get why she’s so worried, but whatever.”

A dull cracking sound emanates from the pencil in your hand, “I-I’m sure she just…wants to make sure we’re safe? N-Not safe, but, uh…”

You cut the words short, releasing your grip on the journal, deep imprints fading with time. Air flows out from your lips as you refocus on the sketch, reveling in the momentary silence holding throughout the room. Staring back down to the pages below, a knot forms back in your chest as an intricately sketched dragoness matches your gaze, the lines forming a gleaming smile.

Just draw the axe. Do the rest later. Just the axe, nothing else. Not right now.

”Okay, how about this…”

You choke at the sound, struggling for breath.

”Would you rather be stabbed or shot?”

Seemingly oblivious to your fight for survival, Susie hums in thought, bouncing atop the bed in an effort to turn back your way. You clear your throat, forcing yourself back to reality in a shuddering effort.

”…s-sorry, what?”

”Stabbed or shot? Like, you’ll survive it, but which sucks less?”

”Susie, that-“ You toss the journal off to the side, your features twisting into a grimace, “Really?”

Patchwork jeans fall into view as Susie throws her legs off the edge of the bed, “What?”

”That’s…” You glance up, tension melting at the sight of the girl’s curious look, “I don’t know. A little…intense?”

She shrugs, “Fine, fine.”

The bedsheet curls into a bundle on the floor as Susie hops off the bed, settling down close by. The dragoness pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping an arm around the bundle of limbs, shuffling closer, barely an inch away. She drags a claw along the neck of her loose t-shirt, shining purple scales meeting at the collar.

”Something ‘nicer’ then.” Susie raises her fingers up to mockingly form air quotes, eyeing you with a self-satisfied grin.

You pinch the bridge of your nose, “It’s not that. We just always talk about-“

”Who would you rather take to the festival: Ralsei or Noelle?”

The words die away, leaving an exhausted, but familiar, tightness in your chest, “…already answered that.”

Susie ponderously lays her head atop her knees, her wild mane forming round, “Yeah, and you gave me a weak answer. Come on, who would you bring?”

”Susie, do we have to-“

”Cough it up Dreemurr!” The dragoness bumps against you, “Who ya bringin’? Like, if we could get Ralsei out of the Dark World, and Noelle isn’t busy with her family stuff, who’re you taking?”

You close your eyes, dropping your head back along the edge of the mattress. You take a deep breath, fighting down the all-too-familiar knot in your throat.

“…you.”

Looking out from half-lidded eyes, you glance at Susie, scanning her buried features, a curtain of messy hair hiding her away. She twists from sight, resting her maw along the crease atop her knees. You continue to stare at her in silence, eyes widening.

Beneath the mane, beneath the fangs and fearsome looks, there was…a smile?

”Ugh, you’re no fun. Already said I’d be there anyway. Gonna drag you all over the place, whether you like it or not.” Susie mutters quietly.

Your eyes linger just for a moment, soon turning away, burying yourself deep into the neck of your sweater.

That was…something. There was something.

Right?

”But, like, if you’re gonna go with someone, that’s cool too. Just, let me know, or whatever.” 

You groan, “I already said-” Anxiety and frustration begin to bubble in your mind, the words thoughtlessly leaving your lips, “What about you?!”

”What?” Susie mumbles.

”Well, you always ask me! What about you? Who are you going to ask?”

The dragoness continues to calmly rest atop her knees, staring off into the distance, “I dunno. Shit like that is for couples, right?” A claw taps along her thigh, “Like, I know friends go, but…”

Your eyes narrow, nerves steeled, “And? You asked me! What about you? Who would you rather bring? Ralsei? Noelle?“ The questions pour forth as your cheeks redden, “You’re always asking me, but-“

”You.”

Your breath hitches, ”W-What-“

Susie sniffs quietly, ”I’d bring you. It’d be nice going, just the two of us.”

The previous thought melts away, taking what little confidence you once had with it.

”Been saving up some money lately. Could actually pay for the food there. Or…well, some of it.” Susie happily grunts, a single fang peeking out over her lip, “You barely eat anything, so we’d just share some popcorn or whatever. Have to see what they have, I guess.”

”Th-That’s not-“ You struggle to form words.

”Think they have candy apples there? That sounds sick. Bet they’re expensive though.”

A creeping inferno builds further and further along your cheeks, threatening to consume you entirely, “Susie…come on.”

The girl shoots you a quizzical look, resting the side of her face on her knees as she stares at you silently, curiously.

”I thought we were talking about…y-you know. People we’d ask as a-“ You shrink down further against the bed, sheets falling across your shoulders, “C-Come on, be serious.”

Amber eyes narrow playfully in the edges of your vision.

”B-Besides!” You clear your throat, trying, and failing, to form coherent thought, “Of course I’d go with you. As…f-friends.”

”Hm.” Susie chirps, gently dragging a claw through her hair and away from her maw, “Nah.”

Your fingers curl into the legs of your pants, frustration building once more, “W-Wha-“ You stutter, “But you just said-“

”Wouldn’t want to go as friends.”

Dim light pours through the window, tracing flickering shadows across the bedroom. You stare at the meandering shapes of the forest outside casting their dancing forms throughout, barely able to register much more as your head spins. You continue searching the floor, struggling to find a thought in the whirlwind of your mind.

”…only person that makes me feel all this junk.”

A rumbling voice pierces the silence.

”Feel safe with you. I know that’s weird, or whatever. But I don’t feel like I have to be anything when I’m with you. If I’m having a shit day, or school sucks, or I’m…freaked out about stuff…you’re there.” Susie chuckles quietly, “You’re always there. You’re weird, sleep all day in class, pretty much never talk to anyone but me, hug people in the Dark World way too much, always want to borrow my jacket-“

You grumble, settling further into the mattress behind you.

The dragoness eyes you, a wistful sigh escaping her lips, “But then, you protected me. In the Dark World. Even when I was an ass. Just…stood in front of the King when I was hurt, when it felt like we had made a mistake even trying to take him on, and…”

She pauses, “Ugh…twisted me up, ya know? You were supposed to be this freak or whatever. Not supposed to be…that. And then we kept hanging out, you were always around when I needed you, kept sneaking out in the middle of the night when I was pissed and wanted to talk…”

Susie continues to mutter softly, the inches between you and her closing.

”Like you Kris. More than all…this. Mean a lot to me, especially after everything we’ve been through.” A sly smile creases along her lips, ”…kinda cute too. Especially when you’re fighting. Get this face when you’re all determined, and the way your armor wraps around-”

Your eyes go wide as you whip back towards the dragoness. You freeze, realizing just how close she is, staring you in the eyes, having snuck closer and closer until her warm breaths paint your features.

”I-I…”

Your lungs burn, scales almost brushing against your lips.

”…not saying much, Dreemurr.” Susie whispers, “Can tell me to back off.”

The journal scatters off underneath your bed, your hands scrambling to brace yourself.

”I…if y-you…Susie, I-I like-“ You swallow painfully.

”…cheeks’re red dude.”

The words cut through, causing you to wince, to pull away just for a moment. Just long enough for claws to dance through your hair, woven patterns of rough scales pulling you closer, a burning sensation pressing against your lips. The meeting is light, careful, testing at first before falling in further. You reach out, shakily, fingers dancing along her hide. Your hand falls against her maw, an inferno of violet heat blooming, threatening to sear your touch, fleeting as it may be. You melt into the embrace, pushing for more, vicious fangs grazing your lips in each moment. A danger you were willing to brave, one you had considered, and dreamt of, more times than you could count.

A hum draws back into your drifting mind, a rumbling purr flowing from the girl. Something safe, something comforting. A sound that brought you back into reality long enough to realize the feelings weren’t fleeting, even if the moment itself would end.

You blink, senses slowly returning as the warmth drifts away, the world coming back into view.

”There.” The dragoness chirps, “That answer your question?”

A shuddering breath escapes your lips as you stare into the girl’s amber eyes, the once burning afternoon light having faded into dusk. You brush a bit of hair out of your eyes, a dopey smile barely hidden away. Before you can shrink back against the bed’s surface once more, the girl leans forward, pressing her forehead to your own, eyes half-lidded.

A wry smile pulls on her lips, ”So, still rather go with me?”

 You match her gaze, a newfound confidence blooming in your chest, “…still would.”

 ”Heh.” Her arms curl around you, dragging you tightly to her chest, “Freak.”

Heady breaths flutter through your hair as she nuzzles closer, falling once more into the moment. Your eyes begin to close, the fading light illuminating the darkness underneath your bed for just a moment, the splayed pages of your journal visible even through her mane closing you in. You nestle into the crook of her neck, the quiet of the room interrupted only by the sound of her heartbeat, and rumbling purrs, breaking through.

You close your eyes.

Maybe you would draw something a bit different next time.

Something that got her smile just right.

[real-kastek]

Anyways! Here's more images of my dweeb of a cat that I still love. The friends I've played the game with since the start are pictured in the first one. Gone from A Realm Reborn all the way to Endwalker together.

It's fun, even if they hate me constantly stopping to take screenshots of us all.

[real-kastek]

Huh. Ya know, I take these goofy quizzes as a way to chill after work sometimes, not to be called out this hard.

Welp.

I just found this quiz and it’s, phenomenal

[real-kastek]

Read it.

Do it.

Try it.

Consider it?

But read it anyway.

Summary from A03: Sometimes, the obvious choice isn't always the correct choice. Sometimes, the only real choice you have is to reject the choices you're given. The answer you find might not be the one you expect, but at least it's yours. And maybe, just maybe, it might mean something in the end. A kralsei oneshot with metafictional elements.

So hey! Turns out I still write new stuff sometimes! Sort-of! By which I mean the same stuff with the same characters, but from slightly off to the side of the stuff I wrote before! Which, being that everything is derivative of everything else these days, technically counts as new!

Anyway, this is a somewhat pretentious story about choices and stuff like that. Plus a bit of romance, except not actually, but maybe? Read it if you like, by clicking on the above link, or for FanFiction folks, click on the appropriate option from the text box below:

*Read on FanFiction.net | *Do not (The 2nd option does nothing, but I respect your choice nonetheless)

Please let me know what you think! Any and all feedback is welcome :)

[real-kastek]

Also, to go with that fic, an anonymous individual made a bit of art inspired by it. And yes, I freaked out and melted into my chair like the sentimental dork I am.

I will not stop being this way. No one can stop me. Not when there are such amazing people doing this kind of stuff out of the kindness of their hearts. Thank you to the person that drew this. Made my entire evening to see.

[real-kastek]

Reflections

Summary: "Don't wanna walk home by yourself, huh? Well, if you're gonna MAKE me, I guess..." As a downpour falls across town, Kris and Susie consider their options. But a bit of rain never hurt anyone, right? One-shot fluff inspired by recent screenshots. Any criticism/reviews/requests are welcome.

---

A single droplet falls from the roof, down the aged tiles and directly onto your neck, streaking along your spine.

"Gah!"

Your back goes rigid as you try, and fail, to stifle a yelp.

The moisture soaks deep into your sweater, sticking uncomfortably as you shift from side to side, grumbling all the while. You sigh, burying your face into the palms of your hands once more. You could dodge magical projectiles from royalty hellbent on ending your life, ethereal axes and halberds careening through the air, even beams of deadly light while spinning in a crazed circus ride.

But rain? Dead on.

"…I could probably make it."

You blink.

"Like, it's just timing, right? Go when it's clear, take cover when it's not, block the rest with a weapon or whatever…bet you I wouldn't even get my jacket wet."

Leaning back, you take in a deep breath, the crisp air settling in your lungs.

"…you don't have a weapon in this world."

A gentle patter of water pooling in the divots of the road fills the silence, only broken by a click of a tongue and the grinding of razor-sharp fangs.

"Right. Ralsei keeps all of that for himself." Susie huffs.

You raise an eyebrow, "I think it's just the Dark World that does that. I don't think he really…controls all of it."

"I dunno, you ever been able to do all your sword stuff without fuzzball around?"

You rest your head against the rocky step, the cold of the concrete permeating through your messy brown hair, "…yes? Multiple times. Wait, didn't you attack a bunch of Darkners when we weren't around?"

"Well, yeah." Susie shrugs, a mirthful look in her amber eyes shining back.

"So…you had your axe there, right?"

She sniffs, "Nah, just thrashed them. Those puzzle piece guys are pretty light actually, can toss them really far." The dragoness leans against the marble pillar, "But yeah, I guess there was that time I cut open one of those CD bagels we found and he wasn't around." The girl's tongue pushes past her lips, hanging along a number of vicious fangs for a brief moment, "Still, it's not fair! We should be able to use all our junk out here too! Like, imagine if Ralsei had some kind of spell that made it where we could have our gear when we're walking around town!"

You cast your gaze up towards the gloom above, ashy grey clouds forming an impenetrable barrier to the normally sun-soaked sky. Tilting your head to the side, you silently count, noting pockets of light pouring through, light desperately escaping towards some distant part of town.

Your eyes narrow, "If someone saw us with swords and axes, there'd probably be trouble."

Susie glances towards your limp form, a bemused smile curling along her maw.

You blankly stare back, "…we'd be arrested."

"Yeah but…" The mauve girl drags a claw through her wild mane, pulling the chaotic mess back over her shoulder, "We'd look pretty cool."

Your lips turn inward, eyes continuing to trace the dreary sky.

"…true."

Dragging yourself up from the school's faded white steps, you stand to full, stretching your arms into the air with a resounding number of pops. With a half-hearted yawn, you flop back against the pillar at your side, watching the dragoness out of the corner of your eye as she tentatively reaches out from the archway's protection. A number of glistening droplets flash in her palm, reflecting like a mirror along the patterns of her scales. Susie's maw wrinkles into a frown, impatience visibly building as she peeks her head out, only to recoil with a growl as a sudden breeze carries rainwater down from the roof and directly onto her nose.

"Urgh…stupid…dumbass rain…"

You cough, burying the laughter down deep into your chest.

"W-What?! There a problem?" The girl bellows, angrily dragging a hand down her snout.

"N-Nothing!" You force your gaze away from the thoroughly damp dragon, "Just, uh…scales get all shiny. Kinda cool looking, like they're-"

"I'll throw you face first into a puddle."

"Got it, talking less now."

You gently sigh, glancing back at the darkened halls of the school, returning to the inky grey clouds above, considering your options. You would've brought an umbrella had you known the sky would open up like this. Other than a few clouds lazily hanging in the distance, the morning had started bright and sunny, casting an orange glow across the nearby forest, canopies barely bending in the subtle breeze. The fall weather had brought a chill into the town, your breath forming clouds of steam in the morning walk to school, Susie's arm thrown over your shoulder as her own excited words fogged your vision. And while your fingertips and nose certainly felt the winter's approach, you weren't exactly expecting…this.

"Ugh…it's really coming down, huh?"

You nod, burying your hands deeper into the sides of your sweater. A roaring gale breaks through the gentle pitter-patter of droplets against asphalt, swiping along the ancient school and darkening the steps at your feet. You draw closer to the glass doors, watching as the puddles deepen along the corners of the road, a stream of water flowing into a nearby grate.

"I could maybe-"

You pause, dragging your phone from the confines of your pocket, the screen flashing to life.

"…hm."

You press the button on the side, stashing the device away with a defeated sigh.

"Told my mom I was going to be at my dad's all day helping with the shop." You grimace, "Not sure asking her to come pick us up would be the best idea right now."

Susie clicks her tongue, "Eh, it's fine. Your mom's cool, but I don't think she'd want to hear her precious kid's breaking into school on the weekend."

A weak chuckle escapes your lips. Breaking and entering probably wasn't a good look, admittedly. But in terms of what your mother was and was not okay with…

You glance towards the dragoness, her claws resting on the side of her cheek, droplets streaking down the intricate lines of her glistening scales.

You swallow sharply.

You were a bit more worried about your mother finding you and Susie together.

Alone.

You clear your throat, "M-Maybe…maybe there's an umbrella in one of the classrooms? We could go back inside and check Ms. Alphys' desk. She has a lot of things under there. Comics, figurines…ramen flavor packets."

"Nah, just give it a bit. It'll probably clear up pretty soon." Susie's nostrils flare, "And if not, we make a break for it. See how much you can dodge before you start smelling like a wet dog."

You roll your eyes, "Guess it wouldn't hurt for you to finally get a shower anyways."

A fist playfully bounces against the side of your arm, sending you scrambling towards the damp marble pillar.

"Heh, freak."

A smile pulls at your lips, soon fading as you watch the residual light from above peter out, another cloud merging into the grey mass lingering in the sky. You reach a hand out past the archway, a collection of droplets immediately beginning to pool. You flick the water away, gently biting the side of your cheek.

"Here's what I'm thinking." Susie's dull purple jacket rustles as she pushes up off the step, towering over you, "We wait for it to chill out for a second, then run over to the trees. As long as we stay underneath them, we can't get that soaked, right?"

You rub your damp hand against your pantleg, vaguely listening to the dragoness' plan of action.

"Once we're in the forest, that'll take us clear across the town. We get close to that convenience store with the weird-ass skeleton janitor…guy, then rush inside. Relax for a minute, wait for it to clear up, then we're almost home free!"

"Uh-huh…" You mumble, stepping down towards the stone tiles.

"…guess we'd have to wait in the forest for a while though. But maybe it's not raining as much over by the store. Like, there can't be clouds everywhere." Susie paces back and forth, only pausing long enough to twist around the side of the marble pillar, staring up at the sky, "Probably. Agh, it doesn't matter!" The dragoness groans, "Look, I'm pretty fast. And strong. What if I just picked you up and we bolted, no stopping, full-steam ahe-"

"It's not actually that cold. You get used to it pretty quick."

You step down onto the soaked road, spinning in place, rain seeping through your once light-green sweater. With one last twirl, you pause, dragging a hand up through your hair to reveal crimson irises that shone even in the dim light.

