《Harbingers; War》


 Prologue (and a preliminary message)

    Eden.


    Armageddon.


    Ginnungagap.


    Ragnarok.


    Satya Yuga.


    Kali Yuga.


    B''reishit.


    Quiyamah.


    A beginning.


    And an end.


    It''s the one unfaltering rule, any and everywhere: everything that is will, inevitably, cease to be.


    But what are we supposed to do, when the end never arrives?


    This world is a dreadful place to call home. We all know it.


    We are told that we''re lucky. We are told that we are lucky, because we are not burned on pyres and hung in the streets. We are told that we are lucky, because we are not forced into exiled like our forefathers and mothers. We are told that we are lucky because we do not wear the shackles our forefathers did. We are told that we are lucky because we are free to use the gifts given to us.


    But we are not lucky. We are not lucky, because we are still slaughtered everyday. We are not lucky, because we are outcasts, even among the crowded city streets. We are not lucky, because we have traded iron chains for a life of a thousand rules made by men envious of what we could do and angered by what they couldn''t understand. We are not lucky, because we are not free.


    They will never accept us. They will never yield their control, no matter how we plead.


    There''s a reason they cannot do what we can. There is a reason that they loathe us so greatly.


    Gods once lived among us. They were beings of such great power that they could shape reality to suite their every whim. They could cause the fall of a civilization with a sweep of their hand, while uplifting another with the raising of another.


    Our gods were a force not even nature could defy.


    And our ancestors worshiped them. We gave them our devotion and loyalty, and they kept us safe. We built them temples and they blessed us with a fraction of their power.


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    But humanity feared the gods. They loathed them. Because the gods had a power that they could never wield for themselves. Because they knew that the gods could not be controlled.


    And so they chased away our gods. They hunted them and banished them from our world.


    But they couldn''t take away our gifts.


    We are a walking reminder of their sins, and for that, they despise us.


    They know they do not deserve our gifts. They know that we were blessed in ways they would never be.


    And so they try to control us, and when we cannot be controlled. They destroy us.


    They tell us that we are free. That we are lucky to be free. All in hopes that we will take their abuse laying down.


    We will not.


    We will not run away.


    We will not hide


    We will not accept that this is our fate.


    Our gods are gone. But their power still runs through our veins.


    Our gods are gone. But their voices still speak through our cries.


    Our gods are gone. But they live on through us.


    What do we do, when the end never arrives?


    The answer is simple, really. It was given to us by our gods, in the very beginning.


    If the end never arrives, we must take up the mantle left behind by our gods.


    If the end never arrives, we must become the very gods we lost.


    If the end never arrives, we have no choice but to take fate into our own hands.


    If the end never arrives, we have no choice but to become our own apocalypse.


    A Note:


    I hope you liked my villain''s monologue(or a snippets of it, anyway). I''m going to try to keep this note short and sweet.


    I want to preface this by saying: This is going to be weird. This is a project I intend to transform into a webcomic, and as such, I chose to write this in a format that would ideally make it easier to make that transition. This is not written as a script. I despise writing scripts with a passion, and I give my respects to writers who can and enjoy writing them. But I will not be doing that; personally I would rather eat my hands.


    The goal was to have something that was readable, but also something that followed to flow of what I imagine the comic to look like, rather than a traditional novel(my preferred medium). Characters are going to be introduced by name immediately, with physical descriptions for important or reoccurring characters at the bottom of each part(upon their initial introduction). Once I figure this digital art thing out, I''ll probably post their reference sheets as I go about making them.


    This story is told in 4 separate arcs, the first 3 happen simultaneously, with the final arc that ties everything together. Each arc is separated into six major parts that I have deemed Chapters, for simplicities sake, and each chapter is split up into 10-20 Scenes. Scenes are similar to what you''d find in an actual script. I''ll hopefully be posting one of these scenes every week, as long as my buffer allows.


    This is a story I''ve been working on for years. There were two other iterations of this story that I wrote in the past and I was never happy with the result, so this is my attempt to make it into something that accurately tells the story I''m trying to share. I suppose we''ll find out if it works.


    If I haven''t scared you away, welcome, and I hope you enjoy your ride through my own personal hell. Buckle your seatbelts, and keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.

 1.1 - We all die, you either kill yourself or you get killed. (Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do?)

    A man stumbles into his apartment, shrouded in darkness. The apartment is messy. He throws his jacket onto the ground, kicking his shoes off. He stumbles over an empty bottle on the floor, and he bares his teeth before kicking it down the hall.


    The bottle rolls into the living room, and Hades stops it with his foot. Hades stands next to a shelf on the wall holding a near-dead plant, holding a picture. It is of the man with another, but the second man''s face had been scratched out.


    The man stopped in the hall, straightening as he noticed the Hades.


    Hades lowered the photo. "Good evening."


    "Who the fuck are you?"


    Hades laughs, shaking his head. "Nobody important." Hades stepped forward. "What is important is what I can do," Hades rested a hand against his chest. "to help you." Hades gestured towards the man with the hand that held the photo.


    "Get out."


    "You know," Hades lifted the photo. "You didn''t deserve what happened. You''re a good person."


    "Get out."


    "You must be so angry. He abandoned you, and for what?" Hades dropped the photo, "He was bored?"


    "Get out!" The man shouted.


    "Don''t be rash. We could help you. You could be a man no-one would dare to ignore."


    The man ran into the living room, pulling his fist back, but he never reached Hades.


    Out of the shadows of the living room, Persephone lunged out, grabbing the man by the collar and slamming him against the wall. She caught his wrist when he attempted to punch her as well.


    Hades sighed. "I was truly trying to keep things civil."


    The man grit his teeth, his bones cracking as two additional arms grew from his side and he grabbed a fistful of Persephone''s hair and yanking her head back.


    Persephone stumbled back, clawing at the man''s hand. Her scream was hoarse, almost silent. The man shoved her to the ground and Persephone kicked his shin. The man hit the floor with a (far more audible) shout.


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    The man stumbled, and Persephone raised her hand. The plant on the shelf sprung to life, and vines grew along the floor to wrap around the man''s throat.


    The man managed to tear through them at first, but he began coughing and thrashing as they began growing into his mouth.


    "Now, now, love." Hades crossed the room, kneeling beside Persephone and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Let''s not hurt our new friend."


    Persephone between the man and Hades, who smiled. "We can''t help a dead man."


    Persephone dropped her hand and spoke in a hissing whisper. "He touches you, and he becomes a new addition in my garden."


    "Of course, love." Hades looked to where the man was sitting up, coughing up leaves as he pulled the vines away from his face. "But I don''t think that''ll be an issue."


    The man wiped his mouth, "What do you want?"


    "We don''t want anything." Hades stood, "We just wish to help you."


    "I don''t need your fucking help."


    "Oh, but you do, don''t you." Hades stepped towards the man. "You''ve been wronged. Those you thought loved you forgot you. Those who you trusted now betrayed you."


    Hades shook his head. "They never deserved you. You were too good for them."


    "You deserve better than them." Hades said, stopping in front of the man. "And we can give that to you. Anything you could want. Everything you could possibly dream of. All yours."


    "You want fame?" He continued. "Power? Love? We can give that to you, and even more, still. You could be a hero. A legend."


    The man eventually spoke. "How?"


    "We, my friend, are going to save the world." Hades grinned. "We''ll be heroes. Gods, even." Hades spread his arms. "And who can say no to a god?"


    Persephone came to stand beside Hades, as he held a hand down towards the man. "What do you say?"


    "Don''t you want to be a hero?"


    Characters:


    Hades:


    5''6", 140lbs. A thin black man with long, thin dreads decorated with jewels and beads made of bone. Wears a mask fashioned to look like a death head hawkmoth that covers the top half of his face. Fashion is loose and flowy, with white and blue hues. Subtle patterns. He has runes painted onto his skin in white.


    Persephone:


    5''10", 170lbs. A muscular Celtic woman with curly auburn hair shaved on the sides with Celtic knots, typically braided with black roses and red poppies woven into the braid. Wears a golden skull mask that covers the right half of her face with a jaw that hangs loosely from chains. Wears a charm that hangs from her belt shaped like a scythe. Fashion is sharp and bold, in black and gold.


    The man, for reference, is 6''2" and 250lbs.

 1.2 - Makin my way down town; walking fast, faces pass and Im homebound. *offkey kazoo noises*

    A runner ran down a sidewalk. They wore earbuds.


    Sludgy snow clung to the roots of trees and dim lampposts beside the path, leaving muddy puddles around them. New leaves were budding on the tree branches, and grass peeked out through the dirt.


    Crickets chirped from the darkness between the trees and, in the distance, police sirens could be heard.


    The runner stopped under one of the lampposts, pulling a water bottle from their belt. As they drank from the bottle, they lifted their other arm to look at their watch.


    Around them, the crickets went silent, and a large figure formed between the trees, just beyond the light, its eyes glinting.


    The runner put their water bottle back on their belt before continuing down the path again, oblivious.


    The runner jogged around a bend in the path and disappeared from sight, just as the figure stepped onto the path. Abe(dressed like an actual viking berserker, poor dude) looked down the sidewalk where the runner had gone, and then back where they had come from.


    Abe walked down the sidewalk in the same direction the runner had gone, his breath trailing behind him. He paused only for a moment under a lamppost, peering up at the light. He squinted at it, tilting his head with a puzzled expression.


    From around the bend in the path, voices and laughter approached. Abe looked down again, just as two police officers walked around the corner, both holding cups of coffee. They both stopped when they saw Abe.


    One, who is now named Will, whistled, resting his hands on his hips. "Bit cold for that, ain''t it?"


    The other officer, who is named Bill, shook his head with a chuckle. "Nah. He''s a viking, they got tons more snow up there, don''t they, bud?"


    Abe watched the men silently before nodding. "Right."


    Will slapped Bill''s shoulder as he threw his head back with a laugh. He wiped his eye. "You came from that, uh, convention thing by the pond, yeah?"


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    Bill frowned, "Isn''t it a bit late for that? Thought that ended before sundown."


    Will looked at Bill, "Yeah, I think you''re right." He looked at Abe. "What''re you still doing around here?"


    "I..." Abe rubbed the back of his neck. "Got lost."


    "Ah, yeah." Bill nodded. "I remember back when I came here with my family after first moving to the city. These paths do get a bit confusing if you haven''t been here before, ''specially in the dark."


    "You got pretty close, though."


    "You did," Bill agreed with Will, pointing back around the bend, where he and Will had just come from. "Just follow this path and you''ll reach the park gates in about ten minutes."


    "I''d hurry if I were you, though," Will glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "The last night bus leaves in about twenty minutes. You miss that and you''ll be walking home."


    "Thank you." Abe said.


    "Of course, bud." Will and Bill continued down the trail, "You be careful, out here. There''s been a lot of trouble around here lately."


    Will leaned towards Bill. "Did you see the size of him? Jesus. What do you think his mama fed him?"


    Bill shook his head with a laugh. "Whatever it was, it was a shit ton of it."


    Will cackled.


    Abe watched them until they were out of earshot before he continued walking.


    He kept walking, ending up on a shopping street filled with dark windows.


    Abe eventually passed in front of a window display showcasing multiple mannequins in suits.


    He looked down at his clothes, then at the mannequin. His reflection was vaguely visible in the window, except his irises, which seemed to glow in the reflection.


    When Abe turned away from the window, he wore a suit identical to one of the mannequins. He tugged on his tie, trying to loosen it, before he eventually just snapping it off his neck. He stuffed the tie into his pocket, turning around the block and out of sight.


    Characters:


    Abe:


    8'', appears to be 600-700lbs. A large Scandinavian man with shoulder-length dark hair and a trimmed beard. Honestly he''s just a hairy guy in general. Hazel-gold eyes, bad case of RBF. Wears lots of intricate gold jewelry(rings, piercings, etc., all gold), and has Celtic bands on his arms. Inaccurate at this point in the story, but his eventual fashion will be somewhere between biker gang and lumberjack, with a lot of earthy tones.

 1.3 - Its not breaking and entering if you have a key

    "Motherfucker!"


    Jackie immediately shot up in bed and propped himself up onto his elbow, squinting as he looked around his room. When he saw his room was empty, he rubbed his eyes, picking up his phone. He looked at it for a moment before dropping it onto the bed and flopping back down in bed.


    He shifted around before settling, but as soon as he was comfortable, his bedroom door was kicked open. Skyler stood in the doorway wearing an apron and pointed at Jackie with a spatula. "Wake up, bitchass! We got shit to do!"


    Jackie shot back up, looking at Skyler. He raised one arm, incredulous. "What the fuck?!"


    "Get your ass out of bed! We got a Code Dickweed and we only have 36 hours before Ourias gets to the airport. We gotta get moving stat!"


    "Wait, wait." Jackie sat up, and rubbed his face. "Hold on for a minute." Jackie inhaled and dropped his hands into his lap with a sigh. "Why are you in my apartment?"


    "Oh." Skyler gestured behind her, with the spatula. "I wanted to make pancakes."


    Jackie''s face scrunched and he shook his head. "And you couldn''t do that in your own apartment..." He gestured vaguely, "why?"


    "Power''s out." Skyler shrugged. "My stove''s electric."


    Jackie pressed his hands together, closing his eyes. "And why exactly is the power out in your apartment?"


    "It''s not my fault this time. I didn''t forget to pay my electric bill, the entire building blacked out."


    "But, why?" Jackie clasped his hands together, leaning forward. "Why did the power in the building go out? Are you okay?


    "Well, yeah, I''m fine. Why wouldn''t I be?" Skyler shook her head. "I don''t know why we don''t have power, though. The notice in the lobby this morning just said we''d get it back by the end of the week. I heard some ladies there talking about how it was a kid practicing electrokinesis, but they''re also racist Karens who blame all their problems on witches, so..." Skyler shrugged. "Can''t really trust anything that comes out of their mouth."


    "So you''re just without power for..." Jackie waved his hands around. "an undetermined period of time?"


    "Pretty much." Skyler said. "It sucks, but it is what it is."


    "Okay, sure. But what about the stuff in your fridge? Or your freezer? It''ll all be bad in a week."


    "Oh, I already threw out most of it. I didn''t have much since it was almost grocery day anyway. Mostly just old takeout that I forgot about. Except for my ice cream and dino nuggets. Those," Skyler shot Jackie a finger gun, "are in your freezer now."


    "That''s good. Does your apartment have heating?"


    "No, sir." Skyler spun around, "I woke up this morning feeling like I was stuck in a freezer."


    "Oh-kay." Jackie shook his head, "Fuck that. You''re staying here until you have power again."


    "Oh-my-god, sleepover! We could have a movie night." Skyler spun the spatula in her hand. "I already got the ice cream."


