Ears perked and alert Lappland sniffed the air. The city carried a pungent sent, like slushy rain water mixed with metal. None of the undertones of nature were to be found in this place of jacked up skyscrapers. The tall buildings made the people below as small as ants, the cars, buses and trains they got into like moving metal foliage sifting through the concrete grass. Neon lights were blinding at all the shop stands. Her eyes pulsed in irritation as she rubbed out the imprints they left in her brain.
"I thought you said we were going somewhere fun?"
The only thing that made this big city less daunting was the woman right beside her. Texas was a steady presence, her hand warm as their fingers interlaced with one another. The heat of their conjoined hands was an interlude of peace if there ever was one. Lappland had let it reassure her as they got out of the van, greeted by even more smells in this street of people bustling about. Though now, in front of all these vendors, apart of her yearned to stick closer to Texas. When they were younger it hadn't been uncommon for them to press close enough together to wear the same oversized shirt. But hand holding would have to suffice for now.
"Hah. And here I thought you liked shopping." Texas murmured.
They were on the outside of the main crowd currently, like fish waiting to step out from the river into the endless ocean. Lappland knew they would've been in the mess by now if not for her lagging. Her clean boots scuffed on the dirtied concrete as she dragged herself along. Saying she wasn't a people person would be a lie, but saying she was sociable wasn't exactly true either. Right in the middle of talking and quiet was where she would stay.
"I do, but . . ."
"It's a lot to take in," Texas said. Her voice was quiet, though she didn't have to strain to hear it, long since trained to pick up on the small rumblings of that voice she held so dear. The same could be said for Texas, who had told her before that the first voice she recognized was always Lappland's, even in a crowd of people she loved. They had been on a date then, a simple park clearing with just the wind and each other as company. She would trade this place for that one if she could.
"But you won't know if you like it unless you give it a chance?"
"Yeah."
"If you want we can go somewhere else." Texas gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
She wondered if this place with all its noise was a test. Infection was capable of a lot of horrible things. An extreme riling from too much sensory input was one of them. Those failings would haunt her in her darkest nightmares. She wasn't about to let Texas down again. Bearing the discomfort was the least she could do to put up for it.
"Yeah, I know. But I think I'd like to try the marketplace."
Not like we can go back to Penguin Logistics right now anyways. Texas had seemed reluctant to tell her about the LGD coming by, but she understood why, and appreciated the honesty. Texas made it clear it had nothing to do with her in no uncertain terms, yet it didn't mean the information stung. Because it did. Though it's not Texas's fault.
"Really?"
"Yeah. If I'm going to live here I should get use to all of, well, this." She waved her free hand at all of the stalls. There were no cars here besides what Texas had termed as food trucks. The meaty balm from them made her mouth water.
"Great! Is there anywhere you'd like to look first?" Texas asked.
Lappland angled her wolf ears over at the first food truck. It was at the edge of the crowd, an old Sankta waving around what looked to be a whole roast chicken. Mmm . . . Chicken. Texas followed the motion and chuckled.
"Why am I not surprised. And how're you hungry anyways? We had breakfast right before leaving." There was a small line in front of the vendor, more people strolling closer. They were little tick marks of order, a reminder of the waiting they would have to do for a turn.
"Eh. I'm always hungry for meat Texas," and you her mind added. She kept the last part to herself, knowing the cuff around the head she would get for it. Innuendos were fun . . . but only when Texas was in the mood. Plus we aren't there yet.
"Yes I know. But we just ate." Texas pointed out. "Why not explore the other stalls and come back to this one when it isn't rush hour?"
Lappland pouted. "But I wanna go there now." She shot the best puppy eyes she could in Texas's direction. Inwardly, she howled with delight when Texas flushed at the sight before averting her gaze.
"Lapplandddddd. Come on. There are much better uses of our time." Texas tried to emphasize, gesturing to the growing crowd.
"Not really. We have to be out all day anyways right?" Lappland huffed.
"I guess you have a point but . . ."
"OH MY GOSH!"
They were interrupted by the sound of a loud squeal. Lappland growled, tensing up at the shot up noise. Texas also tensed, the minute twitch of her jaw as she looked away from the crowd. A little girl was running up to them, cat tail swinging behind her eagerly. From her small stature and owlish grey eyes Lappland figured her to be around eight years old, though the innocence of her smile and the patchwork dress she wore suggested a peaceful upbringing neither her or Texas had ever really had. And when those small, puffy fingers tugged at Texas's shorts excitedly the tense part of her rolled away. The child was no threat; she was a nuisance.