"Seriously, it's not that bad. Kind of-"

You pull the collar of your sweater away from your neck, desperately trying to find some space from the now laden cloth. The material awkwardly slaps back down, suctioning to your back.

"Alright, never mind. Kind of sucks. Eugh…" You grumble, finally ceasing in your efforts, "But it's alright. I have some towels at home we could use once we get back." You clear your throat, "I-I mean, if you want to visit and-"

A sudden stomping sound closes in as Susie breathlessly rushes you, jacket swept from her shoulders and up above your head.

"The hell Dreemurr?! Wha…we had a plan! Are you trying to catch a cold or some shit?!"

Frozen in place, you stare up at the frenzied dragoness, her amber eyes glinting in the darkness of her coat's cover. Feeling closed in, you notice a heat rising from your neck up to your cheeks, Susie's own breaths sweeping along your features.

"…u-uh-"

The girl's eyes soften, "…whatever. Just, like, move over and-"

The jacket fumbles and folds, twisting around you and the dragoness until you're brought even closer. The words melt in your mind as you struggle to figure out where you are in the darkness until two glowing motes of amber linger only inches away. You feel a tightness in your throat, Susie's eyes going wide.

"U-Uh, I-I-" She stutters, an audible gulp echoing out.

"…Susie?" You mutter.

A mass of cloth and zippers slams into your face in a panicked heave, leaving you buried underneath.

"I-I MEAN, LIKE, LET'S JUST GO ALREADY AND-"

You sputter and twist away from the jacket mashed to your face, Susie's frantic bellowing piercing through the heavy material. Dragging the coat away from the vice-grip surrounding your head, you allow the thick cover to fall across your shoulders. With a satisfied grunt, you force your arms through the damp sleeves, the edges of which flop from side to side. You playfully flick your wrist, noticing that your hands barely reach the halfway mark of the sleeves, the much-too-large jacket proving to be an all-encompassing cover from the world.

You waggle the arms, the ends of which slap against themselves.

Neat.

"H-Hey, cut that out! Gonna stretch it or something..."

You raise an eyebrow, glancing back at the flustered dragoness.

"I don't know, fits pretty well I think." You throw the two sleeves together, a flash of water spraying out from the collision, "No wonder you wear it all the time." You click your tongue, "Comfy."

Susie groans, tendrils of black hair sticking to the side of her maw, "Alright freak, hand it over."

You match her gaze, noticing a streak of vibrant purple burning along her cheeks, barely hidden underneath the sopping mess of hair clinging tightly.

"Hmm…well-"

"Kris."

You slowly begin to twist away, pacing down the road, "You did say I might catch a cold if-"

"Goddamn it Kris, don't you-"

You peer back, flashing a smile towards the girl.

"KRIS!"

Burning orange tree tops streak by as water sprays in the air, erupting from each puddle you dash through. You cling to the jacket tightly, barely able to keep the swinging sleeves, now completely soaked, from toppling you in your escape. With a look of glee, you fly down the street, past the school, even spotting the Librarby close at hand. Your heartbeat thrums in your ears as you sprint through town, fierce footfalls following behind, a snorting sound seemingly inches away.

"WOULD YOU-" A vicious growl erupts from the girl, "BETTER NOT LET ME CATCH YOU, OR-"

A cackle escapes your lips as you rush past the Librarby's windows, a number of patrons staring on at your valiant efforts. You pull tightly to the faded and worn coat, careful not to let your fingers catch along the fraying holes. All things considered; the jacket was quite comfortable. A bit heavy, especially with the added water weight, but there was a familiarity about it, something…safe. You never really considered wearing something so bulky before. Even during the blistering winter mornings, a simple scarf wrapped around your neck was enough to protect you in your adventures throughout town. Or at least to school. And QC's on Sunday.

Free hot chocolate was worth the effort.

The wind blows through your hair as you tear down the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding an ankle-deep puddle as you turn down towards the convenience store in the distance. The sleeves of the jacket spin wildly in your efforts, nearly setting you off balance and careening into a nearby tree. Without a second thought, you toss the patchwork sleeves up and over your shoulders, the material clinging tightly to itself. Satisfied with your now bulkier look, you continue on, barely registering Susie's breathless growls.

Maybe you could ask your mom for a jacket like this? Heavier clothing wasn't your typical choice, but after enough forays into the Dark World clad in shining plate mail, the idea of a comfy coat had an appeal. Something worn like this one, with lots of pockets. Something that smelled nice, like cake and burnt toast crumbs. Something you could wrap yourself in and fall asleep, knowing you would be safe, that everything would be-

"GET THE HELL OVER HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

You freeze in place, blinking back to reality, "Wha-"

"GOTCHA!"

The air is squeezed from your chest as muscular, scaled arms sweep you up off the ground, dragging you into an inescapable embrace. You feel the side of your face pressed tightly to Susie's neck, patterns of gleaming scales imprinting along your now burning features. Before even a single yelp of surprise can escape your lips, you're swung from side to side, legs flailing around, tearing through the surrounding downpour.

"THOUGHT…t-thought you'd…ergh…"

A stuttering gasp paints the edge of your ear. Fearsome knife-like teeth hang an inch away, creeping breaths continuing to warm your already inflamed cheeks as Susie struggles for air. Your mind spins as the world finally slows back down, the dragoness just barely loosening her hold.

"I-I-"

The words strain in your chest, eyes going wide as you feel the girl begin to lean on you. Before you can steady your legs back on the sidewalk, Susie rests her arms across your shoulders, head hung low, continuing to fight for every breath.

"God…goddamn, you're…f-fast little…" Her maw sinks into the crook of your neck, a thin, dagger-like tongue hanging limply out the side.

You swallow sharply, "U-Uh, s-sorry about-"

Your legs begin to buckle, the dragoness falling further atop you.

"W-WHOA!"

Flinging the sleeves of the sopping jacket back down to your sides, you throw your arms up in a half-hearted embrace, supporting the girl.

Your mind begins to race, panic rising in your throat as you barely cling to her thin white tee, the material bunching and wrapping around your fingers. Did you push too much? You knew some monsters avoided the rain due to problems with fur becoming matted or feathers being troublesome to dry. But were dragon monsters different? You'd never seen Susie out in the rain before, but-

"Mmph."

You freeze.

"…what?"

Nearly choking, you feel the girl's maw nestle further along your neck, her wild black mane curling into your own curtain of hair.

"S-Susie?"

"…huh?"

"Are you…okay? We could go find a bench or…something."

The girl's amber irises light up in your periphery, lazily peeking out, meeting your gaze.

"What'cha mea-"

Her eyes shoot open, a wave of pitch obscuring your vision as she twists away, claws pulled tight to her chest in a panic.

"T-THAT'S NOT, I-I DON'T-"

You stare back at the dragoness, barely formed words spilling from her lips.

"I-I just…" Susie lifts her palms to her face, dragging them down along her searing violet maw, "AGH!"

A shuddering breath escapes your lips as the embrace comes to an end, awakening from your stupor. You take the moment to awkwardly pick at the jacket, unsure of what to say, what to think. You glance down, noticing a bit of black mane still clinging to your shoulder, hastily brushing it off and away before the inferno blooming on your cheeks worsens.

"S-So…do you want your jacket back?" You mutter, suddenly quite aware of the predator look burning into you from across the way. You freeze once more, gulping down what little energy you had left for sarcasm.

"…ugh."

Susie's arms limply fall back to her sides as she drifts back your way, gently bumping against you. A pained smile twists along your lips as you steady yourself, almost thrown back towards the street.

"Whatever. Let's just…" Susie grumbles, "I dunno. Already soaked now. Guess we should get home…or something." The dragoness smirks to herself, shaking her head wildly, "Next time you're gonna do something stupid, can you give me a head's up at least?"

You playfully shrug, bobbing in place before bumping against the scaled girl, "…not as much fun."

The dragoness' nose wrinkles as she lays an arm atop your shoulder, "Yeah? You almost faceplanted into that puddle back there."

"But I didn't."

Susie snorts, "Well, duh! But you could've! Shit's dangerous dude."

"Says the person that knocks on my window every morning before school." You grunt, peering down the road back home, "Seriously, my mom thinks we have squirrels tearing up the roof or something. Like, big squirrels…"

You wince, Susie's quiet snorting rapidly forming into a barely contained roar of laughter.

"Hey, I'm serious! She's talking about putting a feeder in the backyard so she can watch them from the kitchen." You shake your head, "Don't think she wants to see you dangling from the tree when she's drinking coffee in the morning."

The wind is nearly knocked from your chest once more as a palm slams into your back, the scaled girl cackling relentlessly. You stagger down the sidewalk, turning to face the dragoness, watching her struggle to find her breath between guttural bouts of laughter. You smile, glancing up at the sky. You blink back the water pooling across your features, listening to the soft downpour, bouts of snorting slowly coming to an end throughout the pitter-patter of rain.

"So…I have a bunch of towels we could use to dry off back at my place." You rub the back of your neck, "…as long as you don't mind white fur. Kinda gets everywhere."

"Y-Yeah, I just…" Susie sighs, a quiet smile pulling on her lips.

You meet her gaze for a moment, water streaking down her maw, droplets bending and twisting along each violet scale. She grunts one last time, reaching up to messily pull her hair back across her shoulder, away from her golden eyes. Grimacing for a moment, she brushes away the wrinkles on her white t-shirt, picking at the thin material.

You tilt your head to the side.

"…ICE-E's?"

Susie fumbles to grab the bottom of her shirt, firmly pulling, and stretching, the material back down along her waist, "Huh?"

You limply point towards the girl's chest, a searing blue cube barely hidden away, "Underneath your shirt. Can see the mascot."

"Oh. Yeah, just got it from some dollar store or something." She rolls her shoulder, muttering to herself, "Kinda cold lately so I wear a couple layers to…why are you looking at my chest?"

"Thought I recognized it…I think my brother has the same shirt somewhere in-"

The words die on your lips.

"W-WAIT! N-No, I was just-" You stammer out, losing track of your thoughts, "Y-You were pulling at your shirt, a-and l looked over…n-not that I was looking at-"

Susie closes the distance, throwing an arm over your shoulders.

"I-I wouldn't, it was just an-"

A talon pokes into your ribs.

"…ow."

"Wanna start heading out? Or are you still busy taking in the sights?" Susie chuckles.

You grumble quietly, feeling yourself being pulled onwards, following close by the dragoness' side.

Taking a deep breath, you loosen the sleeves of the heavy jacket once more. Freeing your arms from their embrace, you pull at the frayed collar, wrapping the coat tighter around. You peer up from the cover, confident that you would be smelling of chalk dust for quite some time. You watch as lights begin to flicker above, streetlamps flaring to life with an orange, wispy glow. The town, having been painted an azure hue throughout, was slowly beginning to dim, the residual afternoon light dwindling by the second. Rain continues to fall upon the streets, creating rivers through each and every block of the sidewalk, pooling at the edges of the forest, a number of leaves being blown across the way. The fiery inferno burning along your cheeks begins to fade as you watch the world quiet to a whisper, droplets of water falling from the strands of hair in your vision.

"Humans are cool with rain, huh?"

A reassuring weight rests upon your shoulders, squeezing ever so slightly.

"…yeah. Doesn't bother us. Or me, at least." You quietly sniff, "Family doesn't really like the rain. But they also have a lot of fur, so it's harder to dry off."

"Huh." Susie mutters half-heartedly.

You shift in place, a frayed string from the jacket's collar tickling your nose, "My brother would always complain when it was like this." You chuckle, "Don't know why. He'd always spend a bunch of time inside playing video games or doing stuff on his computer. But the second it would start to rain, he got all…cooped up. He didn't like feeling trapped inside I guess."

You glance up, watching a bemused smile form on Susie's lips, her gaze locked onto the road ahead.

"…still dragged him outside a bunch." You rest your head to the side, "He hated it. Always complained about his fur sticking, or his clothes getting ruined. Which his hair did get pretty nuts, but…" You chatter on, "There was this one time after school, with a test or…something. He was pretty upset, and then it started raining when he was planning to go visit dad. I could already see it happening, like, the way he was sitting at his desk. He looked…off. Didn't want to talk, wasn't even doing anything on his computer."

You step down into the road, carefully hopping across a pothole, now closer to a pond, before trudging back up towards the convenient store's entrance. Susie holds tight to her grip, following close behind, the edges of her eyes wrinkling.

"I don't know. I just…ran out the door. Just bolted. I knew he'd follow me since I didn't take an umbrella." You blow a strand of dripping hair from your face, "Should've seen him. He came running, barely even had his own umbrella open by the time he caught up with me. Started yelling about, 'You're going to slip and fall!' and, 'If we both get sick, I'm calling dibs on the television!'. Just…stupid junk like that. I knew he was upset and tired, but, after that he…"

"Wasn't pouting?" Susie mutters.

You pause, suddenly very aware of your nostalgia-fueled confession, "…yeah. S-Sorry, didn't mean to…you know."

You rub the side of your arm, risking a glance above. You're met with amber eyes glowing back, reflecting the light from within the convenience store, a softer look on the girl's maw.

You pull the jacket closer, "…I just…like the rain."

Claws squeeze against your shoulder, the tightness in your chest falling away.

"It's cool." Susie leans off to the side, her face hidden underneath her mane as she peers into the store's windows, "Kinda nice to hear you talk like that, 'bout yourself and stuff. Don't do it much."

"R-Right…right." You swallow sharply.

"Ugh…creepy dude's in there." Susie clicks her tongue, sneering, "Rather just be in the rain."

You follow her gaze, leaning closer to the dragoness. Peering through the window, you squint, looking past the haphazardly organized magazine rack. Searching along the walls, you finally come to the countertop within, narrowing your gaze at a shorter being, bony fingers flicking through a magazine…a fashion magazine?

You raise an eyebrow, pushing closer to the window. You watch the self-proclaimed janitor's barely visible pupils scan from line to line, clearly invested in the riveting material at hand.

Susie grumbles, "Does he ever leave? Thought the guy was a janitor for the place. You'd think he lives here or something…"

"I mean, I've seen him at the house next-"

The janitor's eyes snap to the entrance, burning straight into your soul, his body unmoving. A cold chill runs down your spine.

"A-Alright! Let's find somewhere else to get out of the rain!" You stammer, grabbing the dragoness by the hand.

"H-Hey! Jeez, alright, chill!" Susie's claws pull free from your grip, "Damn dude, he's just some guy. Not gonna kill you or anything."

You sigh, slowing down long enough to feel the scaled girl at your side, a single talon poking into your shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from any scary janitors, alright?"

You roll your eyes, shoving your hands down into your pockets. Meandering past the store's windows, and, thankfully, out of view, you exhale, moving through the rain-soaked streets.

"…but yeah, it's cool."

You emerge from the jacket's collar, face burning.

"I mean the rain thing. I get it." Susie squeezes the back of her neck, seemingly rolling the thought around, considering her words carefully, "…ugh. Used to, you know, look for…frogs."

You stop in place, the scaled girl failing to notice.

"…frogs?"

She freezes, head lifting back up from her reverie as she twists back around, "Y-Yeah. That a problem?!"

You raise your hands up in front of you, "No, no, just…"

Gently biting the bottom of your lip, you catch back up with the girl, an orange glow from above reflecting off each puddle underfoot.

"…did you catch any?"

Susie blinks, eyes darting to the side as a streak of violet raises up her neck, "I don't know…I-I mean, sometimes?" She grabs the side of her arm, "Wasn't really…just used to go down to a lake when I was a kid. Look for shit that washed up or whatever. Can find some cool stuff if you know where to look."

You nod along, wandering past a number of trees, their branches bending in the breeze.

"I'd just sit by the shore sometimes when I didn't have stuff to do." Flickers of orange light bounce along her scales, her eyes locked onto the ground below, "Was pretty often, actually. Didn't always have people around or…" She glances up at you, eyes searching for your gaze before continuing, "So I went down there, found some stuff, sometimes brought it home. Found a basketball one time, this giant tree branch that used to drag stuff in from the water, even found a chair floating in a nearby river. Thing was gross as hell, but after it dried for a couple days, I kept it in my room. Smelled pretty bad, but it lasted a few years."

You watch the dragoness continue to trace through her memories, a soft smile plastered on your face. Passing over the traffic lines once more, you walk along your neighbor's house, a worry building in your mind. You begin to slow your steps, Susie following suit.

"Would go down there when it was raining too. Didn't really care or anything, and hell, even more stuff would wash up after a storm."

"…and frogs?"

A chuckle bubbles up from the scaled girl, "Yeah, frogs too. Be hopping around all over the place. It was stupid, but…it was kinda cool to just watch them. With the rain going, searching for things washing up on the shore, watching the dumb little things hop around…" Susie peers up towards the darkened sky, rain bouncing off her maw, "It was…something else. Didn't have to think or anything. Wasn't anything else but that. Didn't have to focus on whatever. Wasn't school, wasn't home, wasn't-"

You cock your head to the side, eyes narrowed.

Susie shakes her head, hair twisting wildly, "It was stupid. But whatever. Don't do that anymore, don't need to. Got the Dark World stuff, Lancer, Ralsei, buncha friends that I gotta keep track of all the time…"

A shuddering sound picks up in the forest, branches creaking and moaning, the rain carrying through the canopies. You listen closely, quietly, the downpour continuing to drown out most of the world. Wincing, you try to find Susie's gaze.

"Sorry, rambling like a dumbass. Come on, your place is right around the corner. Kinda tired of being soaked."

Susie whips her head to the side, flinging her mane off her face as she flashes you a toothy grin. Without another word, she buries her hands in her pockets, struggling to force them through, beginning to wander past. Silence rings in your ears as you remain in place. Your eyes search the ground, a nearby puddle reflecting back. The distorted image of the two of you twists and curls along the water's surface. You watch the ripples unfurl with each droplet's landing, a stop-motion slideshow of each passing moment, soon leaving you the sole figure in the darkening picture. You stare down with a huff, gently tapping the surface with the tip of your shoe.