    "We''ll see." Jackie stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "How''d you get in anyway? I thought I locked the door."


    "You did. You also don''t hide your spare key very well." Skyler gestured towards Jackie with the spatula. "You should probably fix that, by the way. Erin would be sad if you got murdered in your sleep."


    "...Thanks." Jackie walked over to his closet, pulling his shirt over his head.


    "Do you want pancakes? They got chocolate chips in them. They were gonna have blueberries, but I ate all them all before they made it to the pancakes."


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    Jackie snorted a laugh. "Yeah. Pancakes are good." He dug through his closet. "...Why did you wake me up?"


    "Oh! Yeah, I forgot. We have a Code Dickweed. Or had." Skyler walked into the room, plopping onto the bed. "Wear clothes that can get dirty."


    "Okay..." Jackie pulled out a pair of sweatpants, looking at Skyler. "Code Dickweed?"


    "Use your brain, dipshit. Who do we know that''s a dickweed?"


    "I don''t even know what a dickweed is." Jackie propped an arm on the doorway to the closet to pull on his pants.


    "I''ll give you a hint." Skyler rolled her eyes. "His name starts with a D, and rhymes with Aaron."


    Jackie grabbed a shirt out of the closet. "Seriously? I thought we were done dealing with him."


    "Me, too."


    "He''s at least gone now, right?"


    "Oh, yeah. He was gone before my mom showed up to the cafe, but he made his presence very obvious." Skyler pulled out her phone. "Hold on, my dad sent pictures."


    "Is it only in the cafe?"


    "He didn''t get into Ourias'' apartment this time. Mateo replaced his door screws for the good door screws. The one as long as your finger? Good shit. I''m gonna ask him to swap mine out, too." Skyler leaned back on one of her hands. "But my parents texted to ask if we could come help with clean up. Figured it was an all hands on deck situation."


    "Definitely." Jackie tugged an old t-shirt over his head, walking over and leaning over to look at Skyler''s phone. "...Does that say what I think it says?"


    "Yeah."


    Jackie looked up at her. "Isn''t he-?


    "Yup."


    "Openly?"


    "Yup." Skyler


    "Wow."


    "Mhmm." Skyler put her phone back in her pocket. She opened her mouth to speak, only to pause and sniff the air. Her eyes widened. "Oh, shit." She jumped off the bed, sprinting out of the bedroom. "Goddamn it!"


    Jackie followed her, laughing. "Please don''t burn my kitchen down."


    "Fuck you!" Skyler shouted from the kitchen.


    Jackie walked into the kitchen, sitting on the counter next to a plate of pancakes. He grabbed one of them, "Do you know who''s coming in to help? And are the part-timers still coming in to work?"


    "My mom called them to tell them they didn''t have to come in since we aren''t opening today. Mateo is rescheduling his appointments today, too, but the other artists at the studio are still working today."


    Skyler took the pan off the stove, scrapping the burned pancake into the trash. "He and my mom are cleaning up and accessing the damage right now. And she''s pissed because he fucked with some of her plants."


    "Damn." Jackie took a bite of his pancake. "These are pretty good."


    "Thank you." Skyler walked towards the sink, "Your parents are on their way. My dad is calling local businesses to see if they caught anything on their security cameras. I assume lawyers and insurance are next. He also said he''s going to set up the new cameras tonight." Skyler handed Jackie the spatula. "Hold this."


    Jackie, nodded. "Is Zach coming in, too?"


    "Yeah, he''s just dropping Anatase off at school and then he''s going to call in some favors to get the windows replaced and the new furniture expedited." Skyler scrubbed the pan vigorously, hissing through her teeth. "Guess it pays to have rich friends." She paused, "We''re also getting the locks changed. We don''t know if he took a key but, yknow."


    "Better safe than sorry."


    "Exactly." Skyler turned off the water and shook the pan off. "If we can''t get everything cleaned up by the time Zach and Mateo have to pick Ourias up from the airport, they''re going to deploy Anatase to get him to stay with them over night. While the rest of us pull an all-nighter."


    "Are we telling him about any of this?"


    "We aren''t not going to tell him. But we figure that he''s stressed enough as is. We don''t want him holing up in his apartment because he''s too scared to leave."


    Jackie nodded, quiet.


    Skyler swatted his leg. "Go put some shoes on. Good ones. I''m not gonna be the one driving you to the hospital because you got some glass or something in your foot." She plucked the spatula from his hand. "I''m gonna finish making the rest of these pancakes, and then we''ll go."


    Characters:


    Jackie


    5''7", 120lbs. A coltish black man(seriously. my boy is all limbs) with dark shoulder length coils, generally kept natural and tied back. Has bright blue eyes and gold scales covering his arms and legs(to about his mid thigh). He also has scales along his back and shoulder blades, as well as down his chin and the front of his throat. Fashion is modern chic, with some vague hippie elements, in warm neutral tones.


    Skyler


    5''2", 110lbs. A small white girl with dirty blonde hair cut short and shaggy with the bottom layers died green. Has a tattoo of a daffodil on her inner wrist. The earring in her left earlobe is always a pair of scissors hanging from a chain. Fashion is grungy, with dark neutral colors.

 1.4 - Not all your life decisions have to be smart. Some can be for purely cinematic purposes.

    An airplane flew through a cloudless sky over fields and pastures.


    Inside the cabin, Ourias was seated closest to the aisle, with one of his legs pulled up into his seat. He rested his head against his knee, cradled in his arm. His jacket was pulled around his shoulders, the sleeves hanging by his sides. He was sleeping.


    Next to him, a woman sat by the window, reading a book; and a young boy sat in between them, playing with an arrangement of toys.


    The boy lifted a miniature horse, turning in his chair as he made it gallop over the back of his seat. The plane rumbled, and the boy grabbed the armrest between him and Ourias to steady himself.


    When the plane steadied, the boy shifted, grabbing Ourias'' arm as he twisted around to sit on his knees.


    Ourias was suddenly sitting in the backseat of a car, awake. Next to him was the young boy, holding a stuffed horse in his arms as he looked out the window.


    The woman sat in the passenger seat, speaking to the faceless man in the driver''s seat.


    The boy sat up quickly, pointing out the window as he looked back at the woman with a wide smile. "Mom, look! There are fat horses outside!"


    The woman turned to look at the window before smiling back at the boy. "That''s a really good guess, sweetie, but those are cows."


    "What are cows?"


    The woman was about to answer but Ourias fell backwards through the seat, plummeting through the a sky blue void before landing in the grass yard behind a suburban home.


    The faceless man was there again, sitting on the porch while the boy ran around the yard with a shadow in the vague shape of a dog. The boy threw the ball, and cackled as the creature bounded through the grass after it.


    Ourias pushed himself up just as the dog ran through his chest, as though Ourias wasn''t solid.


    Ourias stumbled back to his feet, just barely regaining his balance before the ground beneath him vanished and, again, he fell.


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    This time Ourias managed to catch himself, climbing to the feet of an stone angel that stood over a grave.


    The boy was there again, holding the woman''s hand as she set a bouquet in front of a grave further away.


    Ourias suddenly jerked his arm away from the boy, nearly falling out of his seat with a strangled gasp.


    The boy stared at him, holding his own hand closer to him. The woman stopped reading, turning to look at Ourias. "Are you alright?"


    Ourias was nodding before he even spoke. "Yeah," He stood up, "yeah, I''m good. Just, you know," Ourias gestured down the aisle. "Yeah." He hurried away, towards the restroom at the back of the cabin.


    He pulled his jacket closer as he went, pushing his arms through the sleeves.


    And the bathroom was occupied.


    Ourias dropped his head against the wall across from the bathroom, covering his face with a sigh. A nearby flight attendant glanced over at him from where they were arranging a cart.


    They stopped, approaching him slowly. "Sir?"


    When Ourias didn''t answer, they reached out to touch his shoulder, and he jerked away from the contact, pulling at the hem of his jacket.


    "Sorry," The attendant pulled their hand back. "Is everything alright?"


    Ourias nodded, gesturing towards the bathroom, "Just waiting." His smile was thin.


    "Are you sure that''s it? You seem anxious. I can get you some water."


    Ourias opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again to speak. "...Water would be nice."


    The flight attendant smiled, walking back to their cart. They picked up a water bottle, walking back and offering it to Ourias.


    Ourias took it carefully, without touching their hand.


    The attendant glanced around, before gesturing behind them. "You can hang out back here for a few minutes if you think it''ll help." They shrugged. "I used to get really anxious when I first started flying, too."


    Ourias nodded, yet again, looking down at the bottle in his hands. "Thank you."


    "Of course." They took their cart, rolling it out into the cabin.


    Characters:


    Ourias:


    6''3", 200lbs. A tall Greek man with unkempt curly hair and vitiligo concentrated around his hands and eyes. Has a moth tattoo with the moon phases and two thin bands on his forearm, and a dragonfly down his back(wings over his shoulder blades). Fashion is comfortable, leaning towards punk or goth.

 1.5 - "A wall is a door, too, it just doesnt know its a door yet."

    The club was full of people and noise. Music thrummed through the air. The dance floor was most crowded, with most others clustered in small groups, around tables, or at the bar.


    Behind one of the bartenders, on the top shelf of drinks. a bright green and gold spider skittered over and behind a bottle.


    Down a small hall was a lounge with far fewer people. There was only one bartender, and a handful of guests.


    A trio of men hung out around the bar, and a group was gathered around a pool table.


    In the corner there was a woman in a booth, leaning away from an older man, as he was leaning towards her. She held her purse up in her lap between them. The man''s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a portion of twin khopesh tattoos on each arm.


    The man smiled, pinching some of the woman''s hair between his fingers. He started to speak, but stopped when the music blaring outside the room was replaced by multiple gunshots and people began screaming.


    Everyone in the lounge went quiet and remained completely still for a few moments before the bartender ducked behind the counter. The three men at the bar joined them. The crowd around the pool table scrambled. Some of them ducked behind the table, others ran to hide behind furniture or to get behind the counter as well.


    The woman in the corner ducked under the table as the man next to her crouched down on the ground next to the booth, watching the door.


    The room was quiet, as voices grew closer from outside.


    "Go check the rooms." The first voice said.


    "Whatever am I checking them for? I doubt they have rodent problems here."


    "For people, dipshit."


    "I was just checking, no need to be rude."


    There were footsteps approaching the door, followed by a quick, rapping knock. "Is anyone hiding in there? Please do speak up, I can''t hear very well through the door."


    "Just open the fucking door and look!"


    "Must I? You have a dozen other men with guns. One of them can do this."


    "Go!"


    "Fine, fine." The door opened inwards and as Bee stepped inside, and the man burst forward, pulling the khopeshes from his arms.


    Bee shut the door with the end of his cane before he snatched the man''s wrists with both hands. Bee yanked the man forward, leaning down so they were practically nose to nose. Bee held his cane clasped behind his back. Bee smiled, "I highly suggest that you put those away, sir. It would be a shame if everyone here died because of your own incompetence."


    The man''s weapons eventually faded, reforming on his arms, and Bee let go of his wrists, straightening slowly and resting both of his hands on the top of his cane. "Good boy."


    Bee looked around the room. "Some of you are much better at hiding than others." In a few long strides, he was standing by the pool table, rapping on the far end of it with his cane. "Hello?"


    Eventually one of the people hiding behind the pool table peeked out. "...Hi?"


    "There''s no need to be scared, stand up." Bee beamed. "What might your name be, dear?"


    They glanced around, slowly standing up. "Alex?"


    "What a lovely name." Bee placed a hand to his chest. "You may call be Bee."


    Alex shifted on their feet, nodding with a thin smile. "What''s going to happen to us?"


    "That, my love, is something entirely determined by what all of you do." Bee picked up one of the billiard balls off the table. "I don''t have much reason to harm any of you." he paused, "Well, neither do my friends, I suppose. Most of them just find a sick pleasure in the gore."


    "Well, no matter," Bee shook his head. "I don''t care to hurt you. My friends would like nothing more than to hurt you."


    Alex seemed to wilt at this. "So we''re just going to die?"


    "Oh, of course not, doll. I see no reason why you all have to die here." Bee paused, "Well, as long as you all agreed that I was never here."


    "I can do that." Alex nodded. "If you can get me out of here, I''ll forget I ever met you."


    Another person, a young woman, peeked over the pool table, lifting her hand. "Me, too. I don''t want to die."


    "How do you plan to get us out?" The bartender was standing now, their arms crossed, "Your friends are right outside the door."


    "Whoever said anything about using the door?" Bee tittered, tilting his head. "What sort of fool would try that?"


    Alex looked around the room. "...But there isn''t any other way out."


    "Not yet, perhaps." Bee looked at the bartender. "Would I be correct to assume there''s a fire escape or a service ladder that would allow one to reach the ground from the roof?"


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "You''d be right." The bartender crossed their arms. "But the only door to the roof is down the hall in a locked storage closet. Only the managers and owners have keys to get up there."


    "That won''t be a problem." Bee raised his cane, tapping the end on the ceiling tiles, one at a time.


    The tiles each drifted towards the ground, as though weighted like feathers, and stopped in midair, making a staircase into a now open hole that led straight up to the roof. A murky night sky could be seen through it, and Bee gestured towards the makeshift staircase. "No doors necessary."


    Alex was the first up the staircase, looking up with awe.


    The others were more hesitant, one woman circled the staircase twice before climbing up.


    The man with the khopesh swords attempted to climb the stairs, but Bee grabbed his shoulder with a smile. "A man as brave as yourself should wait. In case my friends come in. Who else will protect these innocent people?"


    The man glanced towards the door, then back to Bee, whose smile never wavered. The woman who had been sitting with him in the booth paused to look up at Bee. "...Are you going to get in trouble for helping us?"


    Bee tilted his head. "Whatever do you mean, little miss? My friend only ever said to check and see if anyone was inside this room. He said nothing about what I was supposed to do if I found anyone."


    The woman eventually nodded. "Thank you."


    "Of course." Bee smile softened. "Did you come here alone tonight?"


    "I," the woman shook her head, "no, but the friends I came with were out dancing when your... friends showed up. I have the feeling you aren''t going to be able to help them the same way."


    "I''m afraid not." Bee reached into his coat, pulling out a few dollar bills. He held them out to her. "Call yourself a taxi, little one. I could hardly call myself a gentleman if I let a young woman walk home at night all alone."


    The woman took the money slowly. "Thank you."


    "My pleasure." Bee looked down at the man, then back at the woman, pointedly. "There are far too many vile men in this realm, isn''t there."


    The woman smiled slightly. "Yeah, there are." She squeezed her bag closer, quickly climbing up the stairs.


