FLIGHTLESS BIRD // Detroit Become Human High School AU |Connor x Reader x Markus

Chapter 18: Jericho

You walked towards a poster on one of the walls, the word 'Jericho' written in bold red paint, with abstract splatters around it.

"That's what we used to nickname our club," Simon mentioned, "Do you know what it means?"

"Umm... I know it's from the bible, but I don't know anything else about it."

"It's more symbolic than anything else," Simon continued, moving to stand beside you. "If Jerusalem is the material side of life, then Jericho is the spiritual side. Jericho represents human consciousness in its relation to life. When we paint, or create something with that imaginative side of ourselves, you could say it's as if you are connecting with your very consciousness."

"R-Right..." You muttered, taken back by Simon's sudden description. You could tell from the way he spoke and described things, that he really was on a more advanced level than everyone else. Simon noticed your confused expression, and blushed slightly, looking down.

"I-I know it sounds kind of weird... especially for an art club..."

"No, not at all, I really like it!" You insisted, "I like things that have a deeper meaning."

Simon looked up, smiling slightly. He was about to reply, when there was a scoffing sound across the room. You turned to look at the person still hidden behind the easel. Simon suddenly seemed annoyed.

"Are you going to be polite, and come and greet our visitor?"

"A nobody like her is not welcome here."

"Come on North, that's not very nice."

You blinked in surprise. North was here? You couldn't imagine North being interested in painting of all things. Simon placed a hand on your shoulder, and led you towards the place where North was sitting. She was so entranced by her painting, that she still did not meet your gaze. Her painting was of a city, trapped in a blizzard.

"It's beautiful..." You murmured, and North finally stopped, shifting her gaze towards you.

"Thank you," She replied quietly, gently placing her paint brush down. "I like painting storms. Even though being in a storm in person is a frustrating experience."

"I think storms are never a bad thing," You replied, "They are a sign that there are better things to come."

North studied you for a long moment, then glanced back at her painting. "Perhaps you are right." She picked up her brush, and continued painting with slow brush strokes. Simon returned to his easel nearby, and began dabbing paint onto it in bigger strokes. You approached him, watching as he continued to bring his work to life. You normally did not like abstract artwork, but the blending colours of blue and green stood out in contrast to the dimly lit room.

"That's amazing Simon..." You said, still taking in his work. He turned slightly to smile at you.

"Thank you. It's one of my personal favourites."

You took a seat on a stool nearby. "What does it mean?" Suddenly, to your surprise, Simon blushed, and did not meet your gaze.

"It's um... w-well I..." He seemed to fumble for words, which was unlike him, "They're just uhh... two of my favourite colours."

"Oh, okay," You replied, smiling to try and calm his nerves. "I like those colours too." He smiled back at you, before returning to his canvas. You watched him and North for a while, before standing up and approaching Lucy.

"Would you be interested in joining our club?" She asked, holding out a small sheet of paper. "We're quite a small club," She continued, "The only members are me, Simon, North, Markus and Josh. We would be happy if you could join us too." She gave you a small smile.

"I-I don't really know a lot about art..." You blinked in surprise when Lucy blatantly wrapped her arm around around your shoulders and moved you slowly towards the window.

"When you look outside... what do you see?"

You studied the outside for a while, before replying, "I see the garden." Lucy smiled patiently at you, and waved her hand towards it.

"I see a world of life and death. A world where flowers can bloom, but also wither away. It's a world of both light and shadow, where two sides lurk with unseen eyes." She turned to look at you with her piercing eyes, then back at the garden again. "Perhaps on the surface, it is a garden. But if you look beyond that, you may have the chance to see something else. And when you do, that's sort of like seeing into a whole other world, isn't it?"

You nodded, surprised by Lucy's words, but also entranced. She again, held out the paper to you. "You may not be able to paint yet, but every artist was once a beginner. We'd be happy to have you."

After a moment of thought, you took Lucy's advice, and signed up to the art club. Simon was elated, and North less so. But even though North still seemed angry with you, something had changed in your short interaction. Perhaps you had seem a part of North's mind in her painting, one she was rarely able to express with words. You wondered, that if you could thaw the ice around North's heart, maybe you could even become friends.

When the bell rang, you moved towards the art room door. Your next class with Mr Andronikov  was across the school, and you didn't want to get into trouble for being late.

Yet as you opened the door, you realized too late that something was off. Before you could do anything, a bucket fell from it's precarious place on the top of the door, and you were splattered by icy water. You squeaked in surprise, and Simon rushed out, to find you on the floor covered in water, the empty bucket now on the floor beside you.

"W-What happened?"

"I-I don't know!" You muttered, "When I opened the door, the water fell on me." Lucy walked to the doorway and stood there, surveying the situation.

"It's a trap..." She murmured, her eyes moving towards the top of the door. "A trap made from fear. And woven together by the darkest of hearts."

"But who would do this?" You asked.

Lucy and Simon both fell silent. North remained at her easel. The silence around you left the question blatantly unanswered. Who did this? Kara's words rang once again in your mind.

"I don't want to alarm you [F/N], but I think someone might be targeting you. The question is who."