"…you'll want your jacket back after this, right?"

A quiet squeak echoes out, heavy boots coming to a sudden halt.

You click your tongue, "Doubt you'd let me keep it. You wear it pretty much every day after all. Be a shame if-"

A low growl emanates from behind you.

"I'm just worried it could tear, and then what? You'll be without a coat when it's getting colder every day!" You limply flop a sodden sleeve to your chin in thought, "Maybe we could ask Ralsei to make you a new one? I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Maybe something with lots of spikes and-"

"Kriiis…"

You peer down the road, marking your path. Weave around the puddle hiding under a pile of leaves near the tree, dip around the weird bent house if things get too close, and by the time you reach your dad's shop, it should be a straight shot.

You cast a glance over your shoulder.

And flash one last smile.

"GODDAMN IT KRIS!"

Your shoe crashes into the puddle below, barely able to gain any traction as you sprint away, heart thrumming in your ears once more. A lime green blur passes in your vision as one after another, each of your neighbors' houses cease to be. With a single, clean hop, you dodge the leaf-filled pitfall, ducking under the shadow of the curved house, swinging along the edges of the wall before emerging back out to the golden trees surrounding. Breathlessly, you clear the sidewalk near your father's store, flinging yourself down the dirt path onwards, a cacophony of grunting and bellowing doing little to deter your efforts. Trudging through the more-mud-than-dirt road, you nearly lose your balance, grabbing onto the rusted green tables for a single moment, righting yourself just enough to finish your journey. You finally spot the water's surface, a shuddering sigh escaping your lips as you watch ripples throughout the sapphire pool ahead, burnt orange and red leaves being carried about.

You close your eyes, ready for the impact.

This would probably suck.

Heavy footfalls lurk behind you as you squeeze your eyes as tight as you can, awaiting the bone crushing attack once more.

Another step.

Closer.

Right at your side.

"…ugh."

You wait for the inevitable, bracing yourself.

Until a claw flicks against the side of your head.

"Ow."

"Done running?" A low grumble sputters out.

You open your eyes, blinking away the streaks of water dripping down your forehead, "…uh…yeah?"

Susie lets out a tired sigh, arms crossed as she looms above you, "Like, actually done? Done-done?"

You glance out across the lake, twigs and leaves floating along, back to the dragoness, her eyes narrowed.

You nod.

"Cool."

You feel an arm wrap around your waist, pulling you closer to the tired girl as she begins to drop down, dragging you firmly to the ground.

"Agh!"

Susie wraps her other arm around, wrapping you tightly in an awkward hold, the back of your head resting in the crook of her neck, "Stop struggling so much, jeez. Sit, chill." She sniffs loudly, a cruel chuckle escaping her lips, "You smell like a wet dog. Told ya it'd happen. Serves you right."

You grumble, "…least I don't smell like burnt toaster crumbs."

"Will after wearing that jacket all day, freak."

You roll your eyes, pulling away just long enough to stretch your legs out towards the shore. Placing your palm out, you watch as a number of droplets collect atop. One…two…three…slower now, paced. You cast your gaze across the lake, sparkling lights beginning to form on the surface, piercing through the clouds above.

"…seen frogs here before." You mumble, hiding back underneath the dense coat.

Another mirthless chuckle rises up from your side, "Bullshit."

"I have! It's…kinda rare. And it's only when it rains, but you can hear them sometimes. At least down that way, kinda in the forest a bit." You turn towards the trees, squinting into the surrounding darkness with a huff, "I think."

Susie throws a hand through your hair, water flinging off to the side, "And…that's why I'm not sitting in front of your television with you snoring on the other end of the couch?"

"I don't snore."

"How would you know?"

"Because you always fall asleep first, and you typically fall asleep on me and…ugh, never mind." You pinch the bridge of your nose, "…just thought you'd want to see them."

The lake glistens silently, the gentle pitter-patter dying down. Ripples across the water's surface come to a close, the reflections of myriad stars shining throughout. You sweep a hand up and past your curtain of hair, pushing away the remaining moisture.

"Guess I have bad timing, huh?" You chuckle mirthlessly, "Could come back at some point. Could show me where to look for stuff that washes up. Or something."

Susie squeezes you tighter, dragging your directly underneath, allowing her maw to rest atop your head. You stifle another bout of laughter as her breaths sweep through your hair.

"Already told you, don't need any of that anymore."

"…I know. The Dark World, Ralsei, Lancer-"

"Got you too."

A knot forms in your throat.

"…r-right. Like you said, you've got friends and-"

"No. I've got you."

Your breath shudders, "Y-Yeah, I know, but-"

"Kris."

You feel claws wrap along your waist, clinging to you tightly, Susie's breath fluttering through your hair, warmth surrounding you. She turns, burying further into you, her cheek resting atop your head. You stare out towards the starry sky, glimmering reflections dancing along the water's surface. A steady heartbeat thrums in your ears, the panic melting in your chest. A single droplet falls from a strand of hair, the rain having finally ceased, leaving the world in silence. You allow your eyes to drift, listening closely, sensing another heartbeat just as near, just as loud.

"…oh."

"Dumbass."

[real-kastek]

I'm tired. Have some screenshots of my dumbass cat living his best life.

[real-kastek]

In which Kris wonders whether the events of the previous chapter even happened, Ralsei learns something interesting about himself, and both of them get chased by a sentient avalanche.

You can read the latest chapter by clicking on the big link above. Alternatively, you can also find it on FanFiction.net (link here!)

Any and all feedback is gratefully received! Hope you enjoy reading :)

[real-kastek]

Making the Most of It

Summary: "This is OUR thing, y'know?" With summer break right around the corner, Kris and Susie find a moment together late one evening. Between the bickering and teasing, plans are made, memories are shared, and worries are brought to a head. The time may be fleeting, but you've got to make the most of it all. One-shot made for a summer Krusie contest. Any criticism/reviews/requests are welcome.

---

"…bears come out at night, yeah?"

You pause, casting a glance out towards the darkened forest, "Uh…"

"Like, I don't think anyone's been attacked by a bear lately, but…"

You shake your head, eyeing the rusty lock in your hands. Maybe if you flipped the key this time? Or…maybe the lock was broken? You carefully line the key up once more, tongue pressed to your cheek.

"Guess they wouldn't talk about it anyway. Unless there was some kind of bear massacre or something."

"Susie, I don't think-"

"They probably wouldn't be able to cover something like that up. Be too messy."

You begin to open your mouth, brushing the thought away as the key finally clicks into place, the padlock limply hanging from the gate. You breathe a sigh of relief, letting the lock fall to the grass below.

"I bet a swarm of bears could take out ICE-E's before the police could get there. They've got the forest right behind them, so they'd probably be the first to go."

Your face wrinkles, "…a swarm?"

"…a pack? I don't know, whatever the hell you call a group of bears."

You squint back at her, blowing a strand of sticky hair from your eyes. You weren't sure hometown was particularly infested with bears. Not that you expected to see any wandering the streets as of late. Even animals knew better than to wander about in the summer heat, the sweltering temperatures having properly taken hold across town. Besides the cries of cicadas waking in the forest, the area was surprisingly quiet, most residents wisely choosing to remain in front of their fans, waiting out the sudden heatwave.

You push through the gate, back against the hot metal bars. Normally you would be hiding away as well, but tonight was a bit different. The plan was simple enough. Sneak out once mom went to bed, try to drag Susie out of hers, journey past the police station to the outskirts of town, and hope that the key stuffed in the back of your brother's nightstand still worked.

Simple.

…probably.

"Isn't there something called a murder?" Susie blankly mutters to herself, shuffling past. You squint, barely able to spot the frayed and faded coat wrapping around her, the dragoness seemingly oblivious to the suffocating heat.

You let out an exhausted sigh, "Think that's birds."

"Nah, it's something else. Like sharks. Something that can mess you up."

You allow the gate to fall back into place, "Pretty sure it's a group of birds." You mumble, brushing your hands against the edges of your t-shirt, dust coating the thin green material, "Sharks don't even go after people that much."

"Easy for you to say. I doubt anything'd want to take a bite out of someone so scrawny." Susie twirls back around, sneering, "You'd probably taste like some old jerky that's been left out too long."

You pinch the bridge of your nose, "That's how you make-"

Groaning, you fight down the words.

"Look, let's just get the lights on. I don't think they would've changed the locks or anything, but…"

You peer through the inky blackness, carefully meandering past the smug girl and over to a barely visible shed nestled in the corner. Lazily pulling at the strap on your shoulder, you swing your backpack off against the wall. After a few seconds of digging through the bag, your hand circles around a cell phone buried deep within, the device immediately flaring to life with a press of a button.

"Calling someone?"

You stretch back up from the concrete floor, "No, I just need…here."

Sifting along the phone's menus, blisteringly white light soon flows from the back, burning away the surrounding darkness.

"Hold this up to the lock."

She raises an eyebrow, eventually grunting in acquiescence. Claws circle around the device as you spin back around, examining the shining black padlock lying against the shed's entryway. You fumble with the contraption, trying, and failing, to line the key up, a spotlight cast upon your efforts.

They wouldn't have changed the locks. Why would they? It wasn't private property, and it's not like people broke in all the time.

Your eyes narrow.

Not that you were breaking in, really. You were allowed to be here. Maybe not at night when everyone was gone, but…

"What's with your phone's background? That a dog?"

You flip the key in your hand, "Uh…yeah. Just saw it somewhere. Took a photo."

Susie snorts, "You take a lot of photos?"

You freeze, the lock falling back down, "…are you going through them?"

"No! I'm just…huh, didn't realize you took a picture of us at the lake."

You grumble quietly, returning to the task at hand. Flipping the key one final time, you hear a sharp pop, the lock hanging limply in defeat. You begin to unhook it from the door before bracing yourself against the shed, a scaly hand suddenly clapping you on the shoulder.

"I remember this! You bet I couldn't eat a whole jawbreaker in…what, a minute?" Susie chuckles.

"Uh-huh."

The lock drops away as a thick cloud of musty, humid air slams into you, the door finally creaking open. The sudden burst of searing heat sends you reeling back, falling against the dragoness legs. You freeze in place, eventually risking a glance above.

"…still owe me ten bucks for that. Nice shot though, can even see it between all my fangs. Took me days to get it all out." Susie mumbles to herself, mindlessly brushing a sleeve across her nose as she flicks through photo after photo.

You stare at her blankly, scrambling back to your feet. Taking solace in small miracles, you toss the key into your backpack, leaning through the doorway, another burst of stale air burning your face.

A quiet snickering breaks the silence. You glance back, finding the dragoness in her own world, tongue pressed to her cheek.

"…does the heat even bother you?"

"Huh?" She groggily mutters, "What do you mean?"

"…the jacket? Susie, it's the middle of summer and you're…never mind."

You shake your head, strands of sticky hair clinging once more. The faster you were done with this, the less chance you had of dying from heat stroke. Taking one last breath, you plunge into the murky shed, stagnant air welcoming you into its embrace. You begin to search through the shelves along the wall, shadows dancing amongst the half-empty bottles of cleaning fluid and precariously stacked metal poles, nets hanging limply from each. You pick through the containers, tracing a finger along the washing machine-like mascot smiling back from the label, the even more obvious 'DO NOT INGEST' warnings taking up much more interest in your mind.

Pulling away from the cheap plastic shelves, you lean down, searching each corner of the room, finding little more than intricate spider webs throughout. Brushing past a stack of cardboard boxes, you find a collection of life preservers, the bright crimson stripes faded and grey from years of neglect. Mindlessly poking at the tubes, you reel back, the uppermost safety device falling from the pile. It slumps to the ground, kicking up a choking plume of dust, bits of which glimmer and dance throughout the phone's spotlight.

You grumble, breathlessly wiping a bead of sweat from your forehead, "Gotta be on one of-"

"Jeez, even got a shot of us chilling out in the forest last week. You look like a dweeb though, all smiling and crap."

Your body locks up, a knot rapidly building in your stomach.

"…huh. Kinda close. Guess I was tired or something." Susie chuckles half-heartedly, "Almost looks like I'm-"

"S-Sorry! Need this!"

You desperately snatch the phone out of the girl's hands, the white glow whipping around the room in a blinding frenzy. Hesitating, you stare at the photo, burning afternoon light painting the scene as she rests on your shoulder, a soft smile on her lips, jacket's sleeves curled around you.

You gulp, swiping the image away.

"I-I'm sure that…there!"

A metal panel flashes under the spotlight, barely visible between the yellowed shelves and a single lonely inner tube, the floatation device having been tossed to the furthest corner. You scan the surface, peeling labels clinging for dear life next to each switch.

"Entrance…path…shed…"

You stop, sourly staring at the faded words. Would've helped to have this outside the building, but-

"…found it!"

The switch clicks into place, a dull hum burning through the silence. Finally stashing your phone away, you turn back to the shed's entrance, spotting a blue glow creeping through the door. A relieved smile pulls at your lips, the tightness in your chest beginning to die down.

"Alright, think that's enough. Probably don't need the other lights right no-"

"HELL YEAH!"

A bellowing roar pierces through the thought. Glancing around the now eerily lit shed, you sigh, meandering back into the night, dragging the door closed.

"No lame kids, no dumbass lifeguard telling you what to do, nothing! Just…well, I guess there's you, but…" Susie spins around, fangs shining in the sapphire light, "Could be worse."

You roll your eyes. Sweeping the backpack up from the ground, you stash your phone away, throwing the satchel over to a nearby plastic chair without a second thought. Squinting back to the scene ahead, you watch as the warm summer breeze sends ripples along the water's surface, the pool's crystal blue depths radiating from the submerged lights.

"Still don't think you should be diving in headfirst or anything." You mutter, stretching into the air, "Not sure I'd be able to carry you to the hospital."

"Eh, you worry too much. " Susie scratches the back of her neck, allowing a claw to dance through her disheveled mane, "…you can swim, right?"

You yawn, "More or less."

Walking to the water's edge, a deep blue emanates out towards the surrounding forest, painting the trees, and your own body, in sapphire light. You breathe deeply, the smell of chlorine wafting into the air, blending with the earthy scent of fallen leaves.

"Haven't been here for a while though. My brother used to work as a lifeguard, but…" You shrug, "I didn't really like all the noise and everything. People bumping into each other, yelling, all of that. Much better coming here at night."

You flinch, the shed rattling from behind you as heavy leather boots bounce off the surface.

"You've snuck in here before?" Susie clicks her tongue.

You drop down to the tile below, "It's a public pool; we're not 'sneaking in'."

"Uh-huh. Totally. Probably just have it locked up to-"

You hear a struggle from behind you as the girl begins to grunt, cursing under her breath. After a few more seconds of commotion, Susie's jacket slams into a nearby chair, the legs screeching out from the impact. You stare at the worn purple coat, swallowing sharply.

"Ugh…whatever. Where'd you get the key for this place anyway? Steal it from someone?"

Claws scrape against the concrete as Susie settles down with a huff. You avert your gaze, staring out into the water, the sound of crickets fading, barely noticeable under the heartbeat thrumming in your ears.

"Uh…b-borrowed it. From my brother. Think he forgot to return it when he went to college."

"Damn." Susie chuckles, "Breaking and entering, stealing, sneaking out in the middle of the night…"

"I didn't steal the-" You sneer at the girl, immediately regretting the decision as your eyes meet hers.

"Ya know Kris, I think you might be a bad influence."

An inferno breaks across your cheeks as you stare at Susie, a vicious smile pulling her maw into a line of gleaming fangs and mauve scales. Replacing her heavy purple coat was now a black tank top, the straps of which swept along her broad shoulders, patterns of scales glinting under the dim blue light. The edges of the top carried down towards her surprisingly defined abdominal muscles, stopping halfway, clinging tightly to the now exposed mauve hide. Your eyes drift down, struggling to turn away. Long gone were the girl's patchwork jeans, instead substituted by equally frayed and torn denim shorts. Susie flashes you a cruel smile, only stopping long enough to blow a strand of messy hair away, her amber eyes gleaming from underneath.

You let out a shuddering breath. You'd seen her like this in the Dark World. Maybe not without her jacket…and not this close. But this wasn't any different. Just two friends spending time together like usual.

Alone.

At night.

"…uh, dude?"

You choke, "Y-YEAH?! Uh… s-sorry, what?"

"You good? Didn't mean that in like, a bad way. Just a stupid joke."

You take a deep breath, forcing your panicked thoughts down, only for the tightness in your chest to return twofold as Susie leans in, eyes narrowed.

"Y-Yeah, no, it's uh…totally! Right, a joke! Yep…"

Susie stares predatorily, watching for the slightest movement. Her amber irises burn into you, searching, waiting for a reaction, a sign to strike. Seconds feel like hours, the silence only broken by the quiet chirping of crickets, their nightly songs barely a thought in your mind.

"…o-kay." Susie leans back, playfully throwing a fist into the side of your arm, "Freak."

You blink, still holding your breath.

"Well, should've told me earlier. Thought we were going to the lake or something when you texted me." She snorts, "Could've done this instead of hanging out at your place or…studying for finals."

A splash erupts from the water's surface as Susie casually drops her legs into the pool, a spray of water erupting outwards. You sputter and cough, your mind screeching back into focus.

"Ugh…think Ms. Alphys is gonna hold us back?"

You shake your head, damp hair tossed to the edges of your vision, "I…" You clear your throat, "I-I think we did okay. You uh…only tore up one of the tests this time, right?"

Susie lets out a satisfied grunt, "Math, yeah. Screw math."

You chuckle weakly, "But you finished the other ones. Instead of tearing them up…or eating them."