    Bee smiled up after her as she disappeared from sight, his expression never changing as the ceiling tiles rose up again and returning to their original place.


    The man looked at Bee. "You said you''d help us get away."


    "Curious, I don''t ever remember saying anything of the sort." Bee tapped his chin. "I remember saying it would be a shame if everyone were to die, but I don''t recall saying anything about helping."


    "But you-" The man gestured towards where the stairs had just been. "You just helped them!"


    "I did. But I didn''t say I would." Bee hooked his cane over his arm. "Besides, it''d be too suspicious if the room was entirely empty."


    The man swiveled to face Bee. "If you bring me out there I swear I''ll tell them what you did."


    "Really? You would sentence them all to death, solely because you had to die, too."


    "Yeah. I would."


    Bee hummed, "May I tell you something?"


    "Do I get a choice?"


    "That would be why I asked." Bee crossed his arms, resting his head in one of his hands, a third eye opening underneath his left eye.


    The man hesitated, taking a step away from Bee. "What the hell are you?"


    "I''ll take that as a yes." Bee''s smile stretched a bit too wide, with a few too many teeth that were just a bit too sharp. "I''m not from here, if that wasn''t already obvious." Bee wrapped two arms around the man''s shoulders and grasped the back of his neck with a hand. "My homeland is much different. Our rules are a bit different, and I might be biased, but I believe they''re better."


    "Then why don''t you go home?" The man was leaning away from Bee.


    "In my home, we believe that any entity capable of thought and choice has the right to choose. The right to consent, you might say. Do you want to know what happens to those who ignore this right?"


    "What''s your point?"


    Bee''s grip on the back of the man''s neck tightened and his smile faded. "I saw where you ran from when you attacked me, boy. I could hear that girl''s soul even before I walked into this building. You are worth less than the worms hidden within the dirt."


    The shadows around the room opened their eyes as Bee''s jaw unhinged and swung apart in two separate pieces. Two barbed mandibles tore through his throat and out of his mouth, grabbing the man''s face. Dark green-blue veins spread down the man''s throat as he convulsed and when Bee let go of the man, chunks of his flesh and his lower jaw tore away, caught in Bee''s mandibles.


    The shadows at Bee''s feet lapped at the man''s body as his flesh seemed to melt from his bones and Bee pulled the man''s jaw out of his mandibles. His mandibles retracted back into his throat, his jaw snapping back together and he pulled a handkerchief from his coat, dabbing away the blood on his face.


    He held the man''s jawbone out in the light, turning it around in his hand. He dropped the jaw to the ground, with the rest of the man''s bones, now completely clean of flesh. The shadows had returned to normal.


    Bee walked over to the bar, taking a bottle off the top shelf and a glass. He poured himself a drink, just as War came into the room.


    "Beelzebub!"


    Bee sipped his drink, smiling. "Yes, sir?"


    "What the fuck are you doing?"


    "I checked the room, there was only one person here." He gestured to the pile of bones on the floor. "Did you need something else?"


    "Why did it take you so long to check?"


    "I thought you''d want me to be thorough." Bee gestured around. "You''re free to double-check."


    War and Bee stood on opposite sides of the room in silence for a long moment. Bee drank silently, and War glared. Bee set his glass down, his smile never wavering even as the lights flickered and the shadows behind War writhed and reached towards War without ever actually reaching him.


    "That''ll be fine. Just stop sitting on your ass."


    Bee tittered, "Whatever else would I sit on, dear?"


    War rolled his eyes with a scoff as he left the room, and Bee followed. Behind them, spindly limbs curled around the bones on the floor, pulling them into the shadows.


    Characters:


    Bee:


    8''7", 200lbs. A gaunt Caucasian man with short white-blonde hair and unnaturally green eyes. Those fuckers are radioactive. He definitely only has two arms. Humans only have two arms. Why would he, a very human human, have more than two? Bee likes to skirt the very edge of the uncanny valley. His fashion is luxurious and expensive, but eccentric. Similar color scheme of an Orchard Orbweaver.


    War:


    6''2", 250lbs. A burly Caucasian man dressed kinda like if you made a spartan warrior a bit more cyberpunk. Red, black, and gold color scheme. His entire head is hidden under a helmet. Has four arms, with one set under the other.

 1.6 - Im in the wrong realm and I think everyone can tell.

    Abe stood in front of Cobwebs and Curiosities, an antique store with smoky windows and crowded displays. The open sign in the window was only half lit, and the lights were out.


    Abe pushed the door slowly, peeking inside. He stepped inside, calling into the store. "Hello?"


    "We''re open!" A voice called from through a doorway covered by a curtain with a sign above it that read ''EMPLOYEES''. "Plugged in a lamp that just came in and it tripped the breaker."


    The lights flicked back on with a dim, puttering flicker, and suddenly the rest of the store was visible.


    Glass cases were filled to the brim with every kind of bit and bauble. Shelves reaching to the ceiling were full of so many books and boxes that they looked only a moment from caving under the weight. Every flat surface was covered in anything ranging from jars of sea glass to old books and porcelain dolls.


    An old woman with short orange and gold hair walked out of the back of the room, pushing the curtain aside. "Good mornin'', welcome to Cobwebs and Curiosities." The woman finally looked at Abe, stopping to look him up and down. "...Ain''t you a big fella."


    She stuck her hands in her pockets. "You just browsin'' or can I help you look for somethin''?"


    Abe glanced around momentarily before shaking his head. "I was told you might be interested in something I was trying to sell."


    "Depends on what you''re sellin''."


    "A ring." Abe twisted one of his rings off, holding it out to the woman. "It''s three quarters gold, with real rubies. One of a kind."


    "That''s a bold claim, hon." Mai took it, "There''s a whole lot of rings out there." She turned the ring over in her hand, squinting. "Suppose it looks worth somethin''." She turned, walking back towards the curtained doorway. She gestured for him to follow. "What''s your name, kid?"


    "Abe." He carefully slipped between two glass cases, catching a doll before it fell to the floor.


    "Biblical." Mai led Abe into a cozy living area covered in even more trinkets and antiques. "I''m Mai." She pulled a stool in front of a coffee table cluttered with tools, magazines, and old newspaper. She gestured to a green couch with a crocheted blanket draped over the back of it. A cat was curled up in the corner of the couch, sleeping. "Sit down."


    Abe carefully moved around the coffee table, and held both arms of the couch as he sat down, careful to avoid the cat. He rested his arms on his knees. "...Your home is nice."


    "Thanks." Mai chuckled, grabbing a pair of glasses and putting them on. She pulled a tall lamp a bit closer to her, adjusted the neck to point towards her and the table. She turned her head over her shoulder, shouting through a separate doorway leading into a small kitchen. "We''re gonna need an extra cup of tea!"


    "Do we have a guest?" A voice called from the kitchen. "How do they like their tea prepared."


    Mai looked at Abe, who shrugged. "I like it sweet?"


    Mai turned back towards the kitchen. "He likes it sweet!"


    "Alright! I''ll be out in a moment."


    Mai nodded to herself, flicking the lamp on and grabbing a magnifying lens from the table. She clipped it to her glasses, lifting the ring again to study it. "How much are you looking for this?"


    "As much as you can offer."


    Mai looked around the ring at him. "...That desperate?"


    Abe intertwined his fingers with a grimace. "My trip here was... unplanned. I need funds to last me until I can get back home."


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    Mai lowered her arm, pushing her glasses up onto her head. She leaned forward, glancing back to the kitchen before whispering. "...Are you safe? Do you need help?"


    "I..." Abe tilted his head, unsure how to react. "no, I''m okay. I''m safe, I just need a place to stay for a while."


    Mai eventually nodded. "I assume you''ll need actual cash then."


    "If that''s alright."


    "I can do cash, but you''ll have to wait for me to go to the bank. It''s just two blocks from here." Mai pulled her glasses back over her eyes. "And you''re sure you''re safe?"


    "I am."


    "Positive? Marge and I might not be able to help much, but we can take you to the police. Or we could call around, if they aren''t an option."


    "I''m okay." Abe smiled. "I... appreciate your concern, but I assure you it is unnecessary."


    Mai nodded, "Suppose I should''ve figured." She returned to studying the ring. "...These look like Old Nordic runes." She frowned. "Where''d you get this?"


    Abe was quiet for a moment, leaning back in his seat. "It''s an heirloom."


    Mai nodded absently, calling out. "Hey, Marge!"


    The voice from the kitchen answered. "Yes, dear?"


    "I want you to come look at something!"


    In a moment, Marge, another older woman, with a mess of curly silver hair walked into the room and towards Mai and Abe. She held three handmade mugs with steam coiling up from them. She looked at Abe with a smile. "Hello, darling." She offered him a mug, "I hope you''ve had a lovely morning."


    "Thank you." Abe took it, gesturing outwards with a dip of his head, "You, as well."


    Mai handed Marge the ring as she took the mug offered to her. "How old would you say this is?"


    "Let me see." Margaret sat down, taking the ring and holding it up towards the light. She tilted her head, eventually handing it back to Mai. "Taking the runes inscribed on it, I''d argue a few centuries, at the very least. Possible over a millennia."


    "You think those are genuine Old Nordic?"


    "Oh, yes. They appear to be old binding wards. To prevent theft. They''re in excellent condition, as well."


    "...Can we even buy that?"


    "Probably. Unless they were bound to bloodline, these wards are long inactive. But even if they weren''t." Margaret shrugged. "He''s giving them up willingly, so they would just get bound to us instead." She leaned down to look at the ring. "It''s in excellent condition."


    "Huh."


    Marge looked at Abe. "Why are you selling your ring?"


    "I need money." Abe shrugged, "One ring won''t go amiss."


    "They''re incredibly beautiful."


    "Thank you."


    Mai looked at Abe. "Have you tried selling these to a jeweler?"


    "I have. They all said it wasn''t something they''d be able to sell to their typical clients."


    "I can see why. It''s a hefty ring." Mai set the ring down, pulling off her glasses. "Are you sure you want to sell this? You were wearing it earlier."


    "I don''t mind parting with it."


    Mai nodded, "I''ll give you five grand. I''ll need to go to the bank to get the money, but if you''re willing to wait, I can get it to you today."


    "How long would it take you to get the money?"


    "Probably about an hour, if it''s not too busy."


    Abe was quiet for a moment. "Is... five grand enough for an inn and food?"


    "An inn?" Mai looked perturbed for a moment. "Like a hotel or somethin''? Who the hell¡ª" She stopped, raising her hands. "Really, it just depends on where you wanna stay. Hotels can get pretty pricy, but motels are normally pretty cheap. And it''ll definitely be enough for food."


    "Then I''ll wait."


    Mai nodded, standing up, "You''re welcome to stay here, or you can come back later today, if you got places to be."


    Margaret perked up. "I can make lunch! And we got some macarons from a friend just the other day. There''s far too many for the two of us to eat."


    Mai nodded. "Got some of that stew I made with the venison Leo gave us in the fridge."


    "You don''t have to." Abe started, but Marge was already heading back to the kitchen with a cheerful buzz.


    "Just accept it." Mai grabbed a coat draped over the arm of the empty arm chair. "Marge likes playing hostess. Don''t disappoint her or she''ll get pouty."

 1.7 - I bring the razzle dazzle in peoples lives whether theyd like to admit it or not.

    Abe sat on a bench at a bus stop. The street around him was swarming with people, but nobody else waiting for the bus sat on the bench with him. They instead opted to stand a few feet away. A woman approached the bus stop, pulling her young son to stand at her other side, further from Abe. The boy peeked around his mother''s arm, watching Abe with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.


    Abe noticed the boy, lifting his hand slightly in greeting. The boy turned away quickly, stepping closer to his mother. Abe just leaned against the bench, resting his arm across the back of it and putting his head in his hand.


    "Hello, mister."


    Abe turned, dropping his hand to look at Anatase, who was behind the bench. She was standing on her toes, holding the back of the bench for balance. In one hand, she held a stuffed purple crab with spikes on the edges of its shell and a skull patch.


    She smiled at him, a wide grin that would have been more tooth, had she not been missing two of her baby teeth. "Can I sit with you?"


    "...Sure." Abe shifted, pulling one foot up onto his knee.


    "Thank you! Hold Rangoon for a second." She dropped her crab in his lap and stood up on the back of the bench. She held the back of the back of the bench as she stepped over. Abe held one hand out as she wobbled, but dropped it again as she plopped down next to him.


    She grabbed the crab again and stuck out her hand. "My name is Anatase, but everybody calls me Ana. What''s your name?"


    Abe arched an eyebrow, shaking her hand. "Abaddon. But you can call me Abe."


    "Abaddon''s the name of an angel in the bible. My grandma told me so. He''s the one who killed all the babies in Egypt."


    "Really?"


    Anatase nodded, "Don''t worry, I know you''re not him. Daddy said angels look really freaky, and you don''t look freaky."


    Abe chuckled, nodding. "Thank you."


    "Can I see your rings? They''re very pretty."


    "Sure, kid." He held one of his hands out and Anatase grabbed it with both hands.


    "Wow." Anatase lifted his hand. "Your hand is bigger than my entire head." She lowered it. "You''re really big. Do you have trouble fitting through doors sometimes?"


    "...Sometimes, yeah."


    "My T¨¢ta has the same problem sometimes. He''s tall enough that sometimes doors are too short. It''s kinda funny." She looked up at Abe. "Your rings are really big. They''d probably hurt if you hit someone with them on."


    "...Probably. But doing that would warp them over time."


    "Warp?" Anatase frowned. "What''s that mean?"


    "It''s, like," Abe tilted his head, scratching his head with his free hand. "bending them? If I hit someone with my rings on it would start to squish them into an oval instead of a circle."


    "How? Metal is stronger than people?"


    "Some metals are. But my rings have a lot of gold, and gold is a softer metal. You can bend it easier than other metals."


    "Oh." Anatase looked back down at his rings. "Did it hurt to get your ears pierced? I wanna pierce my ears but I haven''t asked Daddy or T¨¢ta yet because I''m scared it''ll hurt."


    "It only hurts for a moment. Feels sorta like a pinch."


    Anatase''s eyebrows furrowed together. "Like shots at the doctor?"


    "...Sure. Probably."


    Anatase nodded to herself. "I wanna wear fun earrings like my cousin. She has a pair of earrings that look like sharks biting her ears. I want ones like that. But with crabs."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "You like crabs?"


    Anatase nodded enthusiastically. "They''re my favorite arachnids. I want a pet crab one day. But Daddy says I have to be old enough to take care of it by myself since he doesn''t like arachnids." She tilted her head. "Does your nose piercing go through the bone?"


    "...No."


    "Okay. Can I see your other rings?"


    Abe pulled his first hand back, turning slightly to offer his other hand.


