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luckyshotwrites · 5 months ago

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Ch. 106 // About That Poker Game // Day 105

Contents (Warnings): Not just poker. (Angst, character and monster info as always). Read full chapter on A03

Wordcount: 4,200+

Song I correlate to this Chapter: None unfortunately

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(Jan. 27th, Friday)

Wicks

He was half paying attention to Lynette's conversation with Claudia over video call. As he did so, he blew over the coffee mug—the steam had finally seized.

His sister was across from him, her back on the bar overlooking the living room. Her herbal tea was next to her in her goofy pup mug of a carefully sculpted poodle. That's what she intended. The reference picture she brought into the sculpting shop when they went as a family and her final product looked very different. Not that my green Super Ranger head came out any better. I had to tell them I was making a bush.

He pushed off his counter next to the coffee machine and sink and put his lower back on the bar to rest beside her to enjoy her company.

As he settled, he tuned into their chatter and heard Claudia ask Lynette if she wanted to hang out for another girls' day. Without hesitation, Wicks leaned next to her, showed his face to Claudia, and said, "That's not happening."

Lynette flicked to him, gasping. Wicks sipped his bitter black coffee as she fumbled to speak, "It-it's going to be in a place with humans this time. We're going ice skating."

Wicks lowered his cup and lifted his free hand to her face. " Let me tell you this again, dear little sister." He pinched her cheek lightly, but it still made her whimper. "You aren't going anywhere outside of work without one of your family members there."

"Don't be a meanie, Wicks!" Claudia said. "Let her go and let go of her cheek, that's best friend privileges only." She did snappy lobster claws with her hands.

"Bwest fwriends?" Lynette acted like she couldn't talk properly while he held her cheek.

Wicks disregarded his sisters' antics and glared at Claudia on the screen. "Excuse you, you better not be laying a finger on my sister when I'm not around. She's MINE to tease...and sometimes Charletta and moms."

"I never consented to being teased," Lynette muttered.

Wicks smiled back at her innocently. "Consents not needed in good jests."

"Very true," Claudia nodded from the other side.

"See." Wicks agreed for a moment, then shifted again to Claudia. "HEY." He took the phone from Lynette. "Don't try to get on my good side. No amount of buttering me up or complimenting my sister will make me say yes." He could see Claudia's cat-like grin. You devious little fae.

Claudia whimpered, "Come on, Wicks. It's my birthday. You're not going to let Lynette miss my party, are you?"

Wicks pointed at the phone, and Lynette held him back from pressing the screen. "You celebrated your birthday with me, you liar!"

"Rats."

Wicks let her cheek go, his shoulder still pressed against hers. He exhaled, his tone falling from playfulness, "Do I have to remind you, my sister, in the last, what-"

"6 months on February 8th." Lynette said.

He jerked his coffee to one side away from her, nearly spilling it. His heart started racing. I've also been through a lot these past months too, but you're my sister. You're not supposed to be involved in any of this. "IN "ABOUT THE LAST 6 MONTHS SHE'S BEEN TAKEN 3 TIMES."

Lynette raised her finger, "With Claudia, it wasn't-"

Wicks didn't let her complete that sentence, "3 times." He returned to the phone, "I don't want her out and about with you guys." He didn't mean to say it so rudely. He really didn't hate Claudia. "No offense. She has a terrible track record with anyone from that pizzeria."

"Please, Lynette and I don't hang out much!" Claudia folded her hands together. Is she holding the device with her other hand? It's still swinging slightly.

Wicks caught his sister's glance. Her eyes were wide and pleading. "Don't hit me with those puppy dog eyes!" He forced himself to look away. "This is not up for debate, Lentils. I don't want you in any more danger."

Someone's voice came from Claudia's end. Wicks didn't see them in the video. "We can have it at our apartment." Their head entered the frame, pushing Claudia out of the way and down onto their couch. It was the green-haired girl with long, curly pigtails.

Wicks understood that she worked the morning shift at the pizzeria and had Claudia illegally registered through Zetsu.

"Our apartment is well guarded as this is a C.P.P.A. complex. If something were to happen, several agents are on standby and strict with who enters."

Garter usually works as security entrance detail at that apartment building when they don't send him on other recons. If he's working that day, I'd feel better. Wicks stared down at the phone. No, I shouldn't risk anyone else finding out about Lynette.