Susie's legs sweep through the water, waves coursing past, "Yeah…yeah! Come on, she's gotta give credit for that!"

You quietly smile, hiding the expression under your curtain of hair as Susie's voice roars across the silent waters, only to sheepishly die down moments later. You open your mouth, hesitating, the thought fading away.

"…thanks for…ya know. Helping me study, or whatever."

You nod, "Was…kinda surprised you took me up on the offer."

Susie snorts, "It was that or sit around at home doing nothing. Besides, someone's gotta come over and make sure you're still alive."

"Wha-" You stare back in confusion, "You see me all the time! You've basically been living at my place for the past month!" You bellow, "Can't even find leftovers in my house because you're always taking them…"

A clacking sound emanates from below, Susie's claws nervously dragging along the tile's patterns, "I'm not there every day! And your mom said it was cool! Said you never finish all of it." She clicks her tongue, "No wonder you're so scrawny."

You roll your eyes, poking at the water's surface. You can't remember the last time you went a day without the dragoness throwing an arm over you, dragging you off to some new legally questionable activity. Even when you made an effort to bury yourself in study materials, she begrudgingly meandered about your house, flicking flash cards across the room and off your head, an unlucky few tangling themselves in your hair. There was rarely a moment that you were alone. Between class, diving into the Dark World, and even in your own house, the dragoness always seemed to be by your side.

…not that you minded, but-

"Doesn't matter anyway, we've got more important stuff to worry about."

You sigh, staring into the crystal blue depths, "The Roaring?"

"What? No, summer break."

"…right."

You wince as Susie lifts her leg up out of the water, immediately allowing it to slam back down, sending another wave crashing up against the edge and further soaking you. You stare down, dejectedly squeezing water out from your swim trunks.

"Only have a few months before they drag us back to school and everything sucks again. We should be out there doing…I don't know! Something exciting! Something that isn't just the same stuff we always do."

You twist the strands of brown hair dangling in your face between two fingers, water dripping down, "And the Dark World, the one with monsters that try to kill us and fountains that can just pop up anywhere…isn't that?"

"Ralsei doesn't try to kill us."

"That's not-"

"Besides, no one actually wants to fight down there anymore. Even the dojo is empty half the time."

"Well…you told the last guy you'd suplex him into Ralsei's cauldron."

Susie's bites her lip, "Th-That's not-!"

"And then you started carrying him out of the dojo when he targeted me with magic."

Her claws dig into the tiles below, "I-It's just to get them focusing on me! I can actually take a hit, and if you drop dead…"

You raise an eyebrow, watching as the dragoness seemingly retreats underneath her mane.

"No, like, other than that!" She emerges, scales a deeper shade of purple, "You know what I'm talking about! We should be doing summer stuff, like going to the beach or whatever other crap people do."

You peer out across the pool, up to the sky above, stars glimmering amid the pitch.

"…didn't think you'd want to do things like that."

"W-Well, maybe I do!" Susie grumbles, "…I mean, if you're there. O-Otherwise it's whatever. Don't have to…"

"Th-That's not-" You stutter, turning back towards the scaled girl, "I just…don't know? Or, well…" You clear your throat, "Never really been with anyone during-"

Your throat tightens.

"I-I mean, I've never really had people to hang out with during summer." You cough to the side, straining for words, "I guess we could go to the beach…?"

A quiet growl bubbles up as Susie drags her hands down her maw, "I mean, it doesn't have to be that. It could just be us…ugh. I don't know, I just don't want things to…"

You watch Susie, her shoulders beginning to slump.

Gentle waves crest the pool's edge, filling the silence. You open your mouth, only to turn away, staring down into the crystal blue water.

That's what you were supposed to do during summer break, right? Go to the beach, spend time with friends, make the most of it all before school came back into focus. You were supposed to be making memories or…something. You weren't really sure. Summer break was always just that; a break. You'd spend some time helping your dad get the summer bouquets ready for the shop, talking into the night with Asriel over the phone, or simply lying next to the lake, peering up through the trees and towards the starry sky. You never thought that far ahead; there wasn't a reason to. It was just you. Even now, balancing your forays into the Dark World as fountains erupted all over town; there was hardly a moment of peace. You would fight off some grand threat, spend days settling new Darkners into Ralsei's kingdom, and then struggle to finish whatever homework you inevitably had waiting for you.

But now you had time. You had someone to spend that time with. Someone you wanted to be around, that made you want to think about making the most of it all.

Someone that you…

You glance back towards the dragoness as she stares ahead, blankly gazing into the depths of the pool.

You had to make it count, even if you had no idea what to do.

"Susie-"

"Hey."

You feel a pull at your collar, a talon curling inwards.

"You swimming in that? Like, you know it's gonna stick super bad, right?" Susie mutters.

You pick at the damp shirt, the dark green material already beginning to cling, "…doesn't really bother me, should be fine to swim in it. But seriously, I'd be okay going to the beach with-"

"Cool."

Claws suddenly circle around your arms, panic erupting in your mind. Your lock onto the scaled girl, a now wild look in her eyes.

"W-WAIT-"

Your words are silenced as the dragoness leans off the edge, crashing into the depths, dragging you along with her. Desperately taking one last breath, you feel the water take you, sinking lower and lower as bubbles teem in your vision. You feel weightless, the world having turned to muffled silence despite the yelp that assuredly escaped your lips.

You grumble, floating in place, watching as another streak of air erupts from your mouth and up to the surface. You really should've expected this. Especially after she pulled you into the lake a month before.

…or was it last week? You started to lose track after the fourth or fifth time.

Claws slowly loosen their grip, freeing you from the now cackling dragoness, each roar of laughter sending her back through the depths, twisting and turning.

You shoot a glare back at the girl, pouting as you float down to the concrete floor.

You'd be a lot angrier right now if you weren't struggling for air.

Susie twirls back to face you, her razor-sharp teeth pulled into a wild grin.

Alright, maybe not that angry.

The pool's concrete floor feels coarse to the touch as you push up and off the bottom, streaking towards surface. As if waking from some deep sleep, you break through into the night, the sound of desperate splashing and gasping searing into your mind. You struggle for air, latching onto the slick tiled edge. Lungs burning, you turn back around just in time to see Susie burst through the water's surface, waves slamming against the sides of the pool.

"Holy shit, should've seen the look on…pleh…"

Susie begins to sputter and struggle against the dense black mane now clinging to every part of her face, angrily pulling strands of hair out of her eyes and mouth.

You watch the disastrous display with breathless glee, "Is…is that how I looked?"

Susie growls, "Shut-it!"

You shrug, forcing yourself not to laugh, "I'd normally feel worse about you suffocating in your own hair, but…"

With a gasp, Susie frees herself, the scales on her cheeks having turned a searing violet.

"Ugh…" Susie floats over to you with a defeated expression, "Whatever happened to being quiet all the time? Go back to that."

You silently stare at her.

"…never mind. Still creepy."

You limply shrug once more, allowing yourself to fall from the pool's edge, languidly floating in place, "Says the person that talks about biting peoples' faces off."

"That was like, almost a year ago!" Susie grumbles, "Besides, you know I just say that shit. Don't mean it or anything."

"Uh-huh."

"Like the other day! I told you I was going to throw you into the dumpster!"

"…but then you threw me into the dumpster."

Susie pokes the you in the ribs, "You told me to, freak."

You quietly sniff, "Seemed like a good idea."

The dragoness shakes her head, a flicker of a grin painting her maw.

You take a deep breath, beginning to float along the water's surface, bouncing away from the edge and spreading out into the center of the pool, "I thought the teachers might've thrown away some of the answer sheets. You never know what you can find if you don't look."

Susie snickers, "Think you just like trash, dude. You're always digging through stuff when we're in the Dark World, bringing it back to your room."

You spot a streak of purple out of the corner of your eye.

"Still can't believe Ralsei puts up with all that. Like, you probably didn't hear it, but that ICE-E statue you swiped from Queen's weird ass castle?"

Susie begins to float by, her maw poking up out of the water like a shark's fin, "Fuzzball was freaking out the entire time. Kept whispering to himself stuff like, 'How are we ever going to get it back?' and, 'I'll have to clean it twice over just to be sure!'"

"…you sound like Berdly."

"Eh, both're nerds." She pauses, "Ralsei's the good kind though."

Before you can respond, a wave rolls underneath you, almost flipping you over. Glancing to the side, you spot Susie towering over, stretching into the air with a soft pop, mauve scales glimmering from the water's glow.

"Alright, time to see how deep this pool is."

"…it's just a public pool. They normally don't even have a deep end." You turn, water sweeping through your hair, "I'm pretty sure it's flat down there."

"Have you checked?"

"…yes? I was kind of at the bottom just now. I didn't look around that much, but-"

"So you didn't check everything?"

You blink, "I was a little distracted."

Susie eyes you silently.

"…and suffocating?"

"You said that the last time you jumped in the lake."

"I…was also suffocating that time. And I didn't jump in, you-"

"Yeah yeah, anyway. Be back in a sec, gonna see how far this thing goes."

Water streaks through the air, scattering across the night sky before falling back down, directly into your eyes.

"Agh!"

You bounce along the rolling waves as Susie dives underneath the surface, away from sight. Blinking away the haziness in your vision, the quiet melody of distant crickets returns to your senses, dampened only by the subtle creaking of branches, wind coursing through the surrounding forest. You settle back against the water's gentle current, staring into the darkness above. Stars flicker in the distance, glimmering constellations streaking across the sky as you silently connect the points, trying and failing to remember the names of each.

A tired smile pulls on your lips. You used to know them, at least the ones your dad tried to tell you about. You were never good about listening to your father chatter on and on about what they meant; the stories each represented. Even after the dozen or so trips up to the hill overlooking town, your family piled into the car, snacks and blankets clutched tightly, you never found yourself able to remember the names of each glimmering pattern. Not that you were able to stay awake very long. Bundled close to your brother, listening to your mom and dad laugh together, staring up at the night sky…

Your smile softens.

That was a long time ago. But you missed it. You missed those moments together. There was no planning, no thought to any of it. You just went with the people you loved and cared about. Making the most of the time you had; that's all that mattered.

Your hand falls back to the water's surface.

It wasn't exactly exciting, but maybe Susie would-

"AGH!"

Scaly arms wrap from below you, pulling you tightly towards the assailant. You choke, feeling your chest being crushed in the embrace, your body being limply thrown from side to side like a ragdoll.

"S-STOP!"

"GOTCHA!"

The world begins to fade. You struggle to breathe, to even think, darkness encroaching in your vision.

This was for breaking and entering. Karmic retribution for your misdeeds, numerous as they were. You knew you'd eventually go out from a monster getting the best of you, but you assumed your death would be Dark World-related somehow. A stray bit of magic, a poisoned Dark Candy, perhaps even another set of spinning tea cups careening towards blisteringly white lasers.

…

You really expected that last one.

Your eyes begin to drift closed, only to go wide upon finding a pair of slit yellow irises staring back.

"You're alive, right?" Susie mutters, poking you in the cheek.

"…d-define…alive."

Fangs hang threateningly close, blooming into a mocking grin, "That's alive enough for me."

You're suddenly dropped, your lifeless body sinking under the waves. Shaking from the stupor, you paddle back to the surface, gasping for air.

"A-Are you…" You swallow painfully, another heaving breath sputtering forth, "Really?!"

Susie shrugs, casually resting back against the pool's edge, "What?"

You squeeze your eyes tight for a moment, drifting back over to a set of concrete steps leading up and out of the water. The breaths begin to slow, the burning in your lungs subsiding as you regain your senses.

"…I…I r-really can't tell…if you want to hug me or kill me…s-sometimes…" You flop back against the stair case, "Ugh…"

The dragoness rolls her eyes, "Not trying to kill you, freak."

You limply float along the coarse concrete. The sound of crickets and the surging waves fills the air as you stare above.

"R-Right, yeah, definitely not trying to-"

Your eyes go wide.

"…wait…were you-"

"Hey! So, uh…"

Ripples in the water bounce you from side to side as Susie rushes past, stomping up the concrete stair case.

"You bring the goods?"

You grab onto the bottom step, righting yourself before the waves flip you over, "Uh…"

A shadow creeps along the water's surface as you glance up, meeting Susie's gaze, her mane sweeping down from above.

"…backpack."

"Sweet." The looming threat meanders away, happily snorting, "What kind did you bring?"

"Just…" You drag yourself out of the water, sitting along the pool's edge, "Usual stuff."

You collect your hair into a tight bundle, squeezing as much moisture as you can out, shaking the residual droplets out into a spray, "Think there's lemon-lime, grape, vanilla, cherry…oh! They had this orange and coffee-flavored one that looked interesting."

Susie gags from behind you, digging through the backpack with reckless abandon.

"Come on, it could be good!"

Susie grunts, "Yeah? Then what kind do you want?"

"Uh…I guess vanilla."

"Thought so."

The dragoness drops down with a huff, lazily tossing a can your way, a cream-colored swirl streaking across the label. You place the can up to your ear for a moment, listening, quickly shrugging it off. With a sharp snap, the soda begins to fizz over, foam barely cresting the top before settling back down.

You tilt your head to the side, "Huh."

"What?" Another pop echoes out, Susie's claw hooking into the metal tab.

"No, just…kind of expected it to explode is all."

You glance over as the scaled girl desperately flails her hand in the air, the tab having stuck to her claw.

"I'm not…damn it!"

The tab goes flying deep into the forest.

"I wouldn't do that."

You cautiously take a sip from the soda can, the vanilla flavor coating your tongue in a briskly sweet and smooth fizz. A relieved sigh escapes your lips, the peace almost immediately shattered with the sound of a can crinkling, Susie having taken a swig of her own lemon-lime beverage. You watch in horror as the she rapidly downs the entire drink in a single go, cracks and tears appearing on the can with each gulp, before inevitably being crushed in her grip. Without a second thought, the can goes flying back into the darkness, past the gate and likely far into the tree canopies.

"Ahh…better."

You protectively cup your soda in both hands, "Did you…even taste it?"

"What? Yeah. Cherry-flavored or whatever."

You begin to open your mouth, only for it to snap shut as you shake your head. Tearing your eyes away, you stare back out across the pool, quietly watching flickers of moonlight dancing through the surrounding forest. You take another sip, smiling.

"…thanks, by the way." Susie whispers.

You nod.

"So…gonna be weird not having to go to school every day. At least for a while, I guess."

You shrug, staring down at the soda in your lap, the bubbling caramel liquid resting upon the lip, "Yeah. We'll still need to get in to meet up with Ralsei though." You chuckle, "I think he'd start to melt if we didn't visit him for a couple days."

"Think he melts anyway. Fuzzball probably starts to freak out the second we're gone." Susie snorts.

You click your tongue, "I don't know, I think he's getting better. Doesn't try to hug us every time we get hurt."

"That's your fault, ya know. You spoiled the little guy, made him think Lightners want hugs all the time." Susie leans back, staring at the sky, "Least he asks, I guess."

You let out a half-hearted grunt, placing the soda can atop the pool's tiles.

"I mean, I get it…kinda."

You raise an eyebrow, staring back at the pensive girl, "What? The hugging?"

"No! Not the…the other thing, damn it!" Susie snaps, "Ugh…no, like, not wanting us to be gone that long."

Silence hangs in the air as you wait, watching the dragoness bite her lip.

"I wouldn't want that either. Sucks to be forgotten like that." Susie's voice quiets to a whisper, "Find people you care about only for something stupid to happen and bam, don't get to see them again. That sucks. Like…now school's ending, and we've got all this time off. A-And, it's not like I want to sit through Ms. Alphys talk about math…or some weird cartoon, but-"

She freezes, soon shaking her head with a growl, "…you're there. I mean, there's other people too, but…yeah."

You tap the side of your can, struggling for a response, "…I'm not really…going anywhere. We're still going to see each other."

"I know that. But, like, without school, we wouldn't have even met. Wouldn't be hanging out or talking." Susie grimaces, "You were pretty quiet before all this. Didn't really say much or even come to class. N-Not that I cared back then or…whatever. But now, like, if there's no school, and you're gone doing other shit…"

You swallow painfully, forcing the thoughts back into silence. Susie leans over the water's edge, her mane hiding whatever expression twists in her features, blankly staring onwards.

"…don't want it to go down like that. Like you too much, Kris. I don't know if you…or, like, maybe we're just…" The words tumble out, Susie's hands coming up to her maw, stifling the guttural roar of frustration, "Damn it! I don't get it!"

Panicked amber eyes emerge from the frenzied mane, Susie's face suddenly much closer to yours.

"Like, when we we're watching movies a couple weeks ago, I just…f-fell asleep on you. And you didn't say anything. You didn't wake me up or say some stupid joke. I thought I made it weird and…you were just cool with it. Or when I got pissy the other day and you just sat with me at the lake for hours or whatever. It's always like that, it's just…easy. I don't have to be anything or act like someone better. You don't treat me like some dumbass bully. You're just…"

She hesitates, breath shuddering.

"…you stuck around. Even when you didn't have to." Susie smiles weakly, "And for some stupid reason, you keep coming back."

The dragoness sighs painfully, "It means a lot."

The sound of crickets echo far in the distance. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears as you struggle for thought, to make a connection, to come up with anything that would make it all clear.

"Just freaks me out, ya know? School's ending, and I'm thinking about you not being…there. I want you there. I…I-like having you there. Around. J-Just us. Ugh…goddamn it, I don't know! I don't know if this is just in my stupid head or if there's…"

Susie stops, barely able to meet your gaze. You watch her open her mouth, searching for the words, only the sound of her claws digging into the concrete emanating out.

She lifts her head, staring above, before taking one last deep breath, "…the hell is this, Kris? I don't want to screw this all up, so just tell me. There something here? Do you…?"