    "Even though you can''t hit people with them, they still look cool."


    "Thank you."


    Ana looked at him. "Are you a mafia boss?"


    "Am I..." Abe spoke slowly, "a what?"


    "A mafia boss."


    "What is that?"


    "Like a boss bad guy. You look like one."


    Abe glanced towards the other people at the bus stop, some of which were watching him. "...How do I look like one?"


    "Because you''re scary looking. And you wear nice clothes and jewelry."


    "Ah, alright." Abe nodded slowly. "I''m not a mafia boss."


    "I kinda figured. A mafia boss wouldn''t need to take the bus."


    Abe looked around the bus stop again. "Where are your parents, Ana?"


    "They''re by the big tree." Anatase pointed without looking. "I told them that my feet hurt and so I was gonna sit on the bench."


    "They aren''t worried about you getting lost?"


    "Not really." Anatase pulled a necklace out from under her dress. "T¨¢ta made me this so that they can always find me. Also Daddy said that if someone tries to take me, that I should scream fire because people will look if they think there''s a fire."


    "...But they''re aware that you''re over here?"


    "Yup! T¨¢ta is calling my aunt because we''re supposed to pick up my cousin from the airport. I''m coming because it''s my job to ask him to come to dinner with us." Anatase frowned. "I don''t know why they don''t ask him, maybe they''re too scared to ask themselves. Grownups are scared of a lotta weird stuff. Like taxes."


    Abe nodded. "Your parents sound like good people."


    "They are. But they''re not my real parents. I was adopted because my parents gave me up. Daddy tells me that my real parents loved me, but that they couldn''t give me the care I needed, but I don''t know if I believe him. But I like Daddy and T¨¢ta. They''re nice and they''re both witches. T¨¢ta says he''ll teach me magic when I get older." Anatase looked up at Abe. "Are you a witch, too?"


    "...Kinda."


    "What can you do? T¨¢ta is a runecaster and Daddy can make moving tattoos."


    Abe hummed, tilting his head as he tried to look through the crowds on the sidewalk. "I can move the earth, and burn things."


    "Jackie can burn things."


    "...Jackie?"


    "My cousins'' friend. He''s nice. He watches me for my dads sometimes and does my hair." Anatase tapped one of Abe''s rings. "I like this one. It reminds me of the eye trees."


    "Do you want it?"


    Anatase looked at him with wide eyes. "I can have it? Like keep it?"


    "Yeah." Abe pulled his hand back, pulling off his ring. "I can just make another when I go back home."


    "You make your rings? Do you make all your jewelry?" Anatase pulled her legs up and turned to face Abe completely. "How did you make them? How long does it take? Do you make them for other people, too?"


    Abe laughed, "I make them with magic. I can melt the metal and make it take the shape I want. I made everything I wear. I do make them for other people, sometimes." He held the ring out to her.


    Anatase took it, almost reverently, her voice hushed. "Wow."


    "It''s a little big though."


    "I don''t care! I like looking at it. ''sides, Rangoon can wear it."


    "...your crab?"


    "My crab." Anatase squished one of the crab''s claws through the ring, using both of her thumbs to shove it through. She spoke through gritted teeth. "See?" She held the crab up with the ring now hanging off its arm. "Tada! Now he''s bedazzled."


    "Sure is."


    From further down the street(by the tree), someone called for Anatase. She perked up, looking around Abe.


    "Ana! It''s time to go!"


    Anatase jumped off the bench, "That''s T¨¢ta, I gotta go." She waved at Abe as she ran off. "G''bye, Abe!"


    Abe waved back silently.


    Characters:


    Anatase:


    4''1", 60lbs. A young African American girl with dark hair and missing a few of her baby teeth. Always has a stuffed crab with dull metal spikes and a skull patch to cover a hole. Has no sense of stranger danger. Fashion tends to consist of glitter and bright colors, with a small faux-leather jacket with various patches on it and light up sneakers.

 1.8 - Im fine: (phr.) Not dead, still alive.

    Ourias split away from the passengers filing out of the plain as soon as he could, stopping in an empty area by a wall of windows. He visibly deflated, leaning against a column with a heavy sigh.


    He let his bag fall off his shoulder and knelt down to open his bag. He pulled out his phone and turned it on, watching the screen light up.


    As the phone started, he looked up at one of the TVs hanging in the waiting area. It was playing a news station, with a man and woman sat side by side at a table.


    "Good evening, Stonebridge!" The woman started speaking first. "I am Isabella Bobbit-"


    "And I''m Adrian Dyer-" The man said.


    "And we''re here with you now on Celestial News Network with breaking news-"


    "And breaking in more ways than one." Adrian leaned forward, with one arm resting on the table. "Just two nights ago there was yet another demon summoning. The third one in within city limits just this month."


    "Harper Bennett, an aspiring medical student, was found at the scene late Wednesday night by city officials, covered in her own blood. She has no memory of the incident itself, but the officers at the scene say that they believe she was meant to be the sacrifice to the demon. They also said she had disappeared a week previous, supposedly having been kidnapped by our attempted summoners."


    "Fortunately for Harper, the summoning failed." Adrian said. "She''s truly a lucky girl. Doctors say she is due for a speedy recovery." He laughed, "Though the summoners were not so lucky."


    "They were not lucky indeed." Isabella stated. "Every single one of them was found dead at the scene, all of them being crushed or torn apart."


    "That''s just what happens when you try to summon a demon." Adrian gestured towards the camera. "State officials have come forward with a statement, reminding people of how dangerous these monsters are and imploring citizens to come forward if they believe someone is planning to attempt summoning one."


    "A message, no doubt, Chief Benjamin Campbell will support during his press conference tomorrow evening." Isabella clasped her hands together. "We ask everyone to keep a watchful eye out there, and remember to always travel with friends after dark as rates of criminal magical practice continue to rise. Your safety is important."


    "In other news, there was another attack last night," Adrian leaned back again. "There was another shooting last night, this one taking place in a night club on Marign Boulevard. Survivors found inside the building report a man leading the attack that matches the description of the last four attacks-"


    Ourias stood up when his phone turned on, hiding the screen. He scrolled through dozens of missed phone calls and unanswered messages, all from unknown numbers.


    He ignored them, tossing his bag back over his shoulder. Another call came through his phone, this one from Mateo.


    He answered it, holding the phone up to his ear. "Hey. Are you and Theo Zach here?"


    Ourias walked further into the airport. "Yeah, I just got off the plane. I''m going to head towards baggage claim."


    Ourias laughed, pulling the phone away from his ear slightly. "Yeah, I''ll meet you there. Thank you, Mateo." He paused. "Do you think you could help me change my number again?"


    Ourias smiled weakly with a nod. "Yeah, I think he found it again. I''ll see you in a few minutes."


    He lowered his phone, closing his eyes for a second. He inhaled slowly, pausing only momentarily before exhaling and continuing.


    ----------------


    Zacharius, Mateo, and Anatase were waiting for Ourias by a bench. Anatase was sitting down with Mateo, both of them playing a game on his phone. Zacharius stood next to them, looking over the crowds.


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    Ourias and Zacharius both spotted each other at about the same time, Ourias visibly brightening and waving.


    Zacharius squeezed Mateo''s shoulder, and they exchanged a silent look before Zacharius left them to approach Ourias.


    Zacharius took one of Ourias'' bag. "How was your flight?"


    Ourias grimaced. "Exhausting. I never want to fly again." He attempted a smile. "Yia Yia and Papou told me to tell you they miss you, and that they''re upset that you haven''t brought Anatase to meet them yet."


    Zacharius shook his head. "We already have a trip planned for this summer. They don''t understand that we can''t just take Anatase out of school."


    When Zacharius and Ourias got closer to Mateo and Anatase, she glanced up and grinned. "Ourias!" She jumped off the bench, running over to him. She waved Rangoon over her head. "Look at Rangoon! Daddy fixed him with a patch!"


    "Wow!" Ourias crouched down, "He did a really good job."


    Anatase nodded, holding him out, "He has jewelry now, too. It''s a bracelet on him, but it''s actually a ring from a giant man I met. He was really nice." Anatase hugged Rangoon to her chest. "And he makes all his jewelry by himself."


    "Seems like a cool friend."


    "He was super cool!" Anatase smiled. "Do you wanna have dinner with us? T¨¢ta and Daddy already said you could." Anatase squeezed Rangoon as she leaned closer. "Please? I wanna tell you about the science project I made with Daddy for school and show you the snowman I made in art and I made you a bracelet, but I left it in my room before school and I didn''t have a chance to get it before we came here."


    Ourias grimaced, but when Anatase stared at him with big eyes he looked away with a sigh. "Okay."


    "Yes!" Anatase through her fists up with a shout. She turned around as Mateo approached, beaming proudly. "He said yes."


    Mateo rubbed her head with a smile. "Good job."


    "Can I get extra dessert?"


    "I''ll look into it."


    "Yess." Anatase skipped over to stand next to Ourias. "Can I ride on your back on the way to the car?"


    "I just came back home and the first thing you want is a piggyback ride?"


    "I did invite you to dinner first." Anatase shrugged. "But if you got too fat and lazy on vacation and you can''t carry me anymore, that''s okay. I am a big kid now, so I am heavier."


    Ourias'' eyes narrowed his eyes, grabbing his hood and pulling it over his head. "Just to the car. And you gotta hold on." He set his bag down and crouched down.


    Anatase clambered onto his back and Ourias stood up.


    Ourias glanced back towards her, "Make sure to hold onto Rangoon."


    "Aye, aye!" Anatase adjusted her grip on Rangoon, almost smacking Ourias in the face with it.


    "Jesus!" Ourias laughed, "You''re gonna take out my eye." He followed Zacharius and Mateo through the parking lot. "Why don''t you tell me more about your new friend. When did you meet him?"


    "I met him at a bus stop before we drove here. He was enormous, like a real life giant!" Anatase gasped, patting Ourias'' shoulder "Oh, I can draw a picture to show you how big he was! And he wore a suit like those bad guys in movies. And he had little braids in his hair with pretty beads and jewels in them."


    Anatase''s face scrunched. "I don''t know how he put them in his hair. His hands were bigger than my head. Maybe even bigger than your head."


    "That big?" Ourias glanced at her with a quiet laugh. "Maybe he had help?"


    "Maybe." Anatase seemed to contemplate this. "He must''ve." She shrugged. "They were pretty. I want my braids to look like that. Do you think Jackie knows how to do that?"


    "Probably. I can ask when I get home and I''ll let you know."


    They reached the doors leading out of the airport, and Zacharius held the doors open for Ourias and Anatase.


    "You promise?"


    "Yeah. I''ll ask."


    The door swung shut behind them.


    Characters:


    Zacharius:


    6''5", 240lbs. A broad-shouldered greek man with chin-length graying hair and forever stubble. Has a raven tattooed across his chest(generally hidden by his clothes). Wears a ton of diamond jewelry. Fashion is somewhere between formal and semi-formal, with occasion smart casual during his ''lazy'' days.


    Mateo:


    5''8", 140lbs. A white man built like a twink(I mean this in the most endearing way possible) with short bleached hair styled in something similar to a mullet and autopsy scars. He has many tattoos, including a snake around his upper arm with floral patterns, bird silhouettes across his collarbone, snowdrop-like skull flowers on his inner forearm, the solar system along his back that spin in place, and a clock on his inner wrist that tells the time. I believe that his fashion is best described as ''retired punk''.

 1.9 - Now pet friendly! Except for bears, were not making that mistake again.

    The Whispering Pines Lodge was a small motel sitting across the street from a few convenience stores and a laundry mat. The parking lot was both small and nearly empty. Most of the windows in the motel were dark, with the only exceptions being the windows to the small front lobby, and a single room.


    Abe was in this room, sitting on the edge of the bed, next to a small nightstand and a lamp. His blazer was draped over the bed next to him, and his sleeves were rolled up to expose a pair of shackles. A loose chain link still hung from one of them. Resting on one of his knees was a small notepad with the motel''s name on it, and a pen.


    He held one of his wrists up in the light of the bedside lamp, squinting at the shackle. His clenched his fist, his flesh darkening and his veins running gold. The shackle steamed and runes appeared in a sickly light against the shackle.


    Abe shifted the notepad on his knee, and, between glancing at the shackle and the notepad, began drawing the runes on the notepad. He twisted his wrist around to get a better look at them.


    There was a sharp knock at the door and Abe immediately stopped and turned only his head to look at the door. He watched the door, never looking away as he set the notepad and pen down. He started to stand slowly, his eyes narrowing.


    Then, again. The same rapping at the door.


    Abe looked around the room, slowly approaching the door. On his way to the door, he picked up a folding metal luggage rack that was propped up against the wall next to the TV. He tested the weight in his hand, tilting his head for a moment before the knocking came again.


    Abe reached the door, slipping the chain lock off the door before cracking it open, holding the luggage rack out of sight.


    As soon as the door was open, Bee leaned forward, grinning at Abe. "Good evening, glowbug."


    Abe jumped away from the door with an unintelligible curse, throwing the luggage rack on the floor as he turned away from the door. He walked further into the room, pinching the bridge of his nose and baring his teeth.


    Bee pushed the door open further with his cane, leaning inside. "Am I allowed to come in?"


    Abe waved his hand with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."


    "Thank you."


    "How''d you do that?"


    "How did I do what?" Bee shut the door behind him with his cane before perusing the room.


    "The whole..." Abe gestured. "Hiding your soul thing. I couldn''t tell it was you at the door."


    "Oh!" Bee laughed. "I''m not hiding my soul, glowbug. That would take up far too much aether to do that." He opened one of the desk drawers, pulling out the bible inside. "I''m merely puppeteering my body from afar."


    "...Why?"


    "I thought it''d be funny to startle you." Bee grinned, before flipping through the bible. "It was quite amusing." He dropped the book onto the desk. "But it is quite handy to avoid being detected by psychics."


    "I thought those were rare in this realm."


    "They are." Bee walked across the room, picking the pen up off the bed. "Though they are far more common than when you were first created. One in a hundred thousand or so, rather than one in a million." He picked up the notepad, looking at the runes. "But they''re usually genetic, so they come in whole swarms. It''s quite a hassle trying to avoid them all, so I just keep my soul far, far away from them." Bee poked Abe''s nose with the end of the pen. "If you visited the mortal realm more often you would know that."


    Abe shifted uncomfortable. "...Do I need to be worried about a psychic finding me out?"


    Bee blinked once, then snickered. "Oh, hardly," he waved his hand with a chuckle, "I wouldn''t be surprised if one of two were somewhere in the city, but it''s a big place and the chances that they find you and they''re strong enough to recognize what you are are impossibly slim." He shook his head. "No, you only have something to worry about if you plan to visit more often."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "And judging on your choice of lodging..." Bee straightened, watching a bug crawl up the wall. He uncapped the pen, stabbing the bug with it. He held the pen up, looking at the bug and wrinkling his nose. "I believe that isn''t the case."


