The Untold Story of Texas and Lappland (Arknights)

The Missing

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Texas had been knocking for the past two minutes now. Sora watched her, studying the way their leader grew with worry with every passing second that no one answered the door. The porch swing she was curled up on creaked with the swinging of her legs. It was old, the slight rust to the chains above her signaling as much, but not unstable. The seat padding of green and white stripes seemed brand new. Exusiai stood up from her place beside Sora. The remaining Sankta of the group (probably the only one . . . something told her Mostima could not be considered one to the same degree) had been mostly quiet since they arrived. Her normal chatter was meant to be relaxing.

But it's hard to relax in a place you've never been too.

Bison was acting just as out of place as she felt. People from the city found themselves uncertain when affronted with the woodsy, outdoor feel of the Texas Pack land. He shifted from one foot to the other, pressed close to Croissant. The Defender was the sole newcomer who acted comfortable in the foreign setting. Her attention kept on switching from her shield, to hammer, back to mindless conversing of the vendors they saw on the way in.

"Do you think he's not here?" Exusiai asked Texas.

One dark ear twitched in acknowledgement. "That seems to be the case."

And that was all Texas said before she walked over to the railing, promptly vaulting herself over it and onto the ground. Sora watched with wide eyes as Texas then proceeded to make her way to a drainpipe on the wall. Expert hands dug into the metal, surging the quiet women up the building.

"Wait what? Where's she going?" Sora asked.

"Texas?" Exusiai questioned.

Croissant and Bison also voiced their confusion, but Lappland just smirked, a little laugh escaping her. The white wolf did not seem surprised in the slightest by Texas's odd behavior. Texas, who was now completely out of sight as she hauled herself onto the shingles of the roof.

"What's so funny?"

While her relationship with Lappland had improved a great deal, something about the Siracusan's laugh still came off as a bit odd to her. There was just this inescapable note of what felt deranged in there, like someone heavily drunk on emotion. Maybe she is. Knowing things others don't might just get her off. She could think of another thing belonging on the forming list in her mind too. It displeased her somewhat, but there was no denying how those silver eyes sparkled when Texas was around.

"Hah. I'm sorry, it's just, seeing you all surprised is so funny." Lappland swung to face her, smile leering as silver shaded in with the shadow of the porch roof above them.

"You didn't answer her question." Bison piped in.

"Yeah, I'm guessing because you've seen Texas act like this before." Exusiai inputted. Any surprise from the Angel before was gone now. In its place was the same cool mask Sora was familiar with during business exchanges. And not the ones with the gunshots and mafia and the occasional drug bust. This was the kind she saw during record deals. It revealed nothing besides and impeccable smoothness, an icy shield your feet would slip on should you try to walk across.

"Ding ding ding. You are correct." Lappland gave a little clap. It almost felt mocking. Maybe she was reading too much into things but . . .

It's almost like Lappland's become another person entirely.

Since coming into town, the mood in the Lone Wolf had shifted. Texas had yet to comment on it, but that might have just been her own anxieties plaguing her away from doing so. Lappland had been outcast from the Texas pack under the assumption she played a hand in Texas's grandmother's murder. Which happened after her breakdown in part from her infection. The shards marking Lappland as an infected were under control thanks to Rhodes Island, or, as well as they could be expected to be.