"Is that a yes?" His sister asked.

"Don't start," he bit his lip and lifted the phone to look at Tila better. Her eyes look rather soulless, don't they? Fairies have a lot more life to them in fairytales. "Who's going?"

"Girls from our work. None of whom are interested in Lynette in the way you assume." She spoke concisely.

Wicks looked at Lynette to confirm it. He restrained himself from reading her mind.

"Viola's nice, Zilla's not out for me perse, she goes after the others, and-"

"So she gets Alexander and Drake?"

"Mostly Xander, yeah. I have yet to really see her go after Drake. She goes after Lev, too."

Wicks knew very little about Lev. All he concluded was that he didn't like the face she made when mentioning his name. He eats you to, doesn't he? They're all heathens.

Wicks drifted back to Alexander. The half-wendigo still perplexed him. "I'm surprised anyone would chase a hybrid."

"From what her brother told me," Tila answered for Lynette, "Zilla has tastebuds similar to that of a mimic like him." The word mimic made his body tense. I should have been more attentive. "Their anatomy's quite fascinating." She tipped her head up in thought. "If I remember correctly, there were only five other documented cases of a hybrid between a mimic and something else. Obviously, Wendigo's being the most well-known mimic hybrids, theirs becoming a species-"

Wicks fell from Tila's explanation. Not that he meant to disregard her enthusiasm for her knowledge; he simply had to think.

He threw an arm over his sister's shoulder and politely smiled. "She'll call you guys back." He hung up quick to avoid feedback.

"Wicks, she was talking!"

He placed her phone down along with his coffee cup. "Lentils, I don't want you to be kidnapped ever again. You are so lucky it's worked out so far." He couldn't lock onto her gaze.

He kept failing to protect her.

"You aren't a monster. You shouldn't be hanging out with them." He meant nothing against them. He feared what could happen, even though his first failure wasn't considered something with..." monsters."

"I've been with you guys all this time, right?" She said to prove a point.

Wicks' conflict rose. He wanted to say it. His hands that he brought to her shoulders clutched tighter. He didn't want to see her go again. "It hasn't always been smooth. We hid a lot from you, I did, I..." Please, don't leave again.

Her hand delicately touched his, and she smiled. "I want to be involved. I want to hang out with Claudia. I want to do this. Regardless of how rough things are with training, with them..." She hugged his fingers, "I also like seeing you and Garter interact. It's nice to see you coming out of your shell with other people."

He couldn't look at her—he found himself in a stewpot of embarrassment and worry.

She put her other hand up so she could hold both of his hands on her. "I'm not that strong or capable, I know. I'm still scared of what I don't understand about this. But...I don't want to run away. Six months is coming soon, and I won't get into any more trouble if I can help it."

His soft hazel eyes delicately touched her efficacious forest green. They were stronger and ever so hopeful. Her eagerness surprisingly calmed his anxieties like she'd always be there to help him.

His eyes suddenly burned. He was reminded of when it was stripped from her and what he did to get them back.

"Wicks, I love you."

He made himself smile, "I love you too, Lentils." It's over. He said, refusing to let it come out. "A whole speech to convince me you should go to that girl's day, huh?"

Lynette lightly pulled away. "No, I won't go if it'll put you more at ease."

It would. She smiled either way, and his thoughts argued in his head. He didn't want to keep her from everyone. He wanted her to be happy.

Wicks took a deep breath, shoving down his worries. "Any signs of danger, stab it."

He swore her eyes sparkled. "Wait, you're letting me go?"

"You're not leaving their apartment, okay? If you do, I'll never trust you again."

Lynette immediately threw her arms around him in a big hug. "Thank you!"

He squeezed her tight, "You're welcome."

…

Drake

I still can't believe she let him have ANOTHER day. He thought to himself.

As usual, his back was on the wall across from the time clock, and his best friend was beside him. They had been looking at stuff on their phones separately.

As soon as she gets here, I know you never stop complaining about her. But you don't ever do it anymore when she's not around. Drake scrolled through the recent chapter of mechanical cutting tool dude. He wasn't paying much attention to it. You don't do that to piss me off when I break up your fights, do you? He joked in his head.

The phone buzzing in his hand knocked him out of thought. It was the "manager chat".

