#i like this scene but i can't see myself fiting it anywhere

[mari-lair]

deleted scene from ‘your clock is ticking’.

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There was a lady in her sixties under a streetlight, a cigar in hand, and a man in another. She stared at the light above, chatting with the man with a lazy smile, both blissfully oblivious to the malicious eyes just outside their precarious spotlight.

She took a long drag of her cigar and passed it to the old man by her side, their fingers devoid of wedding rings. Neither was bothered by the way the lamp above flickered, reacting badly to the powerful supernatural itching to sink its claws into them.

Teru run fast, slicing the beast, which seem to be a tiger with six arms, and clicking his tongue at the way his sword didn’t fully sink into it, it chest injured but not slashed in two.

This was a strong one, he could barely reach its soul.

“A kid?” The old woman's smile dropped when she noticed him, a bit exasperated at the sight of his sword “Is too late to play, you should run along, your parents must be worried.”

Teru side-eyed the wounded tiger, sure by the way its pupils got big that it would lunge, not afraid of a fight.

“Are you sober?” The man frowned at his lack of attention, likely misjudging his angry and wary expression, oblivious to the maw twice the size of his entire body itching to eat his soul. “Being rebellious isn’t the freedom you belie-”

The tiger lunged, and the old man's words turned into a buzz.

Teru cursed, wrapping its snout shut with his beads and kicking its cheek so it didn’t crush the old man. He was so focused on those evil eyes, he barely had time to dodge when the tiger tried to take him off with its massivepaw, hurting itself but managing to slash his ribs with the tip of its claws.

Teru stumbled, not giving himself time to process the pain, just ordering his body to jump and sinking his sword into the tiger’s forehead until the tip pierced all the way to his chin, using the momentun to properly slash it soul.

He winced at the way the fall annoyed his fresh injury, touching his side and inwardly groaning at the feeling of blood under his thorn yukata. He took a breath deep, enough to clear his mind, and raised his head up high “You two shouldn’t sneak in shady prefectures at night, it’s dangerous-”

A sob froze him on the spot.

He turned around, not sure how to react to the old man’s wide eyes, drops of his own blood on his cheek, and the way the woman had teared up, staring at the monster's disintegrating body instead of Teru.

(Ah… She can see it.

She will die soon)

He opened his mouth but wasn’t sure what to say, he doubts “this isn’t the only monster around, you should be more careful” or “Don’t worry, you took a while to see it, so you still have a few months to live. Maybe.” would be very comforting to her.

For all his intellect, Teru had no words to offer. Touch felt completely out of bond as well.

(How much comfort would a bloody hand on her shoulder even be? What if the lightning under his skin escapes and his touch accidentally zaps her?)

When she made eye contact, Teru still didn’t know what to do, so he ran away, turning the corner as fast as his injured side allowed and resting his back on a brick fence.

He could still hear her faint crying, patrol always making him hyperaware of every sound, but he took another deep breath and ignored it. His job was done, the two can comfort each other without him, all he can do is make sure no other pest tries to attack them.