    "Coming here wasn''t really a choice, either. Was in the middle of eating when they snatched me."


    Bee rolled his eyes. "For being so clever, humans will always seem to be so incredibly stupid." He went back to the desk, grabbing the chair and turning it around to face the bed. He sat down, propping his cane against the arm of the chair and crossing his legs. "The park, I presume?"


    "Yeah."


    "And what about the girl? I assume you turned her. Most mortals wouldn''t have survived being sacrificed."


    "I''m suppressing the transformation as well as I can, but it won''t last forever. I want to help but..." Abe shrugged, rubbing his neck, "she was spooked pretty bad when she saw me."


    "Well, you aren''t really the most approachable person, glowbug. You''re stature is rather imposing and your face isn''t very.... friendly."


    "I sold one of my rings to a pair of human women. One of them told me that I had-" Abe made air quotes. "Resting Bitch Face."


    "She''s not wrong." Bee rested his chin on top of his interwoven fingers. "But, to give you fair credit, the girl did lie for you. So she is at the very least grateful for you saving her life."


    "Or too scared of what I''d do if she told the truth." Abe grimaced, "And saving her won''t mean anything if she gets killed again."


    Bee sighed, straightening again. "Abaddon, dear, I will make sure she''s alright, you have my word. If she won''t speak to me, I have more than a few of my own halflings in the city to help show her the ropes and some human correspondents that can help her if she needs to hide."


    He stood, "This is your first trip to the mortal realm since your creation. Regardless of if it was by choice, I''d be an awful friend if I didn''t try to help make it at least a tolerable one."


    "...Thanks." Abe sighed.


    "Of course." Bee pushed the chair in front of Abe before sitting down again. "Now. As much as I love seeing your grumpy face." He leaned back in the chair and pressed his fingers together in front of him. "Why exactly haven''t you left already?"


    "I can''t." Abe lifted his arms to show his shackles. "I assume it''s these. There are runes that appear whenever I try to break them off."


    "These ones?" Bee raised the notepad.


    "Yeah. Do you know what the runes mean?"


    "I can''t say I do. They''re mortal runes, and humanity has used thousands of different runes throughout their existence. If I had to take a gander, they might be Old Latin. If they were made to contain a being as strong as ourselves, it was probably made by a Christian denomination. And they used Old Latin runes back in the day."


    Bee shrugged. "But I could be wrong. They''re not the only group that''s hunted us. They''re just one of the bigger groups. And the most aggressive. These runes are most certainly old, though."


    Bee held up the notepad, "Is it alright if I hold onto this? I can see if I can find someone who knows something."


    "Yeah, sure." Abe chuckled, "You''ve got a better shot at finding someone than I do."


    "Wonderful. I''d like to tell you it won''t take long, but it very well might." Bee said. "But I''m certain we''ll figure something out."


    "So what do I do until then?"


    "Well, I''d start with finding a job, dear. And a real place to stay."


    Abe glanced around the motel room. "Why can''t I just stay here?"


    Bee sighed. "For one, glowbug, this place is deplorable. It is absolutely dingy and quite cramped. But also places like this aren''t really meant for long term residence. Besides," Bee gestured around the room, "There''s no kitchen in here, and you love to cook."


    "I can cook when I get home."


    "Abaddon, please," Bee pressed his hands together. "I implore you. You are a noble. You don''t belong in a place like this. It doesn''t have to be fancy. There are plenty of quaint little apartments all over the city." Bee leaned forward and held one of Abe''s hands(kinda like a judgy mother). "Anything is better than this."


    "...I''ll look around."


    "Thank you, dear. I promise it will be worth it. And if you really can''t find any place to stay, let me know. I can pull some strings."


    "I''ll be alright."


    "I know you will." Bee straightened, letting go of Abe''s hand.


    Abe huffed, resting his arm on his knee. "What''re you doing here, anyway? Your timing''s awfully convenient."


    "Oh?" Bee put a hand to his chest. "Am I not allowed to visit my dearest friend?"


    "...You are. But you popped up only days I was summoned. Which is...fast, considering the size of the mortal world and our current size."


    "That is an excellent point, dear." Bee sighed. "Truth is, I was already here. I have a contract with the most imbecilic man. Honestly, he makes our late friend Amdusias look genius."


    Abe laughed, hitting his knee with his fist. "How did that even happen?"


    "It''s quite honestly an excruciatingly long story and I don''t care to tell it. But just know that I am counting down the days until this boy''s own idiocy gets him killed. And when that happens," he sighed with a smile. "oh, it will be a glorious sight to behold."


    "That bad?"


    "Dear, you don''t understand. I have never met a mortal so confident and yet so utterly stupid. He is moronic. He''s a strong fellow in his own right, but it is all brawn and absolutely no brain. Seriously.It was amusing at first, but it is quickly becoming nothing but a nuisance."


    "Tell me about it."


    "Oh, I most certainly will-"

 1.10 - Yall be like "listen to the voice in your head" bro, that mf wants me to choke people.

    Inside the Lucky Lilac Cafe was cozy and quaint. The decor was pastel, and various plants hung from the ceiling or sat in front of the windows. There were two registers. Jackie stood at one of them, and at the other was a young girl with pink hair and a name-tag that read Cherry. Work was slow, with only one customer ordering, and two waiting at the counter.


    Skyler was behind them, making drinks as she nodded her head along with her own music from her headphones. She spun around on her heels, setting a drink on the counter. "Order for Barry!" She turned back to keep making drinks.


    A customer ducked inside, glancing out the door as they did. They approached the counter, almost hesitantly. "Hey..."


    Cherry smiled. "Hi, how can we help you today?"


    The customer smiled. "I just want a regular coffee, but I thought you might want to know that, well, there was a man here the last time I was here, and he was kind of... rude. And I saw him coming down the street."


    Cherry glanced towards Jackie and then to Skyler. "Big and muscly? Sorta dirty blond?"


    The customer nodded. "I don''t know if he''s coming here, but I... thought you should know?" They shrugged. "Just in case."


    "No, I''m glad you did. Thank you." Cherry turned, tapping her fingers against the counter. "Hey, Skyler?"


    Skyler didn''t immediately respond, but she paused when she turned and spotted Cherry looking at her. She pulled one side of her headphones away from her ear. "You good?"


    Cherry bit her lip, gesturing towards the customer. "They saw Darren outside. Heading maybe here?"


    "Do you want me to take over the register just in case?"


    Cherry closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah... I''m sorry, I just-" She shook her head. "Sorry."


    "Aw, it''s no biggie." Skyler shooed Cherry away from the register, smiling at the customer. "What can I get for you, today?"


    "Just a regular coffee."


    "Solid choice." Skyler tapped the screen, "What''s the name for the order?"


    "Alex."


    "Alright, Alex, is it just coffee today?"


    "Yeah."


    "Cool. Your total is five o'' two. Cash or card?"


    "Card." The customer pulled out their wallet, fishing out their card as the bell above the door jingled.


    Skyler glanced around the customer, then towards Jackie, whose customer had already moved to a table to wait for their drink. She reached over, snagging the sleeve of his cardigan and pulling him away from the register.


    Jackie didn''t resist, smiling at the customer after they paid. "Do you want your receipt?"


    The customer paused before nodding. "Yes, please." Behind them, a figure stopped.


    Jackie handed them their receipt. "You can sit anywhere you''d like and we''ll call you when your order is ready."


    The customer nodded, scurrying away with their head ducked.


    Jackie looked up at Darren who had been standing behind the customer, quiet.


    Darren smiled. "Hey, Jackie, it''s been a while since we chatted."


    "Yup." Jackie smiled, taking a step back from the register. "Hey, Cherry," he turned away from Darren. "I''m gonna help you with those drinks."


    Darren''s smile faded, and Skyler slowly slid in front of the register with a wide grin. "Welcome to the Lucky Lilac Cafe, how can I help you today, Darren?"


    Darren sighed. "I really don''t want to do this right now."


    "Then leave." Skyler''s smile never faded. "The door''s behind you."


    "Or you could just let me talk to him."


    "Absolutely not."


    "Look, just-" Darren pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can stay inside the cafe. We''ll just sit in a corner booth and can watch us from here. I just want to talk."


    "About what? He broke up with you. It''s over."


    "This is just a misunderstanding." Darren laughed. "You know I would never hurt him."


    Skyler leaned forward, speaking in a sing-song voice. "No." She laughed, clapping her hands. "Can I help you with anything else today? Our specials this week are our blossom bliss latte and citrus zest scones."


    "I don''t want-" Darren started to shout, but stopped, shaking his head. "I''m not the villain here."


    "Pretty sure I said no." Skyler tapped her chin, "Maybe I wasn''t clear enough?" She started counting on her fingers. "No, nope, nu-uh, no way, never. Not happening." She made robot motions. "Negatory, voltron."


    "Skyler, you know how dramatic Ourias gets. Just let me see him and we''ll clear everything up."


    "Dramatic." Skyler blinked, "Dramatic? That''s what we''re going with today?" She shook her head with a laugh. "Nah, I don''t think so."


    "Please, Skyler."


    "Diddly-darn, ''fraid I can''t do that, pardner."


    Darren dropped his hands against the counter with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, Skyler, we used to be friends."


    Skyler''s laugh sounded like a bark. "That''s hilarious. I didn''t know you were a comedian" She shook her head. "Absolutely not. You''re whole vibe gives ''micro-dick'' energy. And I," She gestured to herself. "am very much gay. A 100% genuine titty-lover. An admirer of women. A lesbian." She leaned forward. "I would never even associate myself with a dick."


    "Why do you insist on insulting me every time I come in here? I''m just trying to have a conversation."


    "Because it''s funny. And you make it so easy." Skyler shrugged. "Also the cops won''t do anything unless you''re actually breaking shit or trying to assault someone. So I''m hoping to speed up the process a bit, y''know, so those of us with real jobs can go back to doing them."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "If you really want to go back to work that badly, just let me talk to Ourias. You could go back to work. You''re literally the only one being difficult right now."


    "Oh my god." Skyler swung her arms out in exasperation. "He doesn''t want to see you! And he isn''t even working today. So even if he did want to talk to you- which he doesn''t- he couldn''t." Skyler rested a hand on her hip and made a shooing motion with her free hand. "Now go. Buh-bye. Have a terrible day, hope you die. See you never."


    "He lives upstairs. I''m not an idiot."


    "He''s not home."


    "Then where is he?"


    "Not home that''s for sure!" Skyler grinned. "And far, far away from you."


    "Why are you like this? I''ve been nothing but nice to you. I didn''t like you much when we met, but I genuinely tried to be nice because you were Ourias'' sister and he cared about you." Darren gestured to her, "Why can''t you do the same? Is it really that hard just to be a decent person?"


    Skyler blinked slowly, deadpanned. "You know..." She tilted her head, squinting at him. "Sometimes I want to spend a day in your head because there are times I just cannot fathom what happens in there, for you to say the things that come out of your mouth." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was civil, when you were with Ourias, because he''s an adult, and is allowed to make his own choices-or mistakes, in this case." Skyler looked pointedly at Darren.


    Skyler leaned over the register, sneering at Darren. "But what you seem to forget is that I am the one who he came to when he ran away from your apartment. I am the one who drove him to the hospital and sat in the waiting room for five goddamn hours after what you did to him."


    "You don''t know what the hell you''re talking about!"


    "He dumped you three fucking months ago!" Skyler raised her voice louder than Darren''s. "Get the fuck over it! Go away and be fucking grateful he didn''t press charges!"


    Darren slammed his hands against the counter. "Shut the hell up!"


    Jackie turned towards them, taking one step forward when Skyler raised one finger towards him. Jackie stepped back again, but still watched.


    Skyler looked at Darren again. "I am not scared of you. You can yell and hit things as much as you want, because I know you won''t touch me."


    "Is that right?" Darren was in her face, hissing between his teeth.


    "Yeah." Skyler nodded. "Because there are other people here. And if you hit me here, I can press charges and I''ve got a dozen witnesses on my side and security footage. You will lose your job and go to jail. And you don''t want that."


    "You sound pretty sure of that."


    "Because I am." Skyler opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped as Abe walked into the cafe.


    "Alright, time to leave. We have customers."


    "I''m not done."


    "I am. Leave."


    He glanced between the empty register, and then to Skyler and Darren. He eventually approached, stopping a few feet away from them, next to a hanging plant. He reached up slowly, nudging one of the vines hanging from the pot curiously.


    Skyler leaned around Darren, shouting with a bright smile. "Hello, sir! Welcome to the Lucky Lilac Cafe!"


    Abe paused, looking at her. "...I don''t mind waiting."


    "Oh, you''re fine." Skyler waved her hand. "We were just finishing up. How can I help you today?"


    Abe glanced at Darren, who was glaring at him. He then stepped forward, putting his hands in his pocket. "I actually had a question-"


    "Do you mind?" Darren interrupted.


    "She asked me a question."


    "And we were in the middle of a conversation."


    Abe looked Darren up and down once before looking at Skyler. "Was I wrong?"


    "Nah, I was talking to you." Skyler said. "You''re all good."


    "Well," Abe gestured to Skyler. "She asked me a question."


    "Cool." Darren took a step towards Abe. "Now you can wait your fucking turn."


    "She said you were done talking."


    "Skyler doesn''t know what she''s talking about."


    Abe looked over Darren''s shoulder to Skyler, who was flipping him off with both hands while his back was turned. Abe looked back at Darren. "Are you certain?"


    "Yeah, I am." Darren shook his head. "Now could you just go mind your own business? This doesn''t involve you."


    Abe chuckled, tilting his head. "She asked me a question."


    "And you can answer it, later."


    "She said you were done." Abe looked at Skyler again. "Unless I''m misunderstanding?"


    Skyler shook her head. "Nope."


    Darren shot a glare at Skyler, who smiled. He stepped up to Abe. "You need to back off."


    Abe raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I haven''t moved."


    "Are you fucking stupid?" Darren scoffed.


    "Might be." Abe shrugged, "Stupid people usually don''t know they''re stupid."


    Skyler laughed sharply and immediately covered her mouth when Darren swiveled to look at her. Abe took a step closer to him while his back was turned.


    Darren looked at him again, immediately taking a step back. "The fuck is your problem! Back off!" He shoved Abe, only to stagger back into the counter when Abe hardly budged.


    Skyler cackled, hitting the counter with her fist. Darren looked at her, then around the rest of the cafe. The few customers who were watching quickly looked away. Cherry, who had been watching over her shoulder while preparing drinks busied herself with the drink she was making, her shoulders trembling.