It only blew up for two reasons: something happened, or his Dad was planning a vacation. As far as Drake saw, it was quiet today. "Is Dad considering another vacation?" Drake muttered.

Alexander peeked over. Drake wasn't going to hide it from him. However, Drake took the opportunity to see he was playing on his phone.

There were a few cats on screen. He recognized the game, where cats occasionally visited the in-game house when the proper food and toys were there.

"That looks like a game Lynette would play. Talking about it together would be a great way for you guys to bond." Drake snickered as he said it.

Alexander turned off his phone screen, "shut up."

Drake then opened up his texts.

Edgar: I'm considering holding a special pizzeria event at our resort. What do you guys think?" 1:50 p.m.

Elliot: It sounds fine. 1:50 p.m

Sandra: I think the others will enjoy it if they get time to relax too. 1:50 p.m

Tristan: I concur. 1:51 p.m

Edgar: Of course, a night celebration on the first day, so they can enjoy the place during the day and possibly the next. 1:51 p.m

If it's that island off the coast, I haven't been there for a while. He saw another message from his Dad toward him.

Edgar: Hey, Drake, what do you think? Would the night crew bite at that idea? 1:52 p.m

Drake peeked around the corner from the wall he was at and down the hall where his Dad's office was. He imagined his Dad's laughing face from his office.

"And guess who's going to be on watch Shrimp duty." Alexander exhaled as he looked back at his phone.

"You invited her here. You're responsible for her." Drake lightly jabbed Alexander in his ribs.

"YoU'rE tHe OnE wHo InViTeD hEr HeRe." He sassed under his breath. "She's your responsibility, Alex. You should watch her, Alex. Don't worry that you eat humans, and she's the fucking best your body can ever get, Alex. You're overreacting, Alex; it can't bother you that-"

"You kinda are."

"I'm going to fucking end you, you little shit."

Drake pursed his lips to hold his laugh and replied to his Dad.

Drake: That's cool. 1:53 p.m

Edgar: Great, I'll get the paperwork set up. I must also run it by the C.P.P.A. to authorize our special employees. 1:53 p.m

He's talking about Claudia and Tila, right?

"Hey, guys."

Drake squinted at Lynette's approach, not particularly at her. Alexander was ready to say something and glared at his best friend while greeting Lynette.

Be nice. "Hey, Lynette."

"Hey, Shrimp." Alexander put emphasis on the nickname specifically to rile up him and Lynette.

I'm killing you first.

"It's Lynette." She corrected it like always.

Drake assumed that because he annoyed Alexander earlier, he would start a fight with Lynette." I'm not taking back what I said," he said, smirking about using the line she did yesterday.

"You-" She held her tongue.

"Go on, say it, give me more motivation to win today, Shrimp."

Drake stepped on Alexander's foot, regardless of whether it would hurt him, and it caught Alexander's attention.

He tried to keep their focus on the actual game. "Neither of you are winning today, not that I blame you, Lynette." I totally do. "It's Lev's game; no one but him is winning."

Drake picked up on the steps a little late. "Who knows, they could win. I have a game of luck today for everyone.~" Lev tweeted as he walked to them from the kitchen again.

"That's bullshit," Drake said.

"Such a debby downer, aren't you?"

Drake's eyelids dropped, not that anyone could see it. No, I'm not as gullible and willing to roll over to you.

"What's the game?" Alexander asked, crossing his arms.

"I was thinking we could continue that poker game we never played because you worried about hours." He teased Alexander.

"Oh fuck, I am not doing that hour shit."

"You can have the same boring, normal dribble of a bet if you win." Lev's gaze fell on Lynette, "while I'll be betting hours to request what I want."

"What you want?"

"Sound fun, doesn't it?"

Lynette quietly let out her sentence. "I don't like your definition of fun."

"It's nothing bad. It could be as simple as playing games with me like Darts or maybe eating you for a lunch period so I don't have to deal with Zilla," he said.

He's a liar. What else would he want them for?

"Why do I doubt you," Lynette said.

"Are you saying you wouldn't want to use those hours for your own gain? Tell you what, if you win, I'll allow you to use those hours on multiple days—that's five lunch periods. I won't come after you."

Lynette readjusted her ponytail, pulling it nice and tight. "you're planning something."

"I always am, Lynette.~"

Drake sighed.

Lynette wouldn't back down. The determined flare in her eyes was too bright, and it got stupidly brighter the more the days went on. "I'll win then."

Lev chuckled, and Drake saw a glint of his sharp incisors—they only showed with excitement: "That's what I love to hear."

…

Lynette

It had been relatively quiet working registers with Alexander.

I glanced over at him while he wiped down his side of the counter. I should get along, for Drake's sake. Not that I could hate him.

He's so weird. His actions frustrated me to no end. He was so contradictive. He constantly seemed annoyed or did not want anything to do with us, yet he helped me and helped anyone regardless of how they treated him.

"What do you want?"

I shook out of it. "Huh?"

He looked at me wearing a scowl, "You were staring again."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, getting a rag and cleaning my side. "You don't have to say it like I do it the most."

"You do."

"I do not." I looked at him, dampening my wet rag. "I see you glancing at me out of the corner of your eye all the time!"

"You're full of yourself," Alexander grumbled, not denying it, and handed me the dry rag for when I finished. "At least I don't full-on stare at you constantly."

There's no way I do that much. Drake told me the same thing. "I was going to say something to you." I attempted to cover my own butt.

"Say it, and don't stare at me for a whole five minutes."

My voice came out squeaker than I wanted. "It was not five minutes!!"

"Felt like it."

"I didn't."

He took the spray bottle I handed him and leaned over to put it back under the counter. "Well, tell me what you have to say because I'm getting more hungry than I already was and pissed.."

"WHY are you getting hungry?!"

"I'm talking to you."

"How does talking to me make you hungry?!"

Alexander shot a glare, "Because I'm noticing you, hearing your shrill voice-"

"My VOICE isn't shrill!" My vocals betrayed me and rose when I said it.

"Uh-huh." He covered his ear on the side I was on.

My face was hot, and I searched desperately to say something to get him back. "I'd rather sound shrill instead of sounding so gravelly and deep it's hard to understand me."

He turned his head back to me and focused down. "The fuck you mean?"

"When you mutter or growl, I sometimes can't really understand you," I said, "which is how you talk most of the time."

Alexander grinned real wide, "OH, I swear I'm gonna-"

Neither of us noticed our long-haired boss until he touched our heads. "I can hear you both shouting, mostly Alexander, from the back. I don't want either of you to scare away our customers." Edgar said politely. "So apologize and make up, please."

We both said a pitiful sorry. Or Alexander did while I tried to be sincere.

Edgar pointed to the kitchen, "If you need a breather, Alexander, come work the back."

Alexander listened and left.

Edgar took his gentle hand from me. I rarely saw Edgar as of late. Apparently, he had been on a short vacation earlier this month for a 'family reunion.' Drake made it sound brutal.

"You two bicker like Danee and I did back in the day."

I shivered, "What are you implying? I don't like Xander." I was then reminded of yesterday's kiss and wanted to curl up and die. "I mean in that way, as a person..." I don't know how I feel about him as a person.

Edgar put his gloved hand near his mouth. "Sorry, that was a thought for myself." He cleared his throat and changed the subject, "In lighter news, it has come to my attention that you are hitting your six months soon, so that promised payment is on the way, and we can count the little pizzeria vacation as your party." He said quietly, leaning in.

"Vacation?" What is he talking about?

"I've said too much." His wine-red hue gleamed, and his smile wiggled. He wanted to tell me more. He contained himself. "And, Lynette, let me know if you need anything or if you don't feel comfortable talking to me, Tristan and Sandra are here to talk to as well."

He left after that.

Vacation like the festival? That went terribly last time. I did have a weapon this time, though.

The traffic upfront picked up, and it took me longer to get to the back than usual. Granted, it was a poker game, and those usually didn't take long.

By the time I got back there, Lev was shuffling cards with Drake at the table across from him. Xander's late?

"What, you still don't trust me dealing?"

"Of course I don't."

Lev snickered, "As I've said before, why wouldn't I bring a simple game if my goal was to win that easily. There are plenty of things I can almost guarantee none of you will know how to play." He then placed the deck down, "Besides, when Wendie gets here, I want your hat on and the seal redone to make you hear the same as a human. No heartbeats."

Drake put his hat on, "so you can bluff."

"Bluffing is allowed. Besides, this is a cheat-free game, with a new deck, new chips, and new..." Lev ushered me to sit at the table. "Hey, Lynette, take a seat."