Your chest hurts. Everything hurts. Straining and burning, trying to find a direction, clarity. Something real. You want to say it, scream it, make it clear to her, to yourself. You don't want to mess this up either. You don't want to chase her away. There isn't anyone else like her. No one that makes you feel as safe, as okay being yourself. No one that makes you want to try this hard, to fight off the worries and fears twisting in your mind.

No one that makes you want to say-

"…yeah."

Susie stares into you, her expression muted, reserved. Her eyes search yours as she bites her lip, waiting and searching for any sign of doubt, of it all being taken back.

You smile.

Then, she lunges.

Your mind blanks as lips close in on your own, warmth cascading across your face as she pulls you in, wrapping tightly around you. Her breaths paint your neck, flowing down from the embrace. Her scales are soft, bending gently against your lips, fangs threatening to emerge with each moment, neither of you caring about the very real danger. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that she towered over you, that you spent longer than you ever dreamt trying to figure out a proper angle to meet, that bouts of laughter erupted between each frenzied attempt. None of it mattered. None of it was planned or thought through.

But you had time to figure it all out.

Claws uncoil from your back, reluctantly falling away. You blink back to reality, struggling to breathe, noticing the girl in much the same state, her staggered gasps of air turning her scales searing red. Or maybe her cheeks were already a fiery crimson. You weren't sure at this point. You weren't even sure how much time had passed.

Susie sheepishly pulls her hair back across her shoulder, blowing strands out and away from her eyes, now unable to meet your own.

"U-Uh…so…yeah. Cool. Cool cool cool." Her voice shakes, "Guess I…uh, wasn't going nuts then. Good. Glad." The scaled girl glances up at you, immediately staring back down at the floor, brushing a hand against her lips, "…s-sorry about…that."

You go to speak, choking for a moment before clearing your throat, "N-No, it's…it was nice."

Susie quietly gulps, managing to bring her eyes back to meet your own, "Y-Yeah? Yeah! Better have…uh, been. Freak."

You shift back towards the edge of the pool, "Does…so, are we…?" The words catch in your throat, "I-If that's what you want…unless you-"

You feel a weight on your shoulder as you glance up, Susie's maw nestling into your neck. She curls into you, sweeping an arm around your waist as you feel your heart leap into your throat.

"…r-right. Okay."

"Dumbass."

A nervous smile blooms on your face as you stare up at the sky, stars glimmering above.

"Hey."

"Mmph." Susie grumbles.

"Did you maybe want to go stargazing or something? There's a spot above the town my family alwa-AGH!"

A stray fang grazes along your neck, making you reel back, Susie's eyes going wide.

"The hell?"

"S-Sorry, it's just…" You gulp, "Your…fangs? They're kinda sharp. Almost…uh, almost got me when we were…"

Your blood goes cold as you watch the serene dragoness' eyes narrow, a low, fearsome growl emanating out.

The words start pouring out of your mouth, "N-Not that it's bad! Just kinda close? I-I actually like your fangs! They're pretty cute! Or…uh, scary? S-Scary cute?"

Susie glowers at you, eventually melting into a defeated sigh, resting a palm on your arm. You let out a held breath, smiling at her weakly. She smiles back.

Then, the world tumbles, water blurring in your vision.

You gasp for breath, once more sinking down to the bottom of the pool. You settle in a heap, lazily blowing out the remaining air as a spectacle of bubbles flow to the surface.

There was probably a better way to handle that. Or maybe this was just your fate from now on.

You stare out into the blackness above, distorted stars peeking through to the depths as you push back up off the ground, hurrying back above.

Surfacing near the pool's edge, you gasp for air, clambering back along the slick tile.

"Sup."

A claw taps against the top of your head.

"You were saying?"

You pull the hair from your eyes, red irises shining forth, a beaming smile reflected back at the girl.

"…stargazing?"

"Eh…sure." Susie snorts, "Bring snacks."

"Deal."

[real-kastek]

Day By Darkened Day: Chapter 12

A Healing Touch

"It's so…sparkly."

"Uh-huh."

"N-No, but it's really…" The prince trails off, fuzzy lips spread in a goofy smile, "…sparkly. Was it always that…"

"…sparkly?" The dragoness grunts.

"…what? What's sparkly?" Ralsei slumps against the girl's back, his snout buried in the crook of her neck.

"Gah, watch it! Your nose is all wet and…ugh." Susie grumbles, tilting her head away from the dazed goat hung limply around her.

"Pfft…"

She growls, "And you! Open the door, make yourself useful."

You roll your eyes, continuing to chuckle as you crack open the pale blue entryway.

"Aw come on, how often do you think he gets a piggy-back ride?" You shuffle through, making way for the grumpy dragoness, "Not that he'll probably remember. The Werewerewire really frazzled him."

Susie lugs the limp caprine across the threshold, continuing to emanate a variety of guttural noises, "Better not remember. And if he does, better pretend he doesn't." She gently drops Ralsei along the edge of the bed, struggling to unlink his robed arms, "Clingy little guy. Has more upper body strength than I thought."

You lean against the star-strewn wall, "It's the power of love."

"…power of nerds."

You shake your head, peering down at the cross-legged prince, his head slowly weaving from side to side, "He'll be fine…right? His hair is still standing on end from the shock…"

Susie tilts her head, casually poking Ralsei on his forehead, recoiling as he drops back against the pillow with a soft thud.

"…probably. Puzzle guy at the dojo said it happens sometimes." The dragoness scratches the back of her head, rustling her dense mane, "It doesn't kill anyone, sorta just messes them up for a day."

You narrow your eyes, "That's…good. I think." You sigh, "I still feel like one of us should stay with him for a bit though. I could probably go text my mom, tell her I'm staying with my dad or-"

You wince as the bed begins to vibrate, a near castle-rattling snore barely contained within the pillow.

"Ugh…is that…"

"Goddamn, little guy is like a lawnmower! No wonder he has the stairs boarded up; probably didn't want us finding out."

You pull away from the wall, wincing as another wave of snorting echoes through the room.

"…reminds me of someone." You gently smile at the goat below, pink horns peeking out from the pillow's embrace.

"Your brother?" Susie sniffs quietly.

You stare at the dragoness, "Uh…yeah. My brother." You dig a hand into your pocket, fishing an ancient cell phone out from the depths, "Getting pretty late…think he'll be okay here?"

Another grunt escapes the prince's lips as he wraps his arms around the pillow, hugging it tightly.

"Eh, he'll be fine. Lancer said he'd check on 'em after he puts his bike to bed." Susie's lips curl into a dull frown, "Besides, your mom's gonna kill you if you're late again." She mutters, dusting bits of white fur from her shoulders.

"Alright alright…" Your phone darkens, "I'll walk you back and then-" You glance back at Ralsei, his face thoroughly buried, "…he's gonna drool all over that, isn't he?"

"Oh it's gonna be soaked before we're even gone." The dragoness softly bumps against you, chuckling to herself.

A flash of pain streaks across your shoulder as you grit your teeth, a barely noticeable grunt escaping your lips. You desperately stifle the reaction, standing back to full. You cautiously stare at the dragoness as she turns away, a sense of relief washing over from her inattention.

You would be fine, no reason to worry her.

"Seriously though, Ralsei managed to dodge almost everything that rainbow colored fuzzball threw at us. I mean, 'cept for the last one. Hit him right in the chest. But he still managed to hang in there!" Susie's fangs reflect in the dull light, "He's getting stronger. Didn't think I'd see the day."

You chuckle, carefully pulling on your breastplate, "Y-Yeah, he's doing great."

The door cracks open, Ralsei's vicious snoring continuing to flow throughout the castle and into the hallway.

"Really should teach him how to use a weapon or something. N-Not that he needs to…use it." Susie stutters, "But I wanna make sure he can protect himself with more than a scarf. Like, if he can't use magic, does that thing still work? Or does it just turn into a not magical…thing."

You shrug, another shock running through your body, "I…y-yeah, I don't know. I'd imagine it works. Maybe it's enchanted or something."

The dragoness turns back around, amber eyes shining out the corner of her mane, "…you good? Sound…off."

"H-Huh? Yeah! Just tired. The battle really…tired me out. B-But I think I did pretty good, right?"

She crosses her arms, spiked bangles dancing across her leather vest, "Sure, yeah. I mean, of course." Fervor returns to her stance, "Hell, you did awesome. Like, that Rudinn narrowed in on you pretty bad. Think he hated your face or something."

Laughter strains in your chest as you casually lean against the wall, the effort turning into a haphazard stumble.

"Totally, hated me. But I parried a lot of it! And…yeah." You mumble.

"Hell yeah! When you put your sword up, I was like, 'Aw crap, gonna have to carry both of them back.' But then you just lined it all up and…"

The dragoness' excitement slowly dwindles, her eyes narrowing.

"…okay, what's happening?"

"Huh?"

She sidles closer, jacket brushing against the stone walls, "This. What's up?" She waves her hand in front of you, claws dancing against your plated form.

"…sorry. I'm just wiped. I think I put too much into the fight, especially after everything today."

The dragoness frowns, brow furrowed, "Right, you had that test in second period or whatever. Math?"

You smile, "Y-Yeah. Just a lot in one day. Normally it'd be fine, but I didn't sleep super well and…"

Susie leans in, her glittering scales brushing against your cheek, "Should'a told me."

You sigh, "I know, but they already set the match up and…" You shut your eyes, "You were so excited. Didn't want to ruin that." A pained chuckle rises up, "It's cute when you get like that. Your scales flare a little, and you just kept snorting to yourself while waiting for them to call us up, and-"

The dragoness spins away, hiding under her mane, "Ugh, nevermind, go stay with Ralsei, he needs you."

You begin to break, the wheezing chuckle turning into a full-blown cackle.

"Sh-Shut-up! Agh! You're lucky I don't-"

You choke, lurching forward, gritting your teeth once more.

"K-Kris?!"

"I'm good! I'm good. Just-"

"Hell no you aren't!" She dashes closer, boots clattering in the silent hall, "What's happening? Are you sick? Ah crap, did you get zapped? I was watching the Werewerewire, if I had seen them coming for you I-"

"Susie! It's okay!" You grin, forcing down the searing pain, "Come on, let's get home before-"

You freeze, following Susie's gaze.

Her eyes were locked onto your arm, a stuttering breath escaping through her maw.

You watch as a trail of crimson streaks across your azure flesh, pooling against the base of your gauntlet.

Damn it all.

"…K-Kris?"

You bite your lip, taking a deep breath.

"…I didn't parry all of the Rudinn's attacks. One got…lodged? It got under the armor, scraped me up a little. Guess I forgot to secure all the buckles or something before the fight, must have been loose." You sigh, silently pulling at the leather straps securing each plate, "I checked after everything though, it's not bad. Seriously. I'll just go home and throw a couple bandages on it like usual."

You risk a glance at the panicked girl, the forced smile fading under her icy gaze.

"Susie, I'm okay. I promise."

"…what do you mean, 'like usual,'?"

Her eyes continue to burn into you, following each quiet movement as you struggle for a response.

"I-I don't mean…well, like…when I get hit?" You reach to wipe your arm, hand frozen in the air for fear of staining more than your gauntlet, "Sometimes a bit of magic will get me. It's never been serious. The only time it was ever bad was with the King. One of the spades really nicked me, but it healed pretty quick."

You watch as the dragoness stands petrified, scales losing color.

"I'm okay." You rub your neck.

"No you're not."

You pause, "…but I am?"

"No! No, I mean…" Her amber eyes flare to life, breaths becoming ragged, "Why…but…when I get hit by that stuff, it's never bad! It just hits me and bounces off most of the time! They never throw out any crap that can actually hurt!"

"…don't have scales."

Susie's maw drops, eyes widening by the second.

"Humans are…" You laugh, a strained effort, "We're kinda squishy. But we bounce back pretty fast." Pain fades back in, closing out your attempts to save face, "My mom would always tell me I had to be twice as careful with everything…think she just got tired of me trying to climb every tree in our backyard. I was…not a smart kid. Or good at climbing."

You continue to ramble, attempting to quell the dragoness' subtle shaking.

"Ralsei typically helps me out if I get caught during a fight. But it's fine, nothing a few bandages and sleep won't fix!" You force your tone higher, fighting down another agonizing bite as your breastplate shifts, "Come on, you can walk me home. I'll tell you some of the questions that popped up on the test today, and some of the answers…not sure if they're the correct ones but-"

Susie begins shaking her head, mane dancing across her pale features. In the blink of an eye, the dragoness dashes past you, her own spiked door creaking open.

"In."

You barely have a moment to turn around before you feel an open palm at your back, carefully guiding you out from the hall and into the neon pink room.

"W-Wait, Susie!"

"Sit down." She points to the razor-sharp bed, blankets and sheets twisted in a haphazard mound.

"Why?! Come on, I'm fi-"

Amber eyes stare inches from your face, a fanged maw now hovering close enough for gusts of warm breath to coat your neck.

You stare back, defiance leaving your body in seconds. You limply perch atop the mattress' edge, looping your greaves between the protruding yellow spikes at the base. You cradle your arm. The bleeding appeared to have stopped, though you weren't going to risk staining the sheets. You shake your head. If you just managed to parry the last couple attacks…

Your eyes are drawn upwards, watching as the dragoness begins snapping her fingers, a growl echoing out, "…Susie?"

"Y-Yeah, gimme a second."

She continues snapping, a few test efforts, then a final impact that produces sparks of light. The sudden flash catches her off guard, the surprise in her eyes soon blooming into a look of satisfaction.

"So…" You click your tongue, "…can you whistle too? I've never been good at snapping my fingers. Or whistling. I more just…sputter." You rock from side to side, the mattress creaking underneath.

"Strip."

You choke on the next words.

"W-Whu-"

"Take off your armor." The dragoness turns away, dragging the leather jacket off her shoulders and throwing the blackened outerwear to the side.

You attempt to clear your throat, coughing painfully in the process, "O-Okay, look, there's gotta be a better way to phrase what you mean..."

"Why? Come on, take your armor off. Can't heal through all of it. Magic would probably just bounce off."

Susie drops against the mattress, scaled arms glittering under the soft light, her sleeveless top framing much of her muscular form.

You stare up at the ceiling, closing your eyes.

Focus Kris.

"You really don't have to Susie…"

"Yes, I do. Now stop whining."

You squeeze your eyes tightly for a moment, a dejected sigh diminishing the last of your resolve.

You reach up, fingers dancing along the buckles securing the reflective plate. Four clicks sound out before the heavy metal loosens painfully. You grit your teeth, wrapping your fingers around the armor's edge. The plate mail drifts from your chest, sticking for a moment, but then allowing your escape. You carefully place the chest piece against the bed's frame, unfurling the scarf around your neck. You try to breathe, the rise and fall of your lungs stuttering as cool air hits each gash.

"…shit." Susie mutters.

You hesitate for a moment, eventually dragging your gaze downwards, three separate cuts flaring in your vision. Each drew a cruel line across your frame, dancing along the top of your arm and closing in on your neckline. They were…clean. Thankfully. As if a real diamond's point was brought mercilessly against your flesh. They stretched further than you thought; deeper than you thought. A barely noticeable breeze stings the inflamed lines, the noticeably more jagged wound across your upper arm sending a vicious surge of pain outwards.

You shake your head, hair dancing in your eyes. Not as bad as what the King did, but definitely up there.

"This is, 'okay,'? This is what you just slap a bandage on and deal with?" You wince as a growl emanates from your side.

Your eyes trace lines across the floor, a muted expression painting your features. It was all you could offer.

An exhausted sigh escapes her lips, "…sorry. Alright, hold still."

You feel Susie's claws gently rest against your upper back, supporting your weight with surprising care. A flickering spark shoots from her fingers as she desperately snaps the digits in front of you, struggling to bring the arcane energy to life.

You bite the bottom of your lip. This is fine. It would be fine. She only cast that sleep spell the one time; it was an accident. Ralsei probably did that plenty of times before he figured everything out. Besides, you needed the sleep anyway. You weren't really a fan of passing out in the middle of the dojo and falling headfirst into the counter, but everyone came away perfectly fine.

A concussion here and there wasn't a big deal.

"Come on…" Susie continues snapping her fingers, scales sliding against each other in the frenzied attempt.

A sudden mote of light flares from her claws.

"Hell yeah! Alright, hold still and-"

The magic wavers, sharpening and intensifying along her finger. You watch as the ember-like form scales upwards, the arcane energy spiraling further and further into the air.

"Uh…I'm not su-"

The pillar of light shoots skyward, inches from your face, leaving a single, blackened hole in the ceiling.

"SHIT!" Susie recoils, flailing her hand to the side, the light flickering in and out of existence. She growls as the energy dims, "Damn it damn it damn it! Sorry!"

"…uh…it's…okay?" You swallow painfully as you bring your hand up to your mop of hair, clasping two fingers together against a smoldering strand.

You sniff.

So that's what burnt hair smells like: bad.

"Agh, stupid magic freaks out if you do even the smallest…" The mauve dragon huffs, shoulders sagging, "…sorry. Again."

You lean into the dragoness, head resting against her shoulder's rigid scales, "It's okay. Again."

"Alright, one more time. Promise I'll get it." She balls her hands into fists, rigidly held to her lap. Her eyes dart back to yours, glowing amber silently pleading.

"…okay." You smile back, watching as her fangs crease into a wild grin.

"Right. Right! Okay, gotta…focus, breathe, temper the…whatever!"

You sit back up, allowing her scaled fingers to hover across the more painful marks. You close your eyes, noticing a crackling in the air once more.

She's got this. You trust her.

The crackling intensifies for a moment, beginning to die down into a low hum. You allow your eyes to flutter open, squinting as light weaves a glare across your shoulder. The hum soon pulses to a rhythm, a calm warble echoing across the room as wisps of gentle white flames arc along each gash. You instinctively wince, expecting the worst.

But…the pain doesn't manifest. No searing burn, no electrifying shock, not even the sting of a wound being dressed. The flowing motes caress along your body, weaving through the cruel lines until any hints of fiery red vanish from sight. You curiously watch as the wounds seal shut, only the tattered under armor remaining as a souvenir from your injuries.

"Susie-"

"Hold up, one left." The dragoness' claws continue to shakily trace the lines, motes of light spiraling down her forearm, "And…there. I think…" She audibly swallows, an exhausted breath soon following, "Think it's good."

You roll your shoulder as she shrinks away, quietly waving the light from her palm.

"That's…better than good. It's just gone. That was…" You touch a hand to the exposed skin, "There isn't even a scar or anything! It's just…gone. Healed. I knew you could do it, but…Susie, that was…"

You let out a sigh of relief, a goofy smile resting on your face. You spot the dragoness out of the corner of your eye, hands clasped together, face buried under her curtain of hair.

"…Susie?"

You lean off the bed. Risking everything, you reach out, waving a hand past her hair. She freezes as you reveal the demure dragoness hidden away, scales having transitioned from a panicked white to a surging, deeper purple. Her eyes dance across her lap as she continues to fumble with her hands.

"…thanks for saving me."

You hesitate for a moment, a single shuddered breath breaking forth. You bring yourself closer, pecking the girl on the cheek, her scales burning against your lips. You retrieve your hand, allowing the curtain of hair to swirl back around. The dragoness pulls her mane closer, burying herself into nonexistence.

"…welcome." She mumbles.

You silently chuckle, soon falling back against the mound of twisted sheets and blankets with a short thump. The pitch-black cover wraps around your head, forming into a makeshift pillow.

"…so, no pain?"

You adjust the blanket, pulling at the side, "Nah. Not even a little."

The mattress bounces as the dragoness joins you, her mane falling across your arm.

"Cool." Susie turns, her eyes softening, "Thanks for…letting me try. Or whatever."

"There was a choice?"

She snorts, "Not really. But still. Thanks for…trusting me."

"Of course. I knew you could do it. Just thought it'd take longer, or that I'd still be a bit sore." You stretch, a soft pop emanating from your neck, "It's like I never got hit. How long have you been able to do that?"

Susie reaches behind her, grunting quietly as her claws search through the twisted bedding. After a few seconds of effort, a pillow lands in your vision, clutched tightly to the dragoness' chest.

"Been…practicing."

You curl into the blanket, "Wait, with Ralsei?" A bemused grin pulls on your lips, "So you've been coming here behind my back!"

The pillow's end slumps against your face as you sputter away.

"It's not like that…just between classes or whatever. Or when you're working at your dad's shop."

You chuckle, "It's cool. I'm only somewhat heartbroken."

Susie grumbles, bringing her maw atop the pillow's downy surface, "Yeah yeah." A timid smile rests on her lips, "Ralsei's showing me a couple tricks. Even Lancer gave me some pointers."

"Wait, Lancer?" You tilt your head to the side, watching the dragoness' eyes light up.

"Y-Yeah. He actually knows a lot of junk. Doesn't know how to do the healing stuff, but he showed me how to…like, focus. But in a way I can understand, ya know?" She snorts, brushing her arm against her maw, "Prince fuzzball is great at what he does, but when he gets going, he just goes. Lancer doesn't know anything past throwing those weird club things, but he showed me how to breathe in this way that helps."

You study the dragoness, "And that chant? 'Focus, breathe, temper-' something?"

"That's Ralsei's whole schtick. He says you gotta have a process, like a thing you do each time that helps you remember. " Her lips curl to show a number of shining fangs, "You ever listened to him when he's casting spells? He sings part of a lullaby under his breath. Says it helps him focus."

"Uh…yeah, think I've heard him sing it before." You stare off, remembering just how effective the prince's singing could be in a fight.

"Well, I don't got anything yet. Haven't figured out what works. Tried doing that pose I did before…didn't work. So, I figure if it's gonna be tough to do either way, I may as well just snap my fingers." Claws raise in your vision as the girl forces them together, a dull click ringing out, "Ralsei said I should do that whole chant with it, but…eh."

Your eyes drift across her tired face as you struggle to fight down the swelling in your chest.

"I dunno. Think I'm getting better, but everything takes so long to get down…" The dragoness grumbles, "I want to be good with all the other stuff we do. If Ralsei gets knocked out, if you're hurting, I don't…" Her hand drops back down against the pillow, "I'm gonna be better. But in my own way, ya know? One thing at a time, and then-"

Her piercing eyes snap back to yours, narrowing.

"…you're doing that face."

"No I'm not."

"Kris, you've been grinning like an idiot for the past five minutes."

"No I haven't."

She rolls her eyes, "Ugh…just say whatever you're gonna say."

"…I'm proud of you."

Susie stares back. The look of annoyance drifts away, a curious, muted expression left behind. The dragoness searches for an answer, some follow-up or quip. The silence hangs in the air, ringing in your ears, the soft smile held upon your face.

"…um, that's…" You hear her swallow, a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings sweeping through the girl.

"I also love you, but the pride thing feels more relevant right now."

Susie's arms curl tightly around the pillow, claws nearly tearing into the surface, "W-Wha-"

"I mean, I could go down the list, I guess. Love you, think you're cute, excited to think my girlfriend is becoming a mage, proud of what you're doing for yourself, thrilled that-"

You feel the pillow thrown against your face as you're buried underneath, continuing to mumble through the feathery insides.

"Y-You can't, you, like…GAH!" Susie bellows from above, soon releasing you from the plush barricade.

"-and the fact that you could probably lift, like, three of me…" You continue chattering, the words disappearing into laughter as you hear the dragoness slam the pillow against her own maw, "Alright, alright, sorry." You stammer through the laughter, "You can come out now, it's safe."

Searing purple scales reveal themselves slowly from underneath, each gem-like pattern burning into a myriad of shades.

"…I am proud of you though. And I love you." You close in on the dragoness, holding close to her arm, "I think it's awesome you're practicing. Makes me feel…safe."

The scaled girl curls into you, maw buried in your neck and messy brown hair, "Urgh…" She grumbles, "Trying. I mean, trying to do…that. Not letting you get messed up. No matter what." Her muscular arms form around you, dragging you against her chest tightly, "I don't know. Just wanna do more, or something."

Susie throws the pillow off to the side, a soft thump resonating from unknown parts of the room. Her arm sweeps back over, claws drifting along your back.

"…you actually proud?"

You pull yourself closer, "…more than you can believe."

You feel her maw against your cheek, chin just barely shuddering, "Tch…" She shakes her head, "Maybe…maybe you could come with? L-Like, I know humans aren't really…magical. But if you wanted to be there when I'm practicing with Ralsei…?"

"Just tell me when. I can always sneak out of class." You grin, "Heck, maybe I'll sneak out anyway. I think Ms. Alphys has been slacking lately; she probably thinks I stopped since its been a few months."

Susie lets out a booming laughter, the roar straining in your ear, "Come on, you can barely get through the window without breaking your neck."

You grumble, burying yourself against her scales, the searing heat beginning to die down.

"Ralsei can be pretty tough though, when he's trying to teach ya something."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Like, it's always, 'Don't point that at other people!', or, 'Don't cast spells from The Tome of something something!', stuff like that." Susie pouts, a single fang pressing past her lips, "…asks about us a lot too."

You clear your throat, "U-Uh…what does he ask about?"

The dragoness shakes her head, reaching back behind and pulling the blanket out from a twisted heap, "Everything. Too much. Little guy is so…excited. Wants to know if we've written poems to each other, if we've met each other's parents-"

"I mean, technically we have…"

The blanket sweeps over you, "Kinda? Either way. Wanted to know if we hug, and then he gets into this whole squealing fit when he thinks about how much taller I am compared to you. Says it's 'cute'." Susie huffs, wrapping the cover tightly along your back, "He asks if you've given me flowers, if I've given you flowers…if he can put flowers together for us to give…"

"…I could. My dad does own a flower shop. Think we have some azaleas growing right now." You tilt your head to the side.

"Those got thorns?"

"…no?"

"Lame. Kinda like the texture; makes it crunchier."

You blink, shaking your head.

"Man…magic really messes you up. Not sure how fuzzball does it." The scaled girl yawns inches from your face, fangs nearly touching your cheek, "Mmph…"

You rest your head in her arm, uncaring of the pattern her scales will inevitably leave, "…thanks again Susie."

Your eyes begin to flutter, the dragoness' soothing growls vibrating against your chest. You roll your shoulder one last time, testing for any residual shocks of pain. You breathe a sigh of relief. Not even sore. You glance back at the resting dragon, her mane drifting across the two of you.

She did make you feel safe. More than anything in the world. The healing magic certainly helped, but this…

You snuggle closer, a single grunt sweeping through the top of your hair.

This was all you needed.

…

Wait.

Your eyes shoot open as you struggle to reach down, barely fishing the phone from your pocket. You squint as the display flares to life. Your heart sinks.

"Crap! Susie?! Hey, come on, we gotta go! Damn it, my mom's gonna kill me, and then punish me when I'm dead, and-"

The dragoness' arm sweeps up from below, unconsciously dragging you closer, locking around your body. You let out a grunt as the wind is nearly knocked from you. You blink back to reality, finding yourself sealed against her.

"S-Susie?! Wake up! Seriously, we need to-"

You begin to wiggle, struggling to find room between you and the snoozing dragon. You manage an inch, a single bit of space, only for her arm to pull you in once more. A vicious snarl drifts out from the scaled girl, freezing you in place.

"Wha-"

You cautiously peer back above, only to find the dragoness locked in blissful sleep, seemingly unaware of her body's unconscious possessiveness.

"…damn it."

You slump against her, resigned to your fate.

…

You were…lost in the forest. No, hit by a car? Maybe if you still had the cuts from before, but mom wouldn't buy that now. Maybe you found a lost dog and helped it get back home. Mom did like dogs, that could work.

"Hey mom, sorry I'm late, I was just stuck in bed with my girlfriend for hours. So, what's for dinner?" You mutter, sighing into Susie's arm.

…definitely going with the dog excuse.

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 15

Lost and Found

(Prompt: Lancer goes missing. Susie freaks out, others comfort/help her understand her feelings.)

"Oh, thanks Susie! So glad you could come to the library with me and help me sift through dusty books! Boy, am I glad you didn't jump into the Dark World while I dealt with Berdly's nonsense and…"

The wind howls past your ears as you careen down into the void.

"Ugh…so much for a group project." You shake your head, the light glimmering around you. With books in hand, you feel gravity begin to pull on you once more, the pale blue ground below coming into view. Clinging to the stack of literature, you feel the impact shoot through your legs and up into your chest, a familiar sensation that you never could get used to.

You shake your now azure hair to the side, meandering down the hallway. Hard to get a feel for plummeting down into the abyss, hoping the beam of light would slow your fall every time. It was the kind of necessary step to the process you never quite felt confident in.

With a sigh, you drag yourself around the corner, lifting the heavy books to your chin as they hold close to your breastplate. You begin to hear the telltale buzz of the vibrant town, Darkners likely going about their day with the usual amount of fervor and chaotic drive. Dust from the entryway begins to fade as you step into the town proper, greaves clattering against the thoroughfare.

With a yawn, you heave the books up once more, peering around the colorful stack.

You freeze, eyes going wide.

Before you is the town you've come to know by heart, but in near tatters, as if a storm had thrown itself against the entire kingdom. Once colorful displays were now toppled over, flung across the street, many of which with chunks missing from the violent collisions. Your eyes scan the walls of buildings, claw marks having dug into the sides as if an animal had clambered up to the rooftops. The path itself was trampled, any sense of direction through the town now lost in what appeared to be some kind of stampede.

You hop backwards as a Hathy rushes past, following along a number of other Darkners flowing throughout the kingdom. You peer out towards their destination, watching as one of the residents directs the others down each corridor, fiercely demanding they scour the area.

You blink, coming back to yourself as you place the stack of books off to the side. Slowly, you begin reaching to your side, thumbing the hilt of your sword. Whatever being was causing so much destruction, you wouldn't be caught off guard, that much was for-

"KRIS!"

You're thrown off balance, nearly falling to the ground as you're slammed against the entryway.

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS AND I CAN'T FIND HIM ANYWHERE NO ONE CAN ANDIDON'TKNOWWHATTO-"

Your arm is nearly crushed between scaley palms as you shake away from the dizzying impact. Peering down, you begin to drown out the barrage of words, finding Susie clasped to your arm. You blink, watching as she continues to chatter on, her hands soon moving from your arm to your shoulders, quickly wrapping around you in a rather uncomfortable hug.

A sigh echoes from down the hall, "…hello Kris."

A soft padding approaches as Ralsei comes into view, his hands clasped behind his back. With a flash of movement, he adjusts his glasses, a tired look in his eyes as he glances down at the dragoness.

"Wha-" You stammer, "Is everyone okay?!"

The prince flashes a weak smile back, "I believe so. Though, there is concern as to where Lancer is at this time. We haven't been able to find him since we awoke this morning."

You squeak as the scaley form wraps tighter, "We have to find him! He could be lost or hurt or…I don't know!"

You wince, desperately looking towards the robed caprine for guidance.

Ralsei gently lifts his hand out to the dragoness, only for his fingers to curl back as she shudders against you, "Yes…well, we've been searching for him since this morning. I'm not sure where he could have gone. Normally I wake him for breakfast, to which we share a peaceful meal in my study before he…erm, sets his bike on fire." His lips turn inwards for a moment, "It's…his routine." Ralsei shakes his head, "That or Queen fetches him and goes to the café. Though neither of us were able to find him, in his room or throughout town. I asked a number of residents if they had seen him, but no one seems to know of his current whereabouts."

You hear the sound of your armor beginning to bend before you're suddenly released, a desperate breath of air escaping your lips.

"His room! Maybe he's under his bed! Did anyone check under his bed yet? He gets stuck in the hole underneath there sometimes when he's sleeping!"

You and Ralsei stare at the scaled girl, both sharing looks before she starts to sprint away.

"W-Wait, Susie!" You bellow.

She spins around, "I'll be back in a second!"

The mauve girl dashes from sight. You sigh, quietly picking at the claw-shaped indent on your breastplate.

"Erm…w-welcome back?"

You glance back at Ralsei, an awkward smile gracing his fuzzy face.

"…right. So, Susie did all of…" You wave your hand in front of you.

The prince's shoulders sink, "Yes. Though she didn't hurt anyone, or destroy any property that can't be replaced!" He pauses, placing a finger to his lips, "Though the marks from her climbing the walls of the café may be difficult to repair."

You shake your head, beginning to follow down the path, Ralsei in tow.

"Does…does she normally act in such a manner? I don't believe I've seen her in this state before." He chatters on at your side.

You shrug, "Not really." Your movement slows, "Well, there was the one time I was sick and had to stay home from school. She…knocked on my window."

You pass through the castle's gates, yanking open the ancient oak doors as they echo through the courtyard.

"Oh, well, that's perfectly understandable. You two are friends…though I suppose she could have knocked on your door? B-But the window is fine too!"

"…it was my bedroom window." You turn down the stony hallway, climbing up each darkened step carefully.

"And…that's-"

"My bedroom is on the second floor."

"Oh."

You pass through the archway, moving past the familiar blue and pink doors. A swirling L comes into view as your hand circles around the pitch-black doorknob, an ear-piercing squelching sound reverberating throughout the hall.

You dully peer through the room, eyes suddenly going wide as you find the dragoness in the corner, an entire bed lifted above her.

"W-Whoa, Susie! Put that down! Just…somewhere!" You yelp, dashing into the room.

She glances at you, worry in her eyes as she hesitates, soon dropping the bed back down onto the floor with a thud.

"S-Sorry I…uh, he's not under there. I checked the holes. Checked the other ones, even checked to see if he was hiding under the covers. I know his bike goes there, but…"

Susie grasps her arm, shrinking away.

You sigh, glancing around the room before pacing towards the dragoness. With a slight squeak, you drop down onto the bed, staring up at her. She watches you carefully, nervously adjusting her spiked bracers. With one last huff, the dragoness spins around, flopping against the bed as you're lifted a few inches from the impact.

You watch as Ralsei nervously approaches, wringing his hands, "S-Susie? Are you alright? I know you're worried, but I'm sure we'll find him. It's just a matter of time and-"

A loud grumble echoes through the room as Susie lifts off the bed, sitting on the edge, "But what if we don't? What if he went outside the town? Like, he's done that before. He could've gone out where we haven't explored. There could be other Darkners out there, someone that would…" She squeezes her eyes tight, "Or maybe he wandered too far from the fountain. He could be a statue right now and we wouldn't even know."

The dragoness flops back down atop the bed, her claws digging into the blanket.

"W-Well, I'm…I'm sure we'll find him!" Ralsei flashes a genuine smile back at the girl, the expression soon fading from inattention, "I…oh! While you and the others search for him, I could work on a divination spell! I know there are a number of guides on utilizing magic for finding others. I believe I have the reagents in my study. It should be a simple matter of gathering everything and we will be able to locate him."

"…'kay."

You lean over, studying the blank expression on the girl's face, turning back to Ralsei with a shrug. The prince weakly smiles.

"I promise Susie, we'll find him. I will do everything in my power. I'll be back in a bit with everything for the spell." The mage turns back towards the door, glancing back on last time, "We will find him."

The door closes shut with a soft click, leaving you and the dragoness in silence. You lean forward, gently squeezing the tips of your gauntlets, listening to the girl's shuddering breaths. You shut your eyes tight for one last moment, allowing yourself to drop back against the bed's surface at Susie's side.

"…pretty scary." You mutter.

"It's not…" She mumbles, "I'm not scared."

You nod, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not! I'm just…like, he could be in danger and we don't even know! We don't even know if he's in trouble. When his dad was being an asshole or when he turned into a statue, we knew. Now we…"

"Don't."

"Yeah!" Susie bellows, "Just want him to be safe. I don't like the idea that he's hurt or scared or…ugh!"

The dragoness slams her fist into the bed's surface, a slight clang of metal reverberating through the room from the bed's springs.

"…shouldn't feel like this. He's just some kid. And I'm acting like an idiot, whining about it."

"…not an idiot." You place a hand to your chest, tapping the surface of your breastplate.

"Sure feel like one. This isn't…me. This isn't what I do. It's stupid."

"…not stupid."

The dragoness growls, flipping to meet your gaze, "Then what the hell is it then?"

You let your hand drop down onto the blanket, a weak smile meeting the girl's fury, "Means you care."

Her eyes soften as she looks away, limply falling back onto the bed's surface, "…course I care. Or…well, like, who wouldn't? He's just some kid. You'd have to be some kind of messed up not to worry."

"Plenty of people wouldn't worry. Or care as much as you do." You lightly bump the girl's hands, her claws brushing against your gauntlets, "Just means you've found someone that means something to you. It's a good thing."

"Psh, doesn't feel good. Almost tore the town apart looking for the little guy."

Your eyes narrow, "Yeah…but it's still a good thing. Having people you love and want to see safe is important. Makes things more real, gives you something to be better for." Your eyes flutter closed, "Doesn't make you weird or messed up. Means you care about someone, and they probably care about you too."

You feel a shuffle at your side as Susie buries further into the mattress, turning to face you.

"…don't got a lot of people like that. Feels weird." She weakly states, "You got people like that? People you'd freak out over if they went missing?"

You open your eyes, finding the girl hovering close, her mane caressing your shoulder.

You shrug, "My family. Mom, dad, my brother."

Susie rolls her eyes, "Obviously, you dork. I meant, like, not family."

You feel your throat tighten for a moment as you quietly cling to the blanket below, "…you."

You swallow sharply, the silence hanging for much too long.

A small snort breaks the painful moment, building into a full-blown chuckle as the girl smiles down at you.

"Yeah? That the best you got? Of course me. And Ralsei, and Noelle, all of us." She shakes her head, "I better be one of those people."

The dragoness falls back against the bed, closer. You flinch, calming the reaction as you notice a scaley arm sweep from above you, sinking around your form. In seconds you find yourself being pulled tightly to her chest, buried in her arm and struggling to brush away loose mane from your eyes. A burning heat swells in your features as you hide underneath your curtain of hair.

A deep rumble echoes from the dragoness' chest, "…don't ever disappear on me, got it?"

You nod, a soft smile breaking across your face.

Your eyes begin to close away to darkness once more as you curl against the girl. You begin to fade as a crackling sound begins to permeate the space, your eyes going wide.

"Sh-Shit! Is that the bed? Ah crap, I thought I put it down okay…" Susie bellows.

The surrounding warmth leaves your mind and body as the dragoness hops from the bed's surface. You're suddenly yanked from the blankets and sheets as the dragoness pulls you up and to your feet.

"Damn it, gonna have to ask Ralsei to fix it later." Susie bites the bottom of her lip, "Whatever, lets go see if he's got the spell ready yet and-"

Another crackle echoes into the room, louder, from behind you. You twist around fast enough to spot a puff of dust carry out from the wall, a single brick wobbling before being pushed out entirely. With a loud thump, the brick slams against the floor, leaving a pitch-black hole.

Before you can even open your mouth, a swirling cowl appears within the darkness, soon bobbing up and outwards as a smaller Darkner pours forth.

"What-" Susie drops down, scooping the rotund prince up, "Lancer?!"

"Susie!"

"Lancer?!"

"Susie!"

"Alright..." You mumble, pinching the bridge of your nose, "Are you okay? Where were you? Why were you in the walls?!" Your voice picks up in tone as each question brings another, more important idea to mind.

"I was in the walls. The walls are okay." Lancer nods confidently, opening his arms wide towards Susie as the girl immediately drags him into a tight hug.

"I…" You take a deep breath, "Yes, I can see that. Why were you in there?"

Muffled sounds emanate from the dragoness' chest as Lancer attempts to speak.

"Uh…Susie?"

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry!"

She frees the Darkner from her hold, allowing him to drop to the floor.

"I was sleepy and I couldn't find anywhere to go. So, I went into the walls." The rotund boy groggily wipes his eyes.

"You went into the…why didn't you just sleep in your bed? Or…" You glance down at the various gouges in the floor, "…the holes."

"Oh! Well, it was my bike's turn to use the bed." Lancer smiles up at you.

"…but the bike isn't here."

"They get up pretty early."

You blink, "Okay…don't you sleep in the giant holes you make sometimes?"

"Yes."

"…so why didn't you?"

"Occupied."

You open your mouth, trying and failing to form words, only finding success after multiple attempts, "Okay. So, all of them were occupied? By…" You peer into one of the holes, recoiling as a salsa-like substance burbles out, "…yeah. So, you went into the walls."

"Yep! And I slept really well! There was this wooden beam that kept my neck at a ninety degree angle the whooole night!"

"But…wait, so…okay, but that's not-"

"Hey Lancer, you want breakfast?" Susie cheerfully beams down at the boy.

The rotund prince bounces in place, rushing to the door, "Can we bring toothpaste boy? And Girl Dad?"

The dragoness nods, "Totally. Just gotta go find them."

"Hrm, they can be tough to find. But toothpaste boy always comes out when I gas up my bike inside the library, and Girl Dad always seems to be around when there's yelling. Especially his yelling."

The door creaks open as Lancer begins to shuffle out, gently waving at you.

You stand, frozen in place, a migraine beginning to form within seconds.

"Come on, breakfast!"

Susie slaps you on the back as her arm circles around you, pulling you close.

You tear yourself away from the thoughts screaming in your head, heat once more flaring in your cheeks. Peering up at the girl, you notice a calm smile on her face, her fangs shimmering in the dim light.

"…you okay?" You mutter.

The dragoness' grin fades as she glances down at you. She hesitates, a pensive look twisting her features until she pulls you closer, your face buried in the crook of her neck.

"…better." She awkwardly drags you onwards and out the door, smile returning to her maw, "Now come on, breakfast!"

You squint, "It's like, 3 PM."

"Shut it, it's breakfast."

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 14

Short Fuse

(Prompt: Kris & Susie pull a high stakes prank on Undyne.)

There's no way this works.

You press against the couch's cushion, a quiet squeak emanating from between the cheap rubber seats.

It wasn't even worth it really. It was a lost cause at this point. You could easily just go to the lake for the day, watch the shoreline. Heck, you could grab some snacks from the convenience store, head over to the lake, skip some rocks, it'd be great!

"So…school's good? Family all…alive?"

Your fingers curl around the rubbery cushions, the bored sounding voice tearing through your thoughts. Slowing peering back across the desk ahead, you watch as the police officer leans back in her chair, legs propped up atop the desk as she mindlessly stares ahead.

"Y-Yeah! They're…um, good."

"Hm. Good." Undyne nods, clicking her tongue.

Your eyes lock onto the solid blue tile below, panic swelling in your chest. This won't work. There's no way this works. You were already on thin ice as is, but this? Trying to pull one over on a police officer?

"Yeeep…good." The scaled woman sinks backwards, the front legs of her chair lifted off the ground. She quietly sighs, the desk creaking under her boots.

And what if you're caught? You shake your head. Not if, when. She'll eventually figure it out, and then what? You wouldn't be able to even breathe without your mom's permission after she finds out. And dad…

You wince. He'd just be disappointed.

Even worse.

"GAH!"

You jump as Undyne slams her chair back to the ground, the entire desk rattling as her yellow eyes burn into you.

"Would you tell me what the he-!" She clears her throat, , "Would you tell me what you need? Out with it already! Been sitting there like a statue for the past five minutes." The officer closes her eyes, "This about the fireworks? Told ya already, not gonna blab to your parents or anything. Just confiscated them because you and your friend were causing a fire hazard. If you're here to plead your case, don't bother."

You let out a shuddering breath, shaking your head from side to side.

Undyne grumbles as she leans across the desk, resting her chin in her hand, claws on full display, "Alright…then what is it? Some crazed murderer out in the streets? Your cat friend get stuck in a tree again? Oh!" Her eyes light up, "It's that weird other world thing you were telling me about, right? How there's a whole portal in your school? Kid, I gotta tell you, I've heard a lot of stories before, but that one was-"

"N-No!" You stammer out, "It's not…there's…"

You pause, trying to remember the plan. You just needed to follow the script, then Susie would play her part and…

You glance back up at the officer, a look of tired annoyance reflecting back.

Maybe it would work? You had to at least try; Susie was relying on you!

You gulp, "I…think there's a bear."

You're doomed.

Undyne raises an eyebrow, "…okay? The guy's a little much with the whole town politics thing, but he's alright, keeps to himself."

You begin to squirm in your seat, "No not him…no, like, in the woods? Near here? I think I saw one coming into town. It was pretty big and looked…mean?"

Undyne leans back in her chair once more, steepling her fingers, "Uh-huh. Well, it's the forest. Gonna see that sometimes. Not really something police deal with unless it's actually dangerous." She shrugs, "Leave it alone and it'll leave you alone."

You bite the bottom of your lip. This was a terrible idea. You could've been halfway through a bag of chips at the lake by now, but no, Susie had to get her fireworks back! How she even got her hands on them was beyond you. The only place she could've bought them from was the festival, but you were together the entire time and-

You lean back, pinching the bridge of your nose. You gave her that money for hotdogs. She left for five minutes; you even saw her stop at the vendor!

…and then you were ambushed by Snowy who went down an entire list of jokes he was practicing for the festival's talent show.

Exhaustion washes over as you sink down into the worn couch. The fireworks you could forgive, but leaving you to suffer through jokes even your dad would turn his nose up at? There was a line, and the dragon crossed it.

"Look, I'm sure it's fine. We don't get many wild animals actually poking around town. It was probably just sniffing around looking for food. It'll wander off as long as you don't bother it, okay?"

You carefully watch as Undyne stretches, quickly taking her cap off to sweep yellow claws through her fiery hair, "Now come on, go do whatever it is you kids do these days. Go do…homework. Or hijack a car." She freezes, "Scratch that one."

Panic swells in your chest, "B-But, I saw it! It was really close to here! And it looked like it had foam around it's mouth…or, uh…it just looked-"

You freeze in place as a guttural roar strains in your ears, nearly shaking the station's windows. You swallow sharply, gripping the couch's edge tight.

"The hell…?"

The officer scrambles up from her chair, eyes darting past your frozen form into the forest ahead, searching. A flicker of a smile dances along her lips before being stifled as she motions towards you.

"Stay here. Gonna go check this bear of yours out, see if it's actually causing trouble." Her eyes narrow, "May have to call some animal group or…look, just stay here for a bit, alright? My partner will be back soon, he'll walk ya back home if I'm still dealing with all this."

You nod. Undyne stares at you for a moment before swinging around her desk and dashing out the door, the glass-paned entrance closing back to silence with a soft pop.

You let out a gasp of air as you hastily jump from your seat, scanning across the room. Your gaze lingers on the cell nestled in the corner of the room for a moment before shaking away from the sight, steeling yourself. You meander past the desk's threshold, into unknown territory, pausing to search under the officer's desk. Bending down, you hastily search through the darkened space. Your face twists into a curious expression as you spot a collection of magazines underneath, the covers of which ranged from professional bodybuilders smiling back, to particularly animated characters with weapons three times their own size. You grumble, pulling yourself back up off the ground, continuing to search the station for signs of confiscated explosives.

Did she already dispose of them? It had only been a day since she spotted you and Susie about to set them off in the forest. You glance back out the windows towards the forest, dashing over to the filing cabinets in the corner before anyone happened to pass by. You grit your teeth, nervously searching over the loose documents scattered about, hopping in place to see up and over the cabinets.

"Come on, gotta be around here somewhere." You grumble, pushing the precariously placed boombox to the side. Dust is swept up into the air as you gently tap the surface of the cabinets, disappointment welling in your mind as you find nothing but cobwebs for your troubles.

"Damn it…"

You lean against the front of the filing cabinets, metal handles forming along the fibers of your sweater. There was always a chance the fireworks were already gone, but some part of you still held out hope. You were hoping to find them sitting in some dusty corner, ready and waiting for you to spirit them away. You sigh, dragging yourself from the steel cabinets, the cold metal no longer pressing into you.

You smirk. At least you tried. And Susie's roar was pretty good, all things considered. Not really the sound a bear would make, but still pretty convincing. Enough to trick a police officer at least.

You dejectedly shuffle out from the corner, glancing back at the windows, thankful for the empty streets ahead. You begin to brush past the pale blue wall dividing up the station's entrance and messily tucked away evidence, only to freeze in place as a rustling catches your attention. Leaning back around the corner, you follow the base of the wall, quickly spotting a cheap plastic bag tucked between the cabinets, dozens of colorful rockets and spiraling designs poking out from within. Your eyes go wide as you scramble towards the bag, grabbing up the collection of fireworks with barely contained glee.

It's all there. The packets of small white ones you would throw against the ground with Asriel. The rockets your dad never let you actually light. Even the spiraling strings of white and green that would streak across the entire neighborhood if you let them. A satisfied grin pulls at your lips as you loop your hands into the bag's handles, quickly rounding the corner past the desk and towards the entrance.

You had to give it to her, she had good taste in fireworks.

The door pops open with a gust of cold air as you make your way outside, nervously clutching the bag to your chest. Burying into your sweater's collar, you trace along the station's corner, eager to rendezvous with your partner in crime. The burning orange forest comes into view as you hastily sprint past the building's side. Scanning the area, you smile, the hint of a grey jacket peeking out from behind the trees.

"Hey? You there? I can't believe it, but I think I…"

You pause, the grass crunching from underneath each step. Staring at the sleeve of the girl's jacket, your heart begins to sink, silence hanging in the air. Before you can question the feeling, the dragoness comes into view, a sour expression on her maw as she's held aloft by the nape of her coat. You feel the life begin to leave your body as Undyne steps out from behind the tree, a bemused look exposing her sharpened yellow fangs.

"Found your bear. Doesn't look that mean to me, but you were right; it was probably getting into a bunch of stuff looking for food. Has a bunch of crumbs all over it."

Susie growls, flailing in Undyne's grasp, "Sh-Shut-up! I-"

"Whoa, don't think that's the kind of attitude you wanna be taking punk! Not too many laws against pretending to be a bear, but I'm pretty sure I recognize the bag your friend is holding right now…"

You stare at the dragoness as she meets your gaze, a look of despair in her eyes. Your shoulders sink as you quietly sigh, sending a weak grin back towards the worried girl. Her lips turn inwards as she sulks in Undyne's grasp, a quiet anger barely stifled.

"Now look, why don't we head back inside the station and-"

"Hey, she throw out the ones that explode when you toss 'em on the ground? In the packets?" Susie bellows out.

You blink, glancing from the dragoness down to the bag, "U-Uh…no?"

In a flurry of movement, the scaled girl twists from the officer's grasp, falling to the forest floor. Undyne's eyes go wide as leaves are kicked up into the air, immediately scrambling to grab at the dragoness once more.

"THROW THEM! FLASH BANG, FLASH BANG!"

Your arms seem to work on autopilot, immediately digging into the plastic bag and retrieving a packet of white paper fireworks. In one last panicked effort, you bring an arm across your eyes, blocking you from the explosion of light that was soon to come. You slam the packet down as hard as you can, a sharp pop echoing out into the surrounding forest. Without thinking, you sprint forward, eyes still covered, off and away.

…and smash into the dragoness.

You feel yourself drop to the ground, head spinning as the blinding orange of the canopies above dance in your vision. You blink, slowly coming back to reality, feeling a weight atop you. You stare out, finding a particularly dazed dragoness atop you, her mane almost entirely covering your chest. With one last sigh, you allow your head to sink back against the grassy surface, peering up through the trees and into the distant blue sky.

A soft crunching sound emanates at your side as Undyne's face comes into view, her grin having now turned into a look of pure joy.

"Ya know, most criminals try to run in different directions when escaping." She shakes her head, "Not that it would've helped. Those fireworks don't really have much of a flash. Good effort though."

You sink further into the ground below, feeling the scaled girl atop your chest stir.

"Ugh…you good?"

You limply drag a hand along the dragoness' back, her amber eyes slowly emerging from the mess of black hair, "Yeah. You?"

She flops back down against you, her voice muffled, "Just great."

You hear a grumble from above, "Come on you punks. Look alive."

Susie begins to push up off the ground, her mane continuing to fall over your prone form as she stumbles back to her feet. Offering a scaled hand, she pulls you from the ground, the world spinning for a moment as you orient yourself.

"…gonna arrest us?" Susie mumbles, dragging a hand through her hair.

"I dunno. Probably should, huh? Lying to a police officer, going through evidence, stealing contraband. I'm almost impressed!" Undyne crosses her arms, smiling at you, "The quiet Dreemurr kid's finally coming out of their shell and becoming a proper criminal…brings a tear to the eye."

You shift uncomfortably, a knot forming in your chest. A weight leans into you as you find Susie's jacket pressed to your side. You peer up, a weak smile reflecting back from the dragoness.

"Was my idea. I dragged them into it all, so…" Susie takes a deep breath, "If you gotta lock someone up, throw me in there."

Your eyes go wide as you open your mouth to protest, being silenced by the dragoness gently throwing an arm over your shoulder. You lean into her embrace, the knot in your chest fading.

"Ugh…look, I'm not arresting you. That's not how it works with kids or whatever. Only reason I even took those stupid fireworks was because you were lighting them up in the middle of the forest." Undyne begins to pace from side to side, grass crinkling beneath her boots, "Can't be doing that. If you're gonna light fireworks off, do it on the street when there's no traffic." She pauses, smirking, "Those little fireworks do better there anyway. If you hit dirt they just fizzle out. But if you go for pavement and angle it right-"

"Can you show us?"