"Hello there. Is there something you need?" Texas leaned forward slightly, peering at the girl in confusion. Well, that crossed off the option of the two knowing each other. Lappland watched the pair interact with mild annoyance, keeping Texas's hand hostage lest the other forget their plans during this pop up interruption.
"You're that lady from the other day! The one who fought the tiger lady! You were so cool!" The girl was practically foaming with happiness. It was as though she had met her great role model seen on television.
Tiger lady. Well that explains just about nothing. She looked to Texas for clarification, surprised to see a slight flush to her face. Embarrassment was an unusual thing to see from the dark haired wolf, the same could be said of strip teasing and getting drunk. There was indeed a long list of things Texas did when in the mood alone.
"Er . . . Yes. That was me. But I'd rather not talk about it. My actions weren't exactly . . . the best way to settle the situation at the time."
"Nuh uh! It was cool. I wanna fight too but Momma says its bad for me."
Texas cleared her throat. Awkwardness shrouded her bent shoulders, flat tail keeping still as she let out a slow exhale. "It is bad for me. Lappland, back me up here."
Those big eyes were on her now, wild hair billowing behind the child despite the bows pinned into it, the rosy pink variety cute but perhaps overstated in the amount embedded. A sly smile perked her lips as she gave her response. "I don't know Texas . . ." At Texas's heavy frown, she persisted. "Though I guess I can say violence isn't the answer."
"See. There you have it."
"It's the question." Lappland continued.
"Wait what?" The little girl was flummoxed, and as was Texas. The head tilt was really cute. She almost hated that her next words would send it reeling.
"Wait a second . . ." Too late did Texas catch her meaning.
"The answer is yes!"
"Yay violence!" The girl beamed.
"LAPPLAND!" Texas yelled in exasperation.
*****
The mall turned out to be a no go, under fire from Reunion for some strange reason. So Exusiai followed Mostima as they waded through the many crowds at the marketplace, eyes raking over the many wares with disinterest. Admittedly, it had been awhile since she'd been able to shop with Mostima so the prospect of being here should have been exciting. But this whole situation left her feeling unsure, thoughts muddled with confusion. This was no mall, the workers here retained a sense of cheer as they advertised their wares, the heady smells of cooked meat would likely get Lappland and Texas running.
"I remember this."
She came to a stop next to the fallen angel. That sharp gaze was on one store in particular, the lights dimly flickering from the neon sign. The Penguin spray painted on the brick wall was an artful rendering of Emperor himself, but without the light coming from inside, sheets covering furniture she saw through the bay view window, it had been some time since someone had been here.
"Me too."
"This is where I first met Emperor." There was a wistfulness to Mostima's voice.
Exusiai nodded. "I remember you saying that."
It's also where we reunited after it happened. After you left.
It was hard to talk about the past. Moreover, hard to talk about the day where everything changed. Exusiai wasn't sure either of them would ever repair the hole left in their hearts from her. Tragic was the time an angel fell from grace.
"Texas was so aloof when I met her. I thought she might've been uncomfortable around strangers . . . but now I know she was just being Texas." Mostima shook her head.
Exusiai bit her lip. Texas did act aloof to most people, and it wouldn't be unfair to say off-putting too in business situations. But Mostima was rarely around to see all of her partner, those parts reserved for the people she trusted. Mostima had not seen Texas smile, laugh, smirk and playfully role her eyes like she had. Being away for so long meant missing the treasurable moments with the rest of the girls and Emperor. She didn't know pity was such a strong emotion, though the sadness tugging deep in her soul was familiar.
"Texas isn't always like that." She pointed out in defense of her friend. Words could not describe the amount of emotion she had seen in Texas in the past few months alone. Like a labyrinth of truth, secrets were hidden in the passages leading to her heart. The right person, of dedication and determination, would grapple for the key until they had it.
Mostima shrugged. "Whatever you say."
No. It's not whatever I say. It really is not that. Why are you being so distant?
Contrary to popular belief, Mostima hadn't always been this way.
Why did everything change?
"I think Croissant's interview was the last one we had here. And mine was at Headquarters, and so was Sora's now that I think about it." Exusiai scratched at her chin. The two of them were approaching the threshold of abandoned bar, leaving the distractions of the rest of the market behind.
"Hmm. I'm guessing Lappland's was held at headquarters too?"
