WHEN DUD YHIS BOOK GET IVER 100 READS
minx was waiting outside the door with wide eyes and dropped jaw but magnolia breezed right past her.
"niki may want to run away more, now, keep an eye out," she said over her shoulder, not stopping as she stomped down the hall.
"what just happened?" minx shouted after her, not getting an answer because she had already rounded the corner.
"... puffy?" minx asