#Raven has the attention span of a fruitfully

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Obsidian (Frogs of Fall part 2)

Here is the second (actual) installment of Frogs of Fall, read the first part of the story in this post, the full story on AO3.

Sebastian is late for his meetup with Raven, she eventually loses patience and goes in search of her tardy boyfriend.

Sebastian/fem farmer (Raven OC) Below the fold: mild language, monster knife fight Full story: NSFW: mild language, monster knife fight, smut Quick read, just over 2400 words Read on AO3 here: Part 2: Obsidian Part 1: Frogs of Fall

Obsidian

Tick-tap-tick-tap-tick-tap… the clock mocks me from the wall, counting away the seconds, as I impatiently tap my fingers. Sigh. It’s 10:07. He's not coming. I grab my phone, starting a text for the fourth time, then discarding it. If he doesn’t want to come, I shouldn’t push it. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. But what if… Marlon’s parting words when he stopped me outside the mine prick at the back of my mind. “Watch your back out there, guild members have reported an unusual number of nuisance monsters near town.” I’ll visit Raz tomorrow and ask what he knows. I smile to myself, he hates when I call him that. Disrespectful, I believe he said. Really his name is too long. I just don’t have time for it. 

Screw it. Better to move than sit here wondering. I scribble a hasty note for my boyfriend, Sebastian, in case he does come by before I get back and head for the door, leaning back mid-way through to snatch my dagger off the wall. My feet carry me towards the well worn trail leading to the carpenter’s shop as I flip the dagger hand to hand, watching the obsidian blade catch the moonlight. It’s a beautiful knife, Seb’s gift for my last birthday, he carved it himself and honed the edge to razor sharpness. The handle fits my hand perfectly, the balance true. 

Nothing seems unusual, the night chorus of frogs and insects soothes my ears, a gentle evening breeze lifting my hair. I probably should have grabbed my jacket, the air is decidedly crisp, leaves fluttering down from the trees. I pass my Nexus, choosing to walk the path. If Seb was coming, it would be this way. A light shimmer dances over my skin as I pass the barrier surrounding my farm. Instantly the pleasant night sounds cease and I pause… this isn’t right. Something brushes past my ear… shit… cave bat. I freeze in place, closing my eyes and focusing on the air around me. Still, nearly stagnant. There it is, a slight vibration. I hold my dagger in a edge-up grip… wait… wait… flicking the dagger upwards, I drop to a crouch in one fluid motion, feeling slight resistance as the knife finds its mark… then the soft thud of a bat near my feet. 

“Ugh!! Get off me you disgusting… shit!!” A voice from further down the track, followed by sounds of shuffling feet and the squish of slimes.

Seb? Before I can think I race down the path, dodging branches and avoiding tree roots by memory and a sense for the green. I pull up sharply, taking in the scene before me. Seb’s shadowy form, crouched and holding a long branch like a staff, keeping a trio of voracious slimes at bay, two dead at his feet. The others bouncing and dodging in a dizzying frenzy, determined to reach the warm, energy-filled body behind the swinging branch. Armed with only a dagger, this will not be easy, I’ll have to get close. No time for strategy, I leap ahead, appearing from the shadows like a spirit, skidding into a spinning slash, dispatching the first slime and disorienting the other two. “Raven, go left!” I duck and roll to the side, keeping my arms tight to my body to avoid any contact with the slimes or other hazards. 

Seb swings his makeshift staff, I feel the displaced air as it flies inches above my head and hear the thud of impact. The startled slime squeaks at the blow, bouncing directly towards me as a quick thrust of my dagger sends it on to the next life. One more. “Dammit! Get off you freakin’-“ Shit, I forgot Seb can’t see in the dark like I can. The slime is behind him, just out of his view. “Seb, down!” He drops and I leap over him, touching his back to orient my body, descending on the final slime from above, making quick work of it at the edge of my blade. Seb spins towards me, grabbing my arm. “Raven, are you-,” I press my fingers to his lips, closing my eyes and listening… reaching out into the night, searching for any sign of unusual movement. Seconds tick past, nothing. I suck in a shaky breath and drop my hand, turning my attention to Seb. He’s panting slightly, eyes wide, adrenaline pumping, causing his hands to twitch. 

“They’re gone, let’s go,” I unceremoniously clasp his hand, pulling him towards the farm and safety. He pauses to snatch a gym bag and follows, right on my heels. As we approach the Nexus, I glance back at Seb. His hoodie disheveled, but undamaged, his pants… coated in slime. “Seb, take off your pants.”

“Wh-what? Now? Yeah they’re nasty but…” 

“I’m serious, you have to get rid of them, that coating of slime will attract more monsters and those jeans are not crossing the barrier here. If slimes start popping up on the farm, it’ll take me weeks to get rid of them. Besides, that crud doesn’t come off. You can scrub those jeans as much as you want, they’ll never get clean. Believe me, speaking from experience.” I take a breath and touch Seb’s cheek. “Please, trust me. Do you have clothes in your bag?”

He nods. “Well… yeah, but… these jeans were clean this morning, I was planning to wear them again tomorrow. The only pants I brought are… those ones. You know.” His mouth twitches and I can’t help but chuckle.

“You mean you only brought your frog pajamas? Heh! Well, it’s not far, nobody is going to see you. Quick, get those nasty things off and throw them over the fence there, I’ll grab them tomorrow and add them to the burn pile.” Seb quickly turns away, pulling off the slime-coated jeans, careful to avoid getting the stinking goo on his hands. He tosses them away, and I can’t help but watch him in his hoodie and boxers. He pulls on the frog pants, they’re very thin and worn, wildly inappropriate for a cold night in the woods.

“Okay, c’mon, I’m freezing here!” I grin and take his hand, stepping through the barrier and striding quickly towards the house. 

I push open the front door and we step inside, Seb visibly relieved to be in the relative safety of the cabin walls. “Damn. Raven, you showed up just in time, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t…” his voice fades away, and he looks down at the floor. 

“You took out two of those things before I even got there, but I’m glad I came to find you. Wait here, first things first.” I grab a first aid kit from the shelf by the door. “Inspection time. Even if you’re not badly injured, a small abrasion can get infected if slime touches it.” I unzip his hoodie, pulling it off, checking his arms for any scrapes or scratches. All clear. I lift up the back of his shirt, one small abrasion on his lower back. Seb hisses and I wince in sympathy as I gently spread the disinfecting ointment on the scrape. It’s not bad, barely bleeding, but with slimes you don’t take chances. “Sorry, almost done… okay. That’s it.” I quickly check over the rest of him, pulling up his loose pant legs, smiling at the cute little frogs scampering around the fabric. It would have been tragic if they’d gotten slimed. 

Seb’s breathing has calmed, he seems to have recovered from the ordeal. “Hey Raven, I made it to your house, it’s not midnight yet so I’m not too late.” He chuckles, standing to pull me into his arms. I sigh and hold him close. I blew off Seb’s concerns about the slimes, but he was right. That could have gone tragically wrong.

Read the remainder (smut) on AO3: Obsidian

Part 1: Frogs of Fall