You choke, a cough escaping your lips as you lurch forward. Desperately trying to collect yourself, you stare back up at the dragoness, a hopeful look on her maw. You glance between the officer and the scaled girl, mouth agape.

This won't work. It can't work. There's no way that-

"Eh, sure. Come on, not many cars go by the station. Can show you there."

Undyne spins away as you feel the dragoness' arm fall from your shoulder, slapping you on the back as she dashes off with a smile on her face. You stand there, frozen, unsure as to what reality you'd entered.

"W-Wha-"

"Oh, but seriously. Go through the stuff at the station again and I'll have you on community service until you two are adults." Undyne flips back around, a vicious grin on her face, "…and then I'll lock you up."

Your mouth snaps shut.

Forcing your legs onwards, you eventually manage to come to the dragoness' side. You peer around the girl, watching as Undyne digs through the plastic bag of colorful explosives, fetching a number of packets from within.

"Alright, so, like I said, mostly about the angle. That and how hard you slam it into the ground. Gotta put everything into it if you want a proper explosion." Undyne stands to full, tossing a small bag to Susie, "Watch and learn punks."

Without a second thought, the officer reels back, sending an entire packet of the small white fireworks careening towards the asphalt. You attempt to follow the movement, only to be blinded by the impact. Light burns in your vision as your ears begin to ring.

"Gah!" You yelp.

"Hell yeah! You see that?!"

The dragoness elbows you in the side as you desperately blink back to reality.

"I literally didn't see anything…" You grumpily mutter.

Squeezing your eyes tight once more, you open back up to the dragoness ahead, staring at you with a look of glee.

"It's cool. Watch, just do what I do!"

The dragoness tosses the packet of fireworks in the air, casually catching them before winding her arm back as she aims for the ground at your feet.

"W-Wait! Don't-!"

Blinding white light sears in your vision.

"AGH!"

[real-kastek]

Darkened Drabbles: Chapter 13

In Tune

(Prompt: Kris plays the piano for Susie.)

Dragon claws were much sharper than you had envisioned.

You swallow a lump in your throat, pulling your head back against the faded yellow wall and as far away from the razor-sharp nails clasped against your mouth.

"Damn birdbrain has it out for me, I swear. This is like, the third time this week that-"

Your eyes go wide as the girl's palm tightens across your face.

The scaled girl dashes away from the door's window, holding close to your side as footsteps echo in the distance.

"Crap!" She hisses, fangs glimmering in the dim sunlight streaking through the dusty room.

You sigh, the air burning against your face. As you begin to slacken against the wall once more, you peer out, silently searching for a distraction as you hid from sight. Between the patterns of mauve scales and sharpened claws, you notice stacks of books and excess school supplies, all thoroughly coated in a grey powder, likely forgotten by even the most veteran teaching staff. Each pile was haphazardly strewn about the room, many of which having fallen over throughout the years of storage, a colorful mixture of picture books and markers peeking out through the mounds. You quietly grunt to yourself. You knew the space hadn't been used for several years, but having an entire classroom to store supplies no one seemed to remember?

Your eyes narrow, a familiar picture book hiding within the nearby pile, various plants and animals in vibrant hues marking the cover.

So that's where your mom put it. You hadn't seen that book in years.

You raise an eyebrow, staring at a particularly oblong-shaped illustration of a local plant on the side of the book.

…water sausages? That's what they were called you th-

"Alright, he's probably gone. Took him long enough."

Cool air washes across your face as Susie steps away, brushing her palm against the folds of her jacket.

"Eugh…you lick me?"

You roll your eyes, stretching away from the wall, "No, but when you nearly shove your hand down someone's throat…"

You brush a bit of dust away from your sweater, peering up at the dragoness ahead, her scales turning a deeper purple in the fading sunlight.

"I-I didn't-!" She grumbles, tossing her mane to the side, "Look, I just…I don't know! I reacted or whatever!"

You wander back out into the middle of the dusty classroom, stepping over various mounds of young adult novels and broken crayons.

"Berdly's just been on my ass for everything lately. Didn't want to deal with him today, and I saw you wandering down the hall, and…"

"You kidnapped me."

"I saved you!" Susie drags her palms across her face, her grumble quickly becoming an exhausted sigh, "I mean, come on! He'd have asked you a bunch of questions and you'd be stuck dealing with all that for hours."

You pause, peering off into the distance, "…true."

"See?! So we're all good! Hell, should be thanking me for saving your butt."

You raise and eyebrow, shaking away from the thought.

"So…mind, uh…chilling here for a minute? Make sure he's actually gone?"

You turn back to the dragoness, a sheepish smile pulling at her lips. You tilt your head to the side, staring back, her gaze meeting yours. Within moments her eyes dart away, amber irises obscured under her black mane. She drags a clawed hand along the sleeve of her jacket, clinging to the patchwork material tightly.

You shrug, "Sure. Was trying to find you anyway."

You spin back around, resuming your search, a stammering sound from behind you echoing out. You carefully plod along the visibly worn tile, nearing the edge of the room. You begin tracing a finger along the dusty cabinets and shelves, a single line being drawn through the grey coating.

"I-I mean, like…cool! Yeah, we'll just hang here for a bit. In a classroom." Susie groans quietly, "Yep, this is how I wanted to spend the day. Ugh…"

You continue brushing along the wooden surfaces, your fingers eventually catching on a stouter cabinet. You stop, squinting in the dim light streaming in from the grimy window, studying the oddly familiar bit of furniture.

"Could've been halfway to the lake by now…hell, could've gone to the Dark World today." The dragoness pauses, "Crap, why didn't I just hide in the Dark World?! Damn it!"

You wince, the girl's complaints breaking into a proper roar. You shake your head, leaning down towards the rounded front of the wooden desk. Your finger floats along the base of the curved surface, gently pulling up, eyes going wide as the clasps on the sides allow the rounded frame to lift with a gentle creak. You freeze, eyes dancing along the white and black keys hidden away.

"Eh, whatever. Maybe there's something in here to do." A rumbling voice echoes out, "Hey, you spot any cards or anything? Oh, if you find something sharp, I saw this game in a movie where you see who can stab between their fingers the fastest! Guess we could do that with a marker or something…not really as fun but-"

You blink, "Uh, n-no, I haven't…" You stammer out, fingers instinctively forming along the proper keys, the specific notes hazy in your mind.

It was…high to low? No, that was the song Asriel always wanted you to play. How did it go? The nurse at the front counter always loved the song when you'd play. There weren't too many notes at the beginning. The start was mostly just vocals, but then you fade in softer keys to accentuate the lyrics. You squeeze your eyes tight, barely tapping the surface of the ivory. What were the words? If you could remember the words, at least the start, then…

Your eyes open back to the dull orange light, excitement surging through your body.

Right!

It went…when the light is running…

You allow yourself to fall into the rhythm, notes slowly forming back into your mind as the room is filled with a gentle melody. The song feels worn at first, your hands shaking against the piano long forgotten by the world. But within moments, you forget the anxiety twisting in your chest, the worry in your movements. Music flows along to the lyrics in your mind, echoing in the darkened space. Each strained pull of the piano's strings brings forth a somber sound, haunting in the moment, bringing you back to hours spent with hospital staff and patients circled round. Your eyes soften as you toss your head to the side, swinging the curtain of hair from your vision. How long ago was it? Since you waited for your mother to finish her meetings, anxiously playing song after song in the hospital's waiting room, finding peace in the melodies brought forth.

Too long to remember, but not enough to forget how to play.

The gentle tones hit a peak, finishing with a cleaner note, lighter and higher in pitch to allow an end to the imagined singer's carried words. You sigh, fingers still hovering over the keys. You close your eyes, taking a deep breath, opening back to the silence around you.

And to a pair of amber eyes staring back at.

"GAH!"

You jump back, arms pulled tight to your chest.

"…huh."

"C-Crap! S-Sorry! I-" You begin stammering.

Did Berdly hear the piano?! Was he outside the door, waiting for you to finally walk out?

You spin back around, peering through the door's window.

"Crap crap crap…!"

He was probably just biding his time now, waiting to strike, an entire clipboard's worth of questions ready to interrogate you with.

"Dude."

You allow a shuddered breath to escape your lips.

Okay, worst-case scenario, you tell Susie to hide in one of the cabinets. Then you would be the only victim here.

You swallow sharply. Or maybe there was room for two people? There could be enough room. You'd have to squeeze in pretty tightly and then-

You flinch, the dragoness' claw gently poking your forehead.

"Dude, chill."

You brush away from the girl's finger, "But I just-"

Her claw returns, tapping you once more, "Birdbrain would've already beat down the door if he heard. Chill."

Your breath hitches in your chest for a moment, soon flowing out in an exhausted burst of air. You dejectedly stare up at the scaled girl, barely able to meet her gaze, a sudden heat flushing across your features.

"…sorry. I just found the piano over there and…" You gently bite the bottom of your lip, "Wanted to see if I remembered."

Silence rings throughout the room as you cling to your free arm, gaze locked onto the mounds of school supplies scattered about.

"…didn't know you could do that. Like, music and stuff."

You risk a glance above, an unreadable expression on the dragoness' maw.

You limply shrug, "…a little. Just a couple songs. Mostly did it at the hospital when I was bored waiting for my mom to finish at school."

"She teach you?" Susie crosses her arms, leaning back against a metal cabinet.

"Nah. Dad did. Taught me and my brother when we we're younger, but I don't think he remembers how to play much. He was busy with other stuff; was always out at track and field."

"…huh."

You feel another knot begin to twist in your chest as you watch the dragoness' face, much of her pensive expression hidden under a pitch-black mane.

The quiet strains in your ears as you begin squeezing your fingers, desperate to fill the open air.

"I-I know I'm not really…n-nevermind. Maybe Berdly's gone home now? I could lean out and-"

"Can you play that song again?"

You blink, the knot in your chest unraveling as you spot a soft smile broaden across the girl's maw.

"…'s kinda nice. In, like, a dorky way. I dunno." She scratches the back of her neck, barely able to hide the blooming grin, each shining fang glimmering in the dim light.

"Uh…" You hesitate, staring back at the piano, "I-I guess I could…if you want?"

The dragoness freezes, her eyes going wide as her scales flush a deeper crimson, "W-Well, no, like, I mean…" She coughs, "Y-You just looked like you were having fun! And you're face was all happy and it was nice, like, seeing you look all-"

A growl emanates from the girl as she nearly launches off from the cabinets surface, dashing past you and towards the dusted window.

"J-Just play something, alright?! A-And it better be good! No lullaby crap like Ralsei does or whatever!"

You open your mouth to speak, only for the words to fail you. Shaking away from the sight of the enflamed dragoness, you meander back over to the piano, fingers instinctively returning to appropriate keys. Glancing back over to the scaled girl, you catch her amber eyes peering back at you from under her mane. You quickly avert your gaze, pretending you didn't notice the watchful stare. Stifling the excited grin on your face, a gentle tune begins to flow into the room once more, drowning out the screaming thoughts in your mind.

You find yourself falling back into the rhythm once more, each note stretching the piano's wires away from the dust within, a confident, deep sound sweeping past your ears. Your fingers dance across each key, sinking gently and quickly into the ivory surface, allowing a natural pause for the imagined lyrics to take over. You continue playing, fading in and out of the song's moments of calm, slowly noticing a rumbling sound filling the empty spaces. Wordlessly, and without taking your fingers away from the keys, you glance over, the dragoness still facing the dusty window at your side. You focus in on the rumbling sound, attempting to tune out the piano's thrumming tones, slowly picking up on a deeper, almost guttural hum in between each note.

You listen closely to the nervous sound wavering in and out, the noise a mixture of a soft growl and almost a…purr?

You swallow sharply, reorienting your fingers to the keys. You'd never heard Susie try to sing…or hum? She was humming. Susie was humming to a song you were playing. And you were still alive to hear it?

You feel a choking sensation rise in your throat as your face begins to burn. It's not that the sound was unpleasant. Anything but. It was soothing in a way. Like the rumble of a cat but…with a hint of sandpaper-against-gravel tone. You gently bite the bottom of your lip. Not the description you would be vocalizing.

The notes begin to fade into a crescendo, the higher pitch settling alongside the imagined lyrics. The dragoness' humming grows louder for a moment, the silence of the piano allowing her voice to echo through. Within seconds the humming is gone, stifled with an exaggerated coughing sound as the girl lurches forward, covering her mouth.

"That's…uh, that's the song." You flare your hands as if to celebrate the conclusion, only to nervously place them at your sides, "So…yeah. I-I mean, I like it."

"…yeah." Susie turns back to you, heat continuing to radiate from her face's scales, "You're…actually really good at that. I knew you were good with drawing and everything, but I didn't think you could do music too."

The dragoness chuckles, a cruel grin blooming on her maw, "I mean, come on. You can play piano, you can draw dragon girls, you can fight in the Dark Wo-"

"I-I draw all kinds of people!" You stutter out, panic in your eyes, "You just, you didn't see the other sketches that-!"

Your shoulder sink down as you feel an inferno build on your face.

Susie squeaks, the noise soon exploding into laughter as she sweeps along your side, wrapping an arm over your shoulder, "Nah, it's cool, it's cool. Just didn't think you had all this stuff going on. Always so quiet all the time. Didn't know you could play decent music."

You grumble, eyes narrowing at the girl's wicked grin, "Uh-huh. Guess the song's better when I've got someone humming along. Really adds something."

You smirk as the girl's fangs soon hide away, her bemused smile draining within seconds. The shades of purple marking the girl's scales sear into a burning crimson, to the point you begin to feel a familiar twisting in your chest.

Was that too much? Her humming was cute, she shouldn't be ashamed of-

Your throat seizes as you begin to sputter. You shakily contain the thought, scrambling to mitigate the ongoing disaster.

"It was…n-nice. It was fun! Yeah! I…like your voice."

You swallow down another painful tightness in your throat.

"AH-HA! THERE YOU ARE!"

The door suddenly bursts forth as dust is thrown throughout the room, the bespectacled avian stomping through.

"How dare you! I understand you can only hold yourself to such a degree of civility throughout the day, but to glue my desk shut?! How am I supposed to retrieve my schoolwork I have tirelessly slaved over the past few days? How am I supposed to retain my own status as an honor's student with this…this display of barbarism?!"

Berdly sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of his beak between two feathered fingers, "Susan, I know it isn't fair to expect changes in behavior within such a short time frame, but please! If I cannot remain within the honor's program, I cannot provide the same kind of assistance and support to my fellow classmates! Think of the long-term consequences!"

You feel Susie's arm coil away from you as she groans, "Get off my case already! I didn't glue shit! You think I'd waste some perfectly good glue just to make your life worse? Come on."

You awkwardly stand off to the side, watching as Berdly sneers, arms crossed.

"That's the exact kind of excuse I'd expect to here from someone of such mischief! But no matter, the library, where I retain ongoing employment-!" He pauses, accentuating the words, "Has an antiadhesive that I may utilize for just such an occasion! So there!"

Susie rolls her eyes, huffing quietly.

"Well, I suppose then I will…take my leave!" Berdly's stance softens as he awkwardly begins shuffling back, "Just…just know I still consider you two colleagues and will provide assistance in educational matters per my responsibilities as an honor's-"

"Pretty sure the school is closing soon. May want to go grab the antiadhesive stuff before then." You mutter.

Berdly's beak hangs open for a moment, soon snapping shut as he freezes in place, eyes darting back to the doorway, "…r-right. Well then. I shall…erm…"

The avian dashes back through the door, his footsteps clattering down the hall.

Susie sighs as she stretches upwards, soft pops echoing out in the rapidly darkening room, "Always gotta blame me for that kind of stuff. You replace a guy's lunch box with a boulder one time…"

A snorting sound escapes your lips as a chuckle bursts forth, leaving an exhausted smile on your face.

The dragoness eyes you, a look of concern and amusement twisting along her maw, "Alright weirdo, come on. Don't wanna get locked in school either."

You nod, shuffling past mounds of school supplies, out into the hallway's cool air. You squint, the fluorescent lights burning in your vision as a clawed hand rests on your shoulder.

"Hey, so…"

You stare up and the scaled girl, burning purple still painting her maw, "…thanks for that. Like, was kinda fun. Didn't know you could play like that. It's cool."

The girl claps you on the back, sending you reeling for a moment as she passes by.

"Next time we get stuck somewhere, we're heading for the Dark World though, alright?"

You roll your eyes, barely able to contain the grin plastered on your face.

"Now come on, let's get-"

"Wait!"

Susie turns around, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, gotta grab some stuff I left in my desk. Didn't think I was gonna be hiding in the storage room all day."

The dragoness groans, "Come on, it's almost dark out. What do you even need?"

You dash past the girl, twirling back with a look of glee.

"Superglue! Dad let me borrow some, just need to get it back before heading home!"

You twirl back around as a growl builds in the distance.

[real-kastek]

Update and Eh...

Yo.

Guess I should say that I continue to exist in this mortal plane.

6k words done on my main fic's next chapter, 2 chapters planned after that (possibly 3 since one may be split up), Danganronpa fic has 1k, and a summer-themed Krusie thing has 1k.

We're doing a whole bunch of poking and prodding without the necessary component of finishing projects. Ya know, the best strategy! Blargh. Sorry, anxiety is brutal with writing right now. I always do my best to create the most interesting and well thought out garbage possible, but right now the garbage just isn't up to that quality I like to see. It has to be...a special kind of trash. Like, polished and shiny...trash. That kind. But we're getting there, and it shall be thrown out into the world for all to enjoy as usual.

Very exciting. Take care ya'll.

[real-kastek]

I feel personally attacked with how much I relate to this image. Both from the perspective of my lifestyle and...well, bird.

Welp.

crow 387