I sat between him and Drake.

We waited another ten minutes before Alexander arrived.

Lev spoke up when he did. "I heard you two were having fun at the counter today." He held off dealing the cards. "I wanted to add another rule, and if neither of you like it, you don't have to play."

Drake and Alexander didn't like the sound of that. "What is it?" Alexander asked.

"If you fold, you automatically forfeit all your tokens to the winner, and you must follow those same rules."

"Not playing," Drake dropped out, and he wanted to pull Alexander with him.

Alexander still played, and Lev handed out our two cards. I had two of the same suit, an ace and 9 of hearts.

...

Lev

His heartbeat quickened.

Lynette laid her cards down first and declared her, "flush." He pressed his to his lips and spoke, "What a hand, Lynette.~"

He liked watching her desperately studying him to see if he was trying to fake her out one last time.

He kissed his cards and hummed. "Four of a kind." He tossed his two tens down. It matched the others on the table.

She looked over them in defeat.

"I got a little luckier than you, is all," Lev chuckled as he said so, "but chin up, I'll be using those five hours later, maybe a Tuesday evening."

He heard the skepticism in her voice, "T-tuesday, I'm off Tuesday's."

"Remember our game of old maid? You said no more bets that are more than a day. You never specified when for bets. What day or what time of day." Her expression quickly changed; she opened her mouth to speak, but Lev was faster on the draw. "And now you think you want to rectify that, right? You'll have to play a game with me for that. It can be your own game Monday. Another game of darts, perhaps~." She'd never do that again.

He watched her defiantly shake her head. " Not darts. I'll pick a game we've never played before."

Alexander squinted, having lost to the absurdity as well. "You did all this to have hours outside of work. Can't you get any other human?"

"I have patience." Lev chuckled and continued ruthlessly, "So, I don't want to hear it from the one who was practically salivating over every second of a twenty-four hour deal."

"Fuck off." Alexander's lip twitched, and his growl thrummed, "I just don't get why you always do everything so extra when you're going to fucking eat her."

"Well, Wendie..." Lev's hue spurred with glee. Drake was coming back to the table, so he took a breath, knowing he'd get the two galloping. "It's more of a competition between Lynette and I." He smirked at Lynette before readjusting his gaze to the other two. "Comparatively, you two are background characters. One trying to offer guilt-ridden moral support." Lev's yellow hue went from Drake to Alexander, "and the other is a pitiful attempt at being a threat to hide their underlying insecurities."

Alexander growled, unable to form a coherent response. Lev expected that much from him.

Drake, on the other hand, nearly crushed the bag of blood he had in his clawed hand. "And you're a wannabe playboy who's narcissistically desperate for every little ounce of attention."

Do you think that's it? "Desperate? I can have all the love and admiration I want in an instant. That's too simple."

Lev had more to say, but Lynette stood up from her chair, bringing everyone's gaze to her. "At least they have some reason going after me, regardless of whether I like it." She looked briefly at Alexander and readjusted back to Lev. "You don't."

Her gull pleasantly surprised him. Not that he was scared. He found it cute. You still think you're that knight who'll defeat the dragon. "I've told you countless times before," he placed his palms down and stood up. He made sure he stood in front of her. Alexander shifted in his seat, anticipating a fight. Lev ignored him. "Entertainment is my reason." Lev's yellow eyes drifted to the clock counting down above the door with his name.

"We aren't here to entertain you," Lynette said.

Lev then tilted in, his tone this time not leaving his lips as easily as melted silver. It was sharp like the knife she had strapped to her. "I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

The clock's beeping above the door behind her stopped any further retaliation. Her eyes narrowed in on him. He met her look with his arrogantly smug face and brushed past her.

"Can't wait to compete with you Monday!~" He said aloud as he walked through the door when it pulled back.

He entered the hall and disliked the unsettling ease building in him. He watched his words—he knew he didn't say anything incriminating to her. Maybe it was the fact that something big happened over a month ago, and it altered her.

Whatever it was. Lev didn't like it. Change was inevitable, but it was also painfully...less predictable.

...

Hey, you, thank you so much for reading. I'm glad I put out a story that people can enjoy! I hope you continue to enjoy it as WE have a LOT more to go! YOU BETTER KEEP PROSPERING! (Nonnegotiable, as always~).

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