Mostima didn't seem particularly interested in the question as she undid the lock on the door. So much for shopping Exusiai thought ruefully. If they were going into a bar like this, with so many memories, they would be here for awhile. And maybe that's a good thing. No distractions. Lowered inhibitions. We can finally talk. Boosting herself up with the positive messages, Exusiai plastered on an expression of calm to mask her building anxiety. Those words however halted her steps.
"Er . . . No. Lappland hasn't had an interview." She murmured.
"Hmm. But I thought she was Texas's girlfriend? She should be a shoe-in. Did something happen?" Mostima asked, fingers closed tightly over the door knob. The metal was rusted over, making it impossible to open without some good jostling.
"No! No. Nothing at all. They just haven't made it official yet."
Come to think of it, is that what Lappland wants to do? When the white wolf first came to Penguin Logistics, it had been as a courtesy to Rhodes Island, the first liaison the pharmaceutical company had shared. To her knowledge, Lappland was still a member of that group, but she could hardly be certain without asking.
Another thing to add to the nonexistent agenda of may never get done and come up happenstance.
"Oh, I see."
"What do you think of Lappland?" She asked.
"I dunno. She's meh." Mostima shrugged. The door popped open with one last jiggle of the knob, the fallen angel promptly shuffling into the darkness without further preamble. Exusiai was on her heels, thankful for once to have her halo illuminating the few feet of space around her in some form of invisible light bubble.
"Meh? That's bland of you."
"Well, that's what happens when you ask about how I feel about someone I hardly know. I suspect Lappland would say the same of me," Mostima said.
The fallen angel strode through the darkness like she had memorized the base's layout with a blindfold on. A clinking a glass shots was heard as she pulled out a view. Exusiai warily settled herself on a barstool. Holes poked through three of the leather seats, though it was hard to tell if it was from vermin or misuse. A small squeaking told her the answer she needed. Turns out those mouse traps they set up last fall weren't effective.
"I really don't think so."
Does Lappland even have meh in her vocabulary? Too many questions before lunch and she was left spiraling. So when shot glasses filled with brown liquid were slid her way she didn't hesitate to gulp down two of them, slowing her pace at the third. If Texas found out she would be mad, but she would deal with that later. The edge was taken off by a burning warmth trailing down her throat. Mostima leaned against the counter across from her, their halos mere inches from brushing.
She blushed at that meaningful stare. "To each their own. Want another?" Another glass was pressed against her opened palms. It was a sweating thing, droplets beading on the outside as a icy ball rolled within. The freezer's whirring was a telltale sign of power riddling somewhere in the small room, not all the circuitry dead.
"Sure." This drink didn't sting her throat with the little sips, though the bitter tang still suggested alcohol. Licking her lips she blinked as her vision blurred just the tiniest bit around the edges. Texas would be so mad.
"So, about what I said earlier . . ."
"Did you mean it?" Exusiai asked.
She had to know.
Mostima nodded. "I did. I wouldn't say something like that if I didn't mean it."
"I know."
She hadn't been totally honest there, but before, back when there were no secrets besides her own bludgeoning burden between them Mostima had been honest with her. She trusted the bluenette as explicitly as her sister did. Mostima, who had a set of finished shots beside her too, was nursing what looked to be a bottle of vodka in her left arm. It was far from her normal tastes, something she'd only seen those Ursus students like. Though they are all underage so I'm not sure why (A/N: not sure of Rosa's age but the main girls are almost for sure so there).
"Would you mind if I . . . ?" A cold hand cupped Exusiai's face, fingernails digging into skin. She let out a tiny gasp, eyes widening as she gave a short nod followed by a stutter. Those blue eyes were narrowed in on one spot in particular, hunger lying in wait.
"S-sure."
The kiss was hurried, teeth close to clacking together as Mostima tugged her forward. Exusiai staggered forward, out of surprise and not unwillingness, mapping out the inches of lips and the corners of the other's mouth. Her hands went to those blue strands of hair, running through them as the kiss deepened with the swipe of a tongue. Cold filled her mouth, a taste of what she imagined stardust to feel like —mixed with gin and brandy— as the desperation grew to a riveting conclusion when they pulled out. A thin trail of saliva separated them as they shared the same air.
"How about another drink?"
"Sure." It was with a giddy smile and certainty she responded this time.
*****
Croissant pouted as she followed Emperor to the lobby, Bison tailing silently on her heels along with Sora. His presence was about the only thing that made this situation any better. The lobby was blasting the air conditioning, the whir of the small disk vacuum cleaner on the floor drowned out from the clamor of voices. Of all the times for LGD to need our help it just had to be now. Her nose wrinkled at the acrid smell of cigarettes. Smoking was prohibited in this building for good reason.
"Is there anything in particular I need to do?" Bison was asking. He seemed eager to help, happy instead of sharing in her frustration. To be fair, their views on LGD's authority were very different. Bushy tailed recruits had a tendency to be unaware of just how annoying these people could be in concerns to business.
"No. Just do as Emperor or we tell you and everything will be fine." Sora told him. She was also happy, for whatever strange reason. The mug the blonde was carrying wafted the sweet scent of caramel. Maybe caffeine did the trick. Too late to investigate now.
"Yo yo yo! If it isn't the LGD." Emperor's introduction was smooth as ever. The helmet headed officers stopped and turned to attention. The dragon lady, Ch'en stood in front of them, along with inspector Hoshiguma and Swire.
"Emperor." Ch'en nodded at him in greeting.
"Nice to see you again Sir." Hoshiguma intoned. Her massive triangle shield was imperious as ever, the dark metal almost oozing with power. So protective, so brutish, not a single dent marred the covering.
"Huh. I thought you'd be taller." Swire commented noncommittally as she eyed up Emperor.
"I can say the same to you. Guess the photos add a few inches." He responded quickly.
Swire hummed, her unamused frown clear as to how she felt. A phone in her hand kept on beeping, it's urgency eliciting a sigh from the pigtailed women. Pressing it up to her ear, a few harsh words were uttered to the speaker before she was walking off. "Gotta take this." Was all she said in way of explanation.
Hoshiguma shook her head while Ch'en rolled her eyes. Croissant had a feeling neither of them got along with Swire all that well, but she resisted commenting on it, especially with the seriousness written all over Ch'en's face. The steady frown she wore wasn't exactly uncommon, but Croissant could not recall a time she addressed Penguin Logistics in such a mood.
"Sorry about her." The defender apologized.
"Other work keeps her from tactics. Her loss really." Ch'en murmured.
"So what can we do for you?" Croissant asked. She stood beside Emperor with her own weapons on display. The weight of her hammer was reassuring, the worn leather band wrapped around her wrist snuggly. Her shield was also a companion of relief, employed with arts energy, it would resist attacks from casters on a whim. Without Texas or Exusiai here, she was the next in charge after Emperor. Only now did the sentiment seep into her bones to make her uneasy. Texas made these interactions look so easy . . . and Exusiai always made light of whatever crazy situation they found themselves in. Without them around something was missing, an integral piece of the weird puzzle they made.
But it's not their fault they can't be here. Emperor explained earlier the why, how tense the LGD were with Infected right now. Penguin Logistics was supposed to be a sort of safe haven from the strangeness, because they 'had no Infected members' at least, not that the LGD knew of. It annoyed her how biased the group was. Lappland was slowly becoming a friend, Mostima was . . . well, she was —it was hard to determine where their relationship fell if she were being honest— and then there was Rhodes Island. Those people deserved the best for turning a blind eye to no one. She wasn't about to let all their hard work go to waste either. So while she was nervous she braced herself to put up the best calm front possible.
At least I'm not alone.
"Not much I'm afraid. Our work is rather private."
She hadn't expected Ch'en to sound so harsh in her reply, but there it was. Each syllable bore a strange weight to it, like she was almost insulted someone insinuated the LGD might need help. It made her want to point out what had just happened back in the ruins. Why weren't you there Ch'en? Why did you leave? You could've left us to die. Did you even care? Maybe it was wrong to feel anger over it, but she did. It's just business to her I'm sure. I wouldn't be surprised if none of this matters to her. As long as she gets paid . . .
No. Surely that wasn't true? Authority figures rarely left good impressions on her. Past experiences had a way of twisting your view on the current situation, leaving you unable to see what was truth and what was falsehood.
And she should know.
Hoshiguma sighed. "What Ch'en meant to say is that you've done more than enough in offering us a temporary headquarters in our time of need. As long as there is someone to show us to all the facilities we have access to here I think we'll be just fine."
"I see."
She relaxed her tensing shoulders. Bison was right behind her, drinking in every word. That was another thing she had to keep in mind here. This experience was brand new to him, the negotiations of business between two groups. What he learned here was the bedrock for all other business he might partake in. So she needed to be a good role model. So stop thinking about other things. Like what he said yesterday. And oh, wouldn't that be the biggest mistake she made today. His blushing face was adorable. A real distraction to the important details zipping around in her brain.
Thankfully, Emperor was able to pick up where she left off. "If that's all then I'm sure Sora would be happy to help you out."
"M-me?" Sora stuttered, surprised.
"Uh, I can help too." Bison offered.
"There'll be no need for that. I'm sure you have better things to do." Ch'en told him, her arms crossed. Croissant resisted the urge to snap at her for being so uptight. He just wants to help.
Yet again Hoshiguma was her partner's balance, a seriousness on her face. "You and Croissant are welcome to help me with a patrol around the district. I was going to go alone but company is always nice."
Now that was definitely something she could get behind, and judging from the quirk of his lips, so could Bison. "Sure. Sounds good."
"Yeah. I'll go get my shield." Bison agreed, darting back to the elevator.
"Alright. We'll be waiting," Hoshiguma said with a respectful nod.
"I'll take my leave. Let me know if you ladies need anything." Emperor walked off after Bison. Croissant watched them go before turning back to Hoshiguma. The tall women leaned on her shield patiently. It wouldn't be long before they were headed out on yet another venture into the city.
*****
"Mmmm, tasty." Lappland licked her lips, swiping at the sauce littering the corners of her mouth. Her hands were coated in the stickiness from all the kebabs she'd eaten, but she hardly cared. The napkins the vendor had handed them lay in a pile on the painted wood, many covered in the same brown barbecue sauce.
Texas shook her head. "I swear you never change. Always so messy." Her plate of kebabs was eaten at a slower, deliberate pace while they lounged together on the bench. The shopping bags from earlier ventures were sitting between her slender legs on the ground. The handles were already beginning to wear out, the little stripes becoming loose.
"Eh. You know you love it."
At those words, or rather, that word, Texas tensed up. Lappland caught onto the mistake by then, but it was too little too late. Stupid stupid stupid. It's too early for that. While it had been revealed Texas continued to care for her while they were apart, it wasn't fair to expect anymore confessions now when they were just getting back to normal.
"I, um, uh . . ." She tried and failed to say something.
Texas shook herself, setting her plate to rest on her lap. "It's fine. And you're not wrong. I do like you, mess and all."
Like not love. See this is exactly why you have to watch what you say Lappland. In the early days of their dating there was never any walls separating the two of them. Everything was simple, no secrets to be had. But they were adults now, time jaded even the purest of hearts if enough of it passed, and neither of them were exactly pure. Not like they had ever been to begin with. The crazy world they lived in made sure of that.
"Oh. Well, that's good then." She resisted the urge to rub the back of her neck. If stickiness was bad to have on your fingers, curling beneath the nails, drying meat sauce at the nape of her neck would be a whole new level of uncomfortable.
"Hmm, our shopping trip went pretty well." Texas commented before taking another bite of her newest kabob. The stringy chicken meat took awhile to chew, allowing for decent pauses to breathe and swallow.
"Yeah. I'm pretty satisfied with what I got." Lappland smiled slyly.
Texas picked up on it without missing a beat. "You went to that one shop while I waited in line . . . what exactly did you get from there?" Dark ears angled to the smallest bag Lappland kept with her. The drawstring handle at the top kept out a prying set of bicolored eyes.
Lappland wiped her hands off as best she could before picking up the small bag and passing it to Texas. This caught her eye immediately, yet she hadn't the slightest clue what Texas would think of this gesture. Or if she'd even appreciate it to begin with. So small, the bag rested in her palm without spilling over the edge.
"This is for you." She offered it up shyly.
"For me?" Texas was perplexed.
"Mhmm. It's okay if you don't like it." She hastened to add. Let there be no hidden expectations to make Texas guarded here; it was her main goal. Please like it. Maybe it was nostalgia which drew her to this little gift, or perhaps her own small item tucked beneath the fabric of her shirt. Either way, a tiny part of her was desperate to have this back, to have her back in this sense.
Texas gasped quietly, pulling out the gift slowly.
There, in her hand was a silver tag necklace.
The metal plaque was blank, filled with uncertainty just like their future. So similar was it to the old necklace Texas used to wear. So similar to the necklace Lappland knew Texas must have thrown away. Her heart plummeted at the blank expression, the gaping mouth in her vision.
Fear was in bloom.
She must hate it.
Why did I think this was a good idea?
How selfish am I to want us to be that close again?
******
A letter.
It burned a hole in her pocket.
The contents inside could not be ignored forever.
Neither could the people who were left behind.
There was no escaping the past, just running to the future.
******
A/N: Every once in a while I manage to write an extra long chapter just for you guys! Let me know what y'all think in the comments (as well as your theories😉) and don't forget to vote! See y'all next time!