    Darren eventually looked at Skyler, hissing between bared teeth. "We are not done." He stormed out of the store, an entering customer scrambling out of the way.


    "Yeah, we are." Skyler wiped her eyes, still giggling. She sniffled before looking at Abe. "What was your question?"


    "Your sign in the window said you were hiring."


    "Oh, yeah. There''s a QR code. You can scan it and it''ll bring you to the application online. You''ll download some paperwork and submit it to the website after you''re done."


    "I saw." Abe grimaced, rubbing his neck. "I was wondering if you had paper applications?"


    "We don''t..." Skyler drummed her fingers against the counter. "But I think we could make an exception. If you''re willing to wait."


    "I can wait."


    "Cool. Do you want a drink while you wait? On the house, as a thank you for helping with... him." she gestured vaguely.


    Abe looked up at the menu on the wall. "I....I''m new around here. I don''t know what anything on the menu even means."


    "Do you want me to pick something?"


    "That would be nice."


    "Hell yeah," Skyler looked at the screen. "Do you have any food allergies?"


    "No."


    "What do you like? Sweet, bitter, tangy, earthy?" Skyler gestured.


    "Sweet."


    "Ooh," Skyler put a hand to her chest, "a man after my own heart. Would you prefer something light and refreshing, or something heavier, like, dessert sweet?"


    "Something light."


    "Damn, I like you already," Skyler nodded, "Hot or cold?"


    "Hot, preferably."


    "Alrighty, I''ll try to pick something good and you can let me know what you think."


    "Thank you."


    "Of course" Skyler didn''t look up from the screen. "What''s your name?"


    "Abe."


    "Abe..." Skyler nodded. "You can go sit down if you''d like, I''ll go get your drink started and then go print an application. I''ll call you over when everything is ready."


    "Thank you."


    "No. Thank you. Seriously, I can''t even begin to explain how much shit you stopped us from having to put up with. Just trust me, you are a life saver." She walked through the door to the back of the cafe. "I''ll be right back, Jackie!"


    Jackie held up a thumbs up as he put in a new customer''s order.


    Characters:


    Darren:


    6''2", 250lbs. A muscular white man with short dirty blonde hair and a god complex(not in the fun way either). His fashion is generally very athleisure, most of his shirts are have open sides for more convenient use of his mutation ability. Pretty on the outside, fugly on the inside.

 1.11 - Spoiler Alert: things dont go well.

    Back in Jackie''s apartment, Skyler was sitting upside down on the couch. There was a movie loaded up on the TV, and Skyler absently pat a rhythm against her stomach.


    One of the phones on the coffee table buzzed twice, and Skyler stopped. She twisted onto her side, grabbing the phone, and flipping back onto her back. She looked at the message on the phone, and lifted her arms and head up into the air to peer around them and down the hall.


    "Hey, Jackie?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Are you almost done with the snacks?"


    "It''ll probably be a few more minutes. Did you need something?"


    "Uh..." Skyler glanced at the phone, "yeah. Can you get me a soda? And pretzels?"


    "Sure!"


    "Thank you!" Skyler dropped her head, responding to the message. She held the phone out and held out a peace sign as she snapped a picture. She pulled the phone closer again, grinning.


    Jackie walked in with an armful of snacks and two drinks, stopping in the doorway. He tilted his head. "Is that my phone?"


    Skyler lowered the phone from her face. "Maybe."


    "Who are you texting on my phone?"


    "Erin texted you. I was telling her that we''re watching a movie."


    "Ah." Jackie nodded. "What did she text me for?"


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "She was telling you that she made it to her hotel safely." Skyler picked up the phone, "Lemme take a picture of you and send it to her."


    Jackie shuffled the stuff around in his arms before posing and blowing a kiss to the phone.


    Skyler snorted. "Disgusting."


    "She''ll love it." Jackie walked into the room, dropping the snacks on the counter and plopping down on the couch.


    Skyler gagged, tossing his phone back onto the coffee table and twisting around to sit up. She took her drink from Jackie''s hand. "Y''all are so in love, it''s legitimately disgusting."


    Jackie elbowed Skyler. "You''re just jealous because you don''t have a girlfriend." He pat Skyler''s knee. "You''ll find your soulmate one day."


    Skyler stared at him. "I will kick your ass."


    "Eat your pretzels." Jackie leaned forward and threw the bag into her stomach. He picked up the remote and started the movie before grabbing a bowl of popcorn and getting comfy.


    Skyler opened her bag of pretzels, grumbling to herself.


    About halfway through the movie, Skyler swiveled to face Jackie. "Oh shit! I forgot to tell you that Erin said she was flying in for Valentine''s Day."


    Jackie stared at Skyler for a moment. "Okay..." He nodded slowly. "That''s good. Please don''t suddenly start shouting while we''re watching a horror movie. I nearly vomited."


    Skyler choked back a laugh. "Sorry."


    "You''re really not." Jackie shook his head, rubbing his face with one hand. "...Did she say whether or not she got the days before and after free, too?"


    "She did. She does. She will have to leave really early in the morning on the sixteenth, though, so she can''t stay up late on the fifteenth."


    Jackie nodded. "I can work with that."


    "...Do you have plans? Normally, you just send each other gifts for Valentine''s."


    "I asked her if she could fly in because I wanted to surprise her."


    Skyler sat up, eyeing Jackie. "What''s the surprise?"


    "I''m not telling. I don''t want to jinx it."


    "Oh, well." Skyler shrugged, leaning against the arm of the couch again and looking at the TV screen.

 1.12 - Here we fucking go again. I mean, good morning.

    Ourias'' apartment was small.


    His suitcase was sitting on the floor next to the door, his shoes tossed to the side haphazardly.


    His jacket was tossed across the back of the couch in the living room.


    His bedroom door was open, his shirt hanging over the top of the door.


    Ourias himself lay face down in his bed, with one leg hanging off the bed and still wearing his jeans. He used one of his arms as a pillow, and his phone sat near his head on the bed, not plugged in.


    When Ourias woke up, he didn''t move, but rather stared ahead. He closed his eyes again, only momentarily, just to sigh, before rolling over in bed and opening his eyes again.


    His hands rested against his stomach as he watched the ceiling fan. He mindlessly reached around him until he found his phone, lifting it up above his face.


    It didn''t turn on, and Ourias dropped it onto his chest with another sigh. He looked around the room quietly before eventually sitting up on the edge of the bed.


    Ourias watched his phone clatter to the ground and puffed out a breath. He slipped out of bed to pick up the phone before walking out of the bedroom.


    His first stop was the kitchen.


    Ourias plugged his phone in at the counter before directing his attention to a cabinet. He pulled out a box of coffee pods, and flipped it over with a frown when it was empty. He tossed it into the trashcan next to the sink without glancing over, grabbing the next box.


    He took a mug from the cabinet as well, and started the coffee machine.


    As he put the mug under the machine, he squinted at the clock on the microwave. He sighed (for the third time, now), and left the kitchen while stretching his arms up above his head.


    The bathroom was next. Ourias brushed his teeth and stared up at a spider on the ceiling as he gargled mouthwash. He used his toothbrush cup and the edge of the toothpaste tube to collect the spider, all while balancing between the toilet seat and the sink counter.


    He released the spider out onto the balcony railing before going back inside.


    Ourias grabbed his suitcase next, bringing it to his room and tossing it onto the bed. The clothes in his suitcase joined a pile already next to the closet. He set his bag of toiletries aside and grabbed a plastic bag.


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    He plopped down on the bed before dumping the bag up and sorting through everything inside.


    A handful of smooth river stones went to a jar of other little rocks next to a quartz cluster and a hag stone on a floating shelf.


    A little baggie of petals and leaves was taken and arranged on an altar on his windowsill in the kitchen.


    Another glass bottle was added to a collection sitting on a bookshelf in the living room.


    Ourias collected the last few items back into the bag, setting it aside.


    He went back to the kitchen, picking up his coffee. He sipped from the mug as he pulled out a coaster inscribed with runes. He set his coffee down on the coaster and walked out of the kitchen. A notification lit up his phone, joining the many that were already there.


    Ourias showered, shaved, and loaded an armful of clothes into the washing machine with a towel over his head. Drying his hair with one hand, he walked back to the kitchen and grabbed his phone.


    Steam still rose from his coffee mug.


    Ourias skimmed through the notifications on his phone, blocking a few numbers as he hopped onto the counter. His towel fell down to his shoulders as he picked up his coffee and opened his texts.


    He deleted most of them, pausing on Erin''s message: "Heard you got back from your trip. Call me when you get up in the morning."


    Ourias didn''t even get a chance to text her back before a phone call went through, Erin''s face covering the screen. Ourias fumbled his phone, nearly dropping it.


    Ourias stared at the phone for a moment before answering it and putting it on speaker phone. "Hey, Erin..."


    "Good morning."


    "Yeah... I was just about to send you a text."


    "I know. I saw the little bubble."


    "Don''t you have work?"


    "I do. But I can spare a minute." Erin was quiet for a moment. "How are you doing?"


    Ourias set down his coffee again, tracing the rim of the mug. "As good as I can, I guess."


    "Are you sure you''re okay being there by yourself? You''re free to stay with Jackie. Or I can tell him to stay there with you if you prefer to stay there."


    "It''s okay." Ourias shrugged. "My uncle changed my locks and they put up cameras and everything, so..." Ourias shrugged again. "It''s okay."


    Erin was quiet over the phone for a moment. "We''re all here for you. You know that, right?"


    Ourias smiled weakly, his voice quiet. "Yeah, I know."


    "Ourias."


    "...Yeah?"


    There was another pause over the phone. "...Don''t forget to eat breakfast."


    "I am-"


    "Coffee is not breakfast."


    Ourias glanced at the mug, grimacing. "...Okay."


    "Good." Erin said. "Look, I gotta head back to work, but you''d better know that I''m gonna give you the biggest hug when I get back."


    Ourias laughed quietly. "Yeah, okay. Don''t get in trouble. I''ll talk to you later."


    "Yeah. We''ll talk later." Erin''s laugh sounded distorted through the phone. "Have a good day, Ourias."


    "You, too."


    Ourias slowly lowered his phone back to the counter, drumming his fingers against the edge of the counter. He sighed(for the last time in this scene, I swear), and got up again.


    He opened his fridge, resting his head on the top of the door as he looked inside.


    It was empty, aside from a plastic container. He picked it up, his face scrunching at the contents inside.


    He needed to go grocery shopping.


    He threw away the plastic container along with the old leftovers.

 1.13 - Did you know? That there are up to twenty billion germs in your mouth?

    Anatase, Zacharius, and Mateo all sat around a dining table in the morning.


    Anatase sat on her knees, leaning on the table while she ate cereal. A backpack was hung off the back of her chair. Rangoon stuck out of her bag. Zacharius sat next to her, tapping a pen against a the table as he looked at the crossword puzzle set between them. In his free hand he held a mug with tea in it.


    Mateo sat across from them with a sketchbook. There was a piece of toast on a plate next to him, and his own mug, his with coffee.


    Zacharius tapped the puzzle with the pen as he picked up his tea. "You should know that one."


    Anatase squinted, "...Em?"


    "It''s from The Wizard of Oz."


    Anatase slapped her hands on the table. "Aunt!"


    Zacharius smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Is that enough letters?"


    Anatase looked down at the puzzle, frowning. She counted to herself for a moment, sitting back in her seat. She then sighed, looking at Zacharius. "It''s auntie. It can''t be Aunt Em, because the last letter''s an E. ''cause tether."


    Zacharius nodded, and Anatase ate more of her cereal as he wrote down the answer.


    Anatase tapped the paper. "Fifty-three down is PSI." She ate a bite of cereal, speaking between chews. "I know that one from when Daddy fixed my bike."


    Mateo straightened when an alarm on his watch went off. He turned it off and flipped his sketchbook closed. "Are you all ready to go to school, Ana?"


    "Almost!" Anatase grabbed her bowl, drinking the milk quickly before jumping out of the chair. She looked at Zacharius. "You''re not gonna finish the puzzle without me, are you?"


    Zacharius shook his head. "Of course not. We can finish it tonight once you finish your homework."


    "Good." Anatase pulled her bag over her shoulders.


    Mateo stopped next to Zacharius. "Don''t get too bored while we''re gone."


    "Of course not." Zacharius stood up, pecking Mateo''s cheek. "My sister''s actually on her way."


    "She''s not opening today?"


    "I thought she was, but I saw her stopping by. I suppose we''ll figure out when she arrives."


    "Tell her I said hello." Mateo smiled. "Do you want to stop by the studio for lunch later? I can let you know when I''m free."


    "A date? I can hardly wait."


    Mateo snickered, "Okay. I''ll see you later, then." He kissed Zacharius quickly before ushering Anatase towards the door.


    Anatase looked between them with her face scrunched. "You''re gross."


    "Really?"


    "Uh, yeah. Do you know how many germs are in your mouth? There''s twenty billion of them. That''s more germs than people on the whole entire planet. Just in your mouth! I''ll never ever kiss anybody on the mouth, ever. It''s disgusting!" Anatase''s voice trailed off as they walked out the door.


    Zacharius stuck his pen in the puzzle book and closed it. He picked it up and gathered the dishes on the table. He set the book down on the counter as he walked into the kitchen and set the dishes down next to the sink. He walked into the living room, to a phonograph on a cabinet. He pulled the drawer open and thumbed through the vinyls.


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    He picked one, pulling it out of its sleeve and setting it on the phonograph. As the music began to play, he set the sleeve down on top of the rest of the vinyls and shut the drawer.


    He walked back to the kitchen, rinsing them off and loading them into the dishwasher. He started the dishwasher, then filled a kettle with water. He put the kettle on the stove, and set to tidying up the house as he waited for it to boil.


    He emptied the washing machine into the dryer, hanging up a few dress shirts to air-dry.


    He made Anatase''s bed, pausing only to replace the batteries in the flashlight under her pillow.


    He went back to the stove, pulling the kettle off the burner. He grabbed a tea infuser sitting on the counter and a jar of loose-leaf tea next to it. He measured off a portion of the tea and put it into the infuser. He poured the boiling water into the infuser and set two mugs down next to it before walking away again.


    He cleared off the table in the living room, stacking the papers neatly and collecting the crayons into their box. He fixed the pillows on the couch, then looked at the clock on the wall.


    He turned off the phonograph and put the vinyl back in its sleeve. He poured the tea into two mugs, adding honey to one of them.


    He picked them both up, walking to the front door.


    He opened it just as Myrtia was about to knock. She held a folder under one of her arms. She looked surprised when she saw Zacharius.


    He held out one of the mugs(the one with honey) out to her. "Is this going to be a living room talk or an office talk?"


    Myrtia sighed with a breathy laugh, taking the mug as she stepped inside. "Office."


    Zacharius'' office was small and cozy. Myrtia sat down in one of the two armchairs by the window, and Zacharius took the books off the small round table between the chairs. He set them down at the end of his desk before sitting down in the other chair.


    When Myrtia held the folder out to him, Zacharius took it, resting his foot on his knee. "What is this?"


    "An application I received yesterday. I want your opinion."


    "People tend to be your expertise," Zacharius flipped the folder open, "I''m not sure what help I could offer..." He trailed off, looking at his sister. He gestured to the folder silently.


    "That would be why I wanted your opinion." Myrtia held her tea in both hands, leaning back in her chair. "Skyler met him. He actually asked for a paper application."


    Zacharius opened the folder again. "Did she say anything about..."


    "I don''t think she looked." Myrtia chuckled. "Not sure if I''m grateful or disappointed."


    "It looks like Latin." Zacharius tilted his head. "...It''s not Latin, at least not the one we know. But it looks like it."


    "I looked it up; the phone number on his application goes to a motel." Myrtia lifted her mug slowly, "I''m considering calling him for an interview."


    "An interview because you''re curious," Zacharius turned his head to meet her gaze. "or because you''re thinking about hiring him?"


    Myrtia shrugged. "Skyler said that when he came in, Darren was there. That he... successfully inspired him to leave."


    Zacharius nodded. "He wouldn''t be the first person we''ve hired under the radar. Won''t be the last." He closed the folder and set it aside. "Why are you hesitating?"


    "That..." Myrtia worked her jaw for a moment. "I have suspicions. The application. His... sudden appearance. I''ve already contacted the others. Nobody from The Garden sent him."


    "I''d assume not." Zacharius sipped his tea, glancing out the window as it began to rain. "You know... there is a potential explanation for where he came from."


    "That''s what I''m concerned about." Myrtia sighed. "What if I''m right?"


    "It''d be a risk." Zacharius hummed, "Of course, how much do we really know about demons? There are plenty of false superstitions about the fae."


    "The fae aren''t on the news for ripping people apart."


    Zacharius set his mug down next to the folder. "You are the matriarch, Myrtia; I will support whatever you decide."


    "I know." Myrtia looked down at her own mug. "But what would you choose? This... man, he could be the answer to a lot of our problems. But he may also be the cause of far more."


    "If we are going under the assumption that he is a demon; which I, personally, believe is quite likely," Zacharius intertwined his fingers. "I''d give him an interview. If you have the feeling that he isn''t safe, then you don''t give him the job."


    Myrtia frowned, looking down at her drink. She eventually closed her eyes and sighed. "...I suppose I have a call to make."


    Characters:


    Myrtia


    6''3", 210 lbs. A muscular Greek woman with frizzy gray curls pulled up into a messy bun. Absolutely covered in floral tattoos, and dressed in bold colors and patterns. Can normally be found with dirt under her nails and leaves in her hair.

 1.14 - Does anybody know how to lower the difficulty setting on my life?

    A Warning: This chapter contains depictions of abuse.


    Ourias walked out of a small store with a fabric bag of groceries on one shoulder. He joined the crowd on the sidewalk, sticking close to the edges where he could. He dug into the pocket of his hoodie, putting a pair of earbuds in.


    He smiled to himself as he continued. The street and sidewalks were well-kept. Shops had bright displays in the windows. The cars were back-to-back on the street, and two cyclists zipped past Ourias as he walked around the outdoor seating of a diner.


    Ourias turned into an ally, grabbing a pipe for balance as he climbed up onto a closed dumpster and dropped over a rotting wooden fence. He landed on an empty street. The buildings all down the street were dilapidated and abandoned, with broken windows and boarding doorways.


    As Ourias continued down the street, the sidewalks became cracked, with some patches so overgrown with weeds they were barely visible. He jogged across a brick road, pausing near a tree that had grown so large its branches stuck into the broken windows on the upper floors of the buildings nearby.


    Ourias dug through his bag and pulled out a small bag of raw almonds. He pulled one of his earbuds out and stuck it in his pocket, all while biting the edge of the bag and tugging it open with his teeth.


    He looked into the tree, smiling as a few various birds and two squirrels immediately seemed to appear on the nearby branches. Each of the birds had a little beaded band around one of their feet, and the squirrels both had collars. Ourias smiled. "Good morning."


    He grabbed a little wooden dish from its resting place between a nestle of branches. He filled it with almonds. "I''ll bring you all some blueberries from the garden next time I come by."


    He put the bowl back in the branches before ducking under the rest of the tree. He barely got around the block before a tortoiseshell cat trotted up to him. She meowed and bumped up against his leg and darted between his legs. Ourias knelt down and fished through his bag again. He pulled out a can of tuna, pulling the lid off and setting it on the sidewalk.


    Ourias pet the cat at she ate for a moment before he got up again and continued.


    Slowly, strings of fairy lights appeared, hung between unlit lampposts and street signs so dirty and faded that they were illegible. Rather than weeds in the sidewalks, patches of the concrete had been broken and dragged away to make space for gardens of thriving herbs. The broken concrete was stacked together to make little cubbies where more animals slept or ate.


    Groups of tents made of patchwork fabric were tucked away into alleys, with tarps stretching over them, secured through the broken, un-boarded windows of the upper floors and zip-tied to unused pipes and rusted fire escapes.


    Outside one of the groups of tents was an elderly woman. She sat in the shade of the building with a plastic Easter basket on one side and a small towel in the other. The towel was covered in a pile of mint stems. She was taking them one at a time, plucking the leaves off and putting them in the bucket.


    "Good morning, Heidi." Ourias spoke as he approached, and the woman looked up with foggy eyes.


    She was quiet for a moment, squinting her eyes. "...Ourias?"


    "Yeah." Ourias paused next to her. "How are you?"


    "Same as always." Heidi waved her hand before continuing to pluck leaves. "You''ve been gone a while."


    "...Yeah." Ourias looked away. "Life''s been... busy."


    Heidi scoffed. "Another boy?"


    Ourias was quiet.


    Heidi shook her head. "You''d better figure yourself out quick, dear. Otherwise, you''ll turn out old and lonely like me."


    Ourias shrugged as he continued walking. "Starting to think that''s not such a bad thing."


    Heidi laughed sharply as he turned around another corner.


    And suddenly, the streets were alive again. The string lights were everywhere now, stretching in every direction. Painted paper lanterns hung from twine stretched across between alleyways. Food stalls and street stands were gathered around in clusters, fashioned from old crates and boxes with covers made of thin, intricate fabric that cast the ground in a multitude of colors.


    Witches were everywhere, running the stands and shopping between them.


    A young man sat on a stool atop an old rug, playing a dulcimer to a crowd of people sitting around him. A group of young witches gathered close together, counting the money each of them held. Two dogs chased each other between crowds of people.


    "Ourias!" One of the vendors, a middle-aged woman selling wind-chimes, shouted when he passed. "I haven''t seen you in ages!"


    "Yeah," Ourias laughed. "I was on a trip; just got back!"


    "Tell your mother I said hi! I plan to stop by for some of her herbal blends!"


    "I''ll let her know!" Ourias climbed the steps up to a small patio. Vines hung from the roof of the patio, and there was a large hole on one end. A few large boards had been nailed into the patio in front of the open doorway with a curtain draped over it.


    Cans tied to the bottom of the curtain clattered together as he pulled it open partially.


    Inside the decrepit home was cluttered with shelves full of crystals and knickknacks, and piles of old books. in the middle of the room was a low set, round table covered in papers. Each paper had crude charcoal scribbles.


    Sitting at that table was Cielle, drawing on another piece of paper with so much fervor that it was a miracle she didn''t tear it.


    Ourias knocked on the doorway. "Cielle?"


    The woman''s head shot up, and she looked around with blank eyes. "Ourias?"


    "Yeah. Are you busy? I can come back another time."


    "No! You can stay. This isn''t that important anyway." She shoved the sketches away. "I didn''t know you had come back already." Cielle clambered to her feet, grabbing a cane off the floor.


    "I only came back yesterday. I just got done getting groceries, but I wanted to stop by before heading home."He dug through his bag. "I got your favorite cookies, and I brought you a souvenir. I just gotta find it, so give me a second."


    "You didn''t have to."


    "I wanted to." Ourias pulled out a package of cookies and a spiny seashell. "I got them."


    Cielle tucked her cane under her arm and held out her hands.


    Ourias put them in her hands and she walked back to the table. She set the cookies down and felt the shell in her hands. "...Is this a shell?"


    "...Yeah. If you put it to your ear you''re supposed to hear the ocean?" Ourias followed her to the table, standing next to it.


    "How does that even work?"


    Ourias shrugged. "I don''t really know."


    Cielle put the shell to her ear. "I like the spines. What color is it?"


    "It''s kind of an off-white color, with brown flecks and stripes."


    Cielle was quiet, squinting. She eventually pulled the shell from her ear. "That is...weird." She smiled, "Good weird. I like it." She held it out to Ourias. "Could you put this on the shelf above the window? There should be a spot between the glass bottles and the ocarina shaped like a frog."


    "Yeah, sure." Ourias took the shell, walking over to the shelf. As he did, Cielle returned to the table.


    "How was your trip?"


    "As good as it could be, I guess." Ourias set the shell down with a sigh. "Darren keeps trying to call me."


    Cielle crossed her arms. "You aren''t thinking about calling him back, are you?"


    "No way!" Ourias lifted his hands. "No." He laughed, "I''ve learned my lesson."


    "Good." Cielle said "Do you have cold groceries?"


    "Nah, I underestimated how many groceries I''d need and didn''t bring a second bag."


    "Good. Sit down. We haven''t talked for ages." She pat the table next to the cookies, then grabbed the cookies. "And I got cookies."


    Ourias laughed, walking over to sit next to her at the table. He set his bag down. He glanced down at some of the sketches on the table. "...Have you been drawing?"


    "I''ve been trying to. It''s a bit difficult, as I can''t, y''know." Cielle waved her hand over her face. "But I''m trying my best."


    Ourias leaned forward, turning one of the papers to face him. "Did something happen to spark an interest in art?"


    Cielle sighed. "The spirits. There are more of them now. But these new ones are different somehow. They don''t speak with words." She paused. "Not words I understand, anyway. But I can still vaguely understand what they''re saying, if that makes any sense."


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    "...Not really."


    "Oh." Cielle opened the package of cookies. "Well..." She gestured vaguely with a cookie, "It''s sort of like I can see what they''re saying. Like, when they speak, I get these images in my mind?"


    "Like visions?"


    "Not really? I don''t think so. I guess I''ve never had visions before, so I wouldn''t know. But the images don''t really make sense. It''s all haphazard shapes and colors, and sometimes they look kind of like things I remember from when I could see. But other times, I can''t even imagine what I might be looking at. I''m trying to draw those." Cielle waved her hands around the table. "But I can''t see what I''m doing, and the spirits I can understand aren''t very helpful."


    Ourias frowned. "...Can I look at them?"


    "Knock yourself out." Cielle bit the cookie in her hand. "Sorry I couldn''t explain it better."


    "No, you''re good." Ourias sifted through the papers. "Do you think they''re trying to tell you something? Like a premonition?"


    "Yes, but no." Cielle tilted her head. "The spirits I can understand are also antsy. Something weird about the aether. They said the ''pillars'' are weakening. But they aren''t scared about something that''s going to happen. They''re afraid because something is already happening."


    "Pillars?"


    "I don''t know either." Cielle shrugged. "The spirits who seem to understand can''t convey what they need. The ones who can speak don''t understand what''s happening." Cielle ran a hand through her hair. "All I know is that whatever is happening, it scares them. And if it scares the dead? Well, it''s probably dangerous."


    "I''ll bring it up with my mom. She might know what to do."


    Cielle nodded, "I''ve been laying salt around the doors and windows at night, and I have sage that I''ve been burning every sunrise and sunset. I''ve convinced some of the other witches to burn sage around the market, too." She took another small bite of her cookie. "If I can catch Father Reimund during his next visit, I can ask him to bring me some rosaries and holy water. Just to be safe."


    Ourias frowned. "Who is Father Reimund?"


    "Oh!" Cielle perked up, clapping her hands. "I forgot you''ve been gone for a while. You know the church just outside of town? The one with the old graveyard and the nasty old pastor?"


    "The one who always told people that witches were sent from the devil to destroy Christians?"


    "Yes. But that Father died. A heart attack, I believe?" Cielle shrugged, "His soul faded rather quickly. But Father Reimund moved into the city to take over the church. He''s been preaching about accepting witches, and he stops by the market regularly with food and clothes that his wife sews." Cielle smiled. "His wife, Sherry, is very kind. She comes every Sunday to walk me to the church and back."


    Ourias was quiet for a moment. "That''s... good."


    "Oh, I was suspicious at first, too. But according to Sherry, they were never very anti-witch, and they began supporting witches after they found out their son was a witch." Cielle smiled slightly, "The spirits in the graveyard are happier, too. Less volatile."


    "I trust you. If you say they''re good people, they probably are." Ourias smiled. "I''m happy for you. For everybody."


    Cielle smiled. "Thank you." She straightened. "But enough about me, how was your trip? Where did you go? You left so quickly."


    "Yeah." Ourias rubbed the back of his neck. "I went to Greece to visit my grandparents." Ourias pulled his knee up to rest his head on. "I hadn''t seen them since I was little, so it was nice being able to see them in person again. It was definitely a struggle at first, and I did learn that I am not nearly as fluent in Greek as I thought I was."


    "Oh, god."


    "Yeah." Ourias laughed quietly. "By the end of the trip, it was a lot easier, but neither of my grandparents speak English. My grandpa understand some English, but where my family lived there weren''t many tourists so they didn''t really have a reason to learn. Whenever we''d have video calls my mom and uncle would always translate what we didn''t understand and I guess I relied on them more than I thought I did." Ourias sighed. "I kinda wished I tried to learn more when I was younger."


    "You''re still youngish. You can still learn. Besides, your aunt and uncle didn''t speak English before moving to America, right?"


    "Yeah..."


    "I''d be willing to bet that your Greek-speaking skills improved while you were there, too. Being surrounded by a language helps a lot." Cielle paused. "Or so I''ve been told."


    Ourias laughed. "Yeah, it does." He was quiet for a long moment. "I kinda feel shitty about the fact that it took me running from a crazy ex to actually fly there and visit them in person."


    "Hey, that''s not fair to you." Cielle pushed his arm. "Plane tickets are expensive. And you have actual legitimate reasons to avoid flying. How many people get vividly intrusive visions by just touching people? Airports and planes are crowded and they get hot. It''d be cruel to expect you to wear a hoodie or jacket for, what, ten hours?"


    "...It was actually closer to fifteen."


    "That is even worse." Cielle gestured, "But my point still stands. And I don''t think they hold it against you, either. And I''m sure they were happy to see you."


    Ourias nodded, "Yeah..." He glanced down at his phone when it went off and frowned. "I should head back home. I told my mom I''d help her bake some cakes for the cafe later today."


    "Of course. Make sure to make it back safe, okay? And thank you for the gifts."


    "I will." Ourias stood up and Cielle did as well.


    She held out her arms. "Hug before you go?"


    Ourias and Cielle hugged each other and when they stepped back, Cielle pat his arm. "One day you''re gonna find a guy who treats you right. And when you do, you''re gonna forget all about Darren and all the other dicks you''ve had to deal with."


    "...I''d like to hope so."


    "You will. Because you''re a good person, even in spite of everything you''ve had to deal with. And while it might not be today, or even tomorrow, someday that''ll pay off." Cielle smiled, "I know it."


    "Thanks, Cielle." Ourias dropped his head.


    "When you do meet that guy," Cielle said, "I expect you to bring him here so I can meet him."


    Ourias nodded with a small smile as he picked up his bag. "I will."


    "Good!" Cielle walked with Ourias as far as the doorway. "You should bring Skyler the next time you visit. She''s always entertaining."


    Ourias paused at the bottom step, looking back at her. "More entertaining than me?"


    "Oh, definitely." Cielle grinned.


    Ourias laughed as he walked away. "See you later, Cielle!"


    Cielle waved from the doorway before disappearing inside again.


    Ourias walked down the cracked sidewalk, as the street market started to thin out, Ourias pulled a pair of headphones out of his pocket. He stuck his earbuds in and as he started playing music, someone called his name from behind him.


    "Ourias!"


    He didn''t hear them, continuing down the sidewalk.


    "Ourias!"


    The voice was closer now, and he moved to put his phone in his pocket.


    "Ourias!"


    Darren grabbed Ourias'' wrist and turned him around. Ourias'' phone cracked when it hit the sidewalk.


    Ourias suddenly stood in the hallway of Darren''s apartment. The lights were out, and the faint light of a lamppost filtered through the blinds in the window. Darren was outside the bathroom, banging on the door and shouting.


    And then Ourias was inside the bathroom, where he watched himself push against the door to keep it closed as Darren screamed from the other side. [Past] Ourias'' eyes were squeezed shut, and his lip bled down his chin and onto his shirt.


    Ourias touched his own lip, and when he pulled it back it had blood on it.


    Ourias yanked his wrist away, holding it against his chest. His eyes were wide as he took a step away from Darren. He looked down at his hand. There was no blood.


    "Jesus, Ourias." Darren stepped closer to Ourias with a weak laugh. "I''ve been trying to talk to you for months. You won''t answer your phone. Do you know how worried I was? I didn''t know where you were."


    Ourias moved backwards, away from Darren, and stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. His voice cracked when he spoke. "I don''t want to talk to you."


    "Come on, don''t be like that. Look," Darren reached out towards Ourias, "I''m not upset at you anymore. We can get through this, I know it."


    "Get away from me." Ourias stepped over a steep drop in the sidewalk, and he fell backwards. He caught himself on one of his elbows, but his bag spilled all over the ground.


    "Shit." Ourias pushed himself onto his knees, grabbing everything in reach and shoving it into his bag.


    Darren knelt down in front of him, picking up an apple that had rolled into the grass. He chuckled, "God, you''re so clumsy, you should really be more careful." He grabbed Ourias'' hand and turned it over. The side of Ourias'' hand was scraped and bleeding. "You even hurt yourself."


    Another image. Ourias is running down the street, holding his broken arm and squinting through the blood running into his eyes.


    Ourias yanked his hand back. "Don''t touch me."


    Darren met Ourias'' gaze with a scowl. Ourias shifted back and swallowed, but he didn''t look away.


    Darren hissed through his teeth. "I''ve been more than patient with you, Ourias. All I''m asking is that you talk to me. You''re just making this harder on yourself."


    "I don''t want to talk to you." Ourias stood up.


    Darren dropped the apple and straightened. "You''re such a bitch sometimes, Ourias. I''ve been nothing but good to you, and this is what I get for it?"


    "We broke up months ago. Just, please, leave me alone." Ourias voice was steadier, and he started walking down the sidewalk again, faster now.


    Darren followed Ourias, jogging to catch up. "We didn''t break up. You just starting fucking ignoring me without saying anything."


    "I was pretty clear in my text." Ourias put his headphones away as he walked.


    "I had to learn from our friends that you left the goddamn country without telling me."


    "Not that it matters, but I don''t need your permission to go somewhere."


    "What if something happened to you? You scared me, Ourias. How am I supposed to know you didn''t get kidnapped or murdered when you don''t tell me where you are?"


    "It''s none of your business where I choose to spend my time."


    "It is my business when you''re my boyfriend."


    "I''m not your boyfriend. I told you we''re done. I don''t want anything to do with you."


    "And what about me?" Darren stopped in front of Ourias, "Don''t I get a say? Didn''t you say a relationship is supposed to work both ways? That we should both get a say? I don''t remember you asking me about whether or not I wanted us to break up."


    "I also told you that partners are supposed to respect each other''s boundaries. I''m telling you to leave me alone. That is a boundary." Ourias walked around Darren.


    "Ourias!" Darren turned around and kept following him. "I''m not giving up! Not until you start listening to me! You can''t just ignore me!"


    Ourias didn''t speak, holding his bag with clenched fists. He looked pointedly forward.


    "I''m not asking for much, Ourias! I''m willing to forgive you for everything, I just need you to talk to me."


    Ourias turned the corner and immediately began sprinting towards the crowded street at the end of the block, holding his bag against his chest.


    "Ourias, don''t you fucking dare!"


    Darren chased Ourias halfway down the block before slowing to a stop. Ourias only stopped once he reached the crowds, weaving between people with short apologies. He glanced back once to see Darren standing just outside the crowd, glaring at him with his arms crossed.

 1.15 - Hi, welcome to Dennys. I dont work here.

    Myrtia''s office in the Lucky Lilac was small and minimalist, aside from the plants crowded around the large window on the back wall. Runes were written around the windowsill and doorway, as well as along the baseboards.


    Myrtia sat behind her desk, and Zacharius sat by the window behind her, reading from a folder. Abe was seated in front of them both on the edge of a chair too small for him. His shoulders were hunched, and he was slouched forward.


    They sat in awkward silence.


    Myrtia was the first to speak, clearing her throat before she began. "Thank you for meeting with us, Abe. I''m Myrtia, and behind me is my brother, Zacharius."


    Abe nodded slightly. "Thank you for allowing me to meet with you."


    Myrtia smiled slightly, straightening in her seat and thumbing through some papers on her desk. "Is Abe your... real name?"


    "Abe is what I go by."


    "Okay." Myrtia nodded. "Do you have any previous experience making coffee?"


    "No."


    "That''s alright. Do you have any experience baking?"


    Abe was quiet for a moment. "Not much. But I like cooking."


    Myrtia nodded slowly, chewing on her lip. "I suppose that means you don''t have any certifications or licenses either, then?"


    "That would be correct."


    Myrtia''s eyebrows furrowed, and she clasped her hands together. "Normally, I''d ask what you''d do if you had to handle a disruptive customer, but I heard from my daughter that you were already involved with one of our... regular disruptions."


    Abe tilted his head, lifting his hand slightly. "Small man, bull-headed?"


    "That would be the one." Myrtia smiled, and behind her, Zacharius chuckled. Myrtia cleared her throat. "I''d like you to explain your part of that interaction, if you don''t mind."


    "I don''t, but..." Abe''s eyes narrowed slightly. "I don''t understand what you are asking for. I didn''t do much."


    "Yes, I-" Myrtia stopped, grimacing. She gestured vaguely. "I mean to ask why you put yourself in the situation when you could have avoided it."


    "Ah." Abe nodded. "Originally, I was going to avoid them. I could see them through the window before I came in. I didn''t want to deal with that, so I planned to catch the attention of one of the people making drinks and ask them to avoid the hassle."


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    "But you didn''t." Zacharius said, stepping away from the window. "Why?"


    "Because the girl at the counter told him to leave, and he didn''t leave." Abe shrugged. "I figured I''d at least stay nearby unless she wanted help."


    Zacharius set his folder down. "You wouldn''t have intervened if Skyler hadn''t wanted you to?"


    "Wasn''t my business to butt into."


    "Is consent that important to you? That you wouldn''t step in to help someone who needed it, solely because they didn''t want it?"


    "Yes." Abe shifted in his seat slightly. "I was... raised under the belief that any being capable of independent thought and free will has the right to it. It is an important rule in my home."


    "And your home; do you intend to return there?"


    "Yes."


    Zacharius and Myrtia looked at each other, and he shrugged. Myrtia nodded slightly, picking up a pen. "How long do you intend to stay in the area?"


    "Hopefully not for long, but I was told to expect a wait."


    Myrtia paused in the middle of writing something. "A wait?"


    "Yeah..." Abe gestured vaguely. "I''ve been having transportation issues. I have a... friend in town. He''s helping me fix them."


    Myrtia nodded slightly, clicking her pen a few times. She inhaled slowly as she intertwined her fingers. She glanced at Zacharius again, who nodded slightly.


    Myrtia sighed, looking back at Abe. "I want to hire you, Abe."


    "I understand if you can''t."


    "No, no." Myrtia pinched her nose. "I-" she gestured with her hands. "Trust is very important to my family. As is transparency, but we understand that there are situations where total transparency is not a... viable option."


    "I''m not sure I follow." Abe straightened, slowly.


    Myrtia lifted her hands. "Could you give me a moment? So we can be transparent with you."


    Abe shifted to rest a hand on one of the arms of his chair. "Okay."


    "Thank you." Myrtia offered a weak smile. "We know that you aren''t from Stonebridge. We also know that you don''t have documentation." She glanced away, shifting the papers around on her desk. "And we believe that we know where you came from, and why you don''t have any documentation."


    Myrtia looked up again as Abe started to stand. "But we don''t have proof. Unfortunately, we...lost your original application. So all we have are suspicions, with no way to verify them."


    Abe stopped, his eyes narrowing. "What are you saying?"


    "If I give you a job here, you cannot give us anything that could make our suspicions anything more than that. We don''t know, and it has to stay that way."


    "And what would happen if you did find something?"


    "For the safety of my family, I''d have to ask you to leave."


    Abe nodded slightly, sitting back down. "Sounds fair enough. Is there something you''re expecting from this?"


    "Only that you keep our secrets just as we keep yours, and that you don''t bring danger to my family." Myrtia stood up, offering her hand out to Abe. "If you can do that, the job is yours."


    Abe shook Myrtia''s hand from his seat. "No harm will come to your family through me. You have my word."


    Zacharius smiled, "If you''re not busy, you can come by here tomorrow after we close for the evening. We have a meeting to discuss business and plan to play games and eat dinner afterwards. You could meet some of your coworkers."


    "I''ll have to think about it."

 1.16 - Not really sure what to name this one, to be honest.

    The Lucky Lilac was closed when Skyler walked in. She held up a stack of pizza boxes. She was wearing a pair of headphones with cat ears. "I have secured our sustenance!"


    Jackie whooped from across the store where he and Ourias were moving some tables and chairs to the edges of the room.


    Skyler spun around as she walked through the store. She set the pizzas down on the counter and pulled her headphones down around her neck. She leaned against the counter, gesturing around the room. "Okay, so, what''re we doing here exactly?"


    Jackie grinned. "We''re playing games."


    "Yeah... most games I''m familiar with can be played on a table. Yet, here you are," Skyler gestured, "moving the tables away."


    Ourias sat down in one of the chairs. "Jackie brought his game console."


    "...Still doesn''t explain the big table-less space in the middle of the room."


    Jackie leaned against the table he stood in front of, watching Skyler. He eventually reached over to a chair pushed up against the wall. He pulled up a bag. "I brought karaoke and Only Dance."


    Skyler''s eyes went wide before she ran over and snatched the bag. "No fucking way!" She threw her head back with a cackle. "Oh my god, this is going to be hilarious." She pulled out one of the cases and flipped it over in her hand. "I understand now."


    "We needed a stage."


    "Obviously." Skyler snickered. "This definitely makes the pizza run worth it." Skyler put the case back, digging through the rest of the bag. She stopped suddenly, looking around. "Where is everybody else?"


    "Oh. They''re just next door with Mateo. They should be back in any minute."


    As if on cue, Anatase burst through the door (with Rangoon). "Skyler''s back?!"


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    "The one and only." Skyler flipped her hair over her shoulder.


    "Does that mean there''s pizza?"


    Skyler blinked, "Is that all I''m good for?"


    Anatase shrugged. "I''m hungry."


    "I''m wounded." Skyler gestured behind her. "But yes, there is pizza."


    Anatase ran across the room. She pulled a chair over before standing on it to reach the pizza.


    As she grabbed food, Mateo, Zacharius, and Myrtia followed inside. Mateo frowned as he looked around. "...What''s happening here?"


    "Karaoke and dancing." Skyler lifted the bag up partially before setting it down again.


    "Ooh." Mateo went up to join her. "What kind of songs?"


    "That''s what I''m checking out."


    Zacharius came up to Anatase. "Do you want me to hold your crab while you eat?"


    Anatase handed Rangoon to him. "Thank you."


    "Of course."


    Myrtia approached them, glancing at Zacharius. "Do you think he''ll show?"


    "Possibly. I doubt he''d have other plans."


    Anatase tilted her head. "Who are you talking about?"


    "A new hire. We invited him to come in to meet us here." Zacharius knelt down on one knee to speak to Anatase.


    "What''s his name? Is he nice?"


    "His name is Abe, and we think so."


    Anatase nodded through a mouthful of food. "I met somebody named Abe. He was big and scary-looking, but he was very nice. He answered all my questions without getting annoyed." She perked up. "He also gave me one of his rings. I put it on Rangoon since it was too big for me to wear."


    Zacharius looked down at Rangoon with a frown. "...When did you meet Abe?"


    "When we went to pick up Ourias from the airport and I asked to sit at the bus stop while you were on the phone. He was sitting on the bench. I thought he was in the mafia." Anatase shook her head. "He''s not."


    "...That''s good. Could you tell me what he looked like?"


    "Really big? He also had long hair with braids in it and a beard. And he wore lots of jewelry."


    Zacharius looked at Myrtia, just as Abe opened the door, leaning down into the doorway. Abe hesitated in the doorway, as everyone watched him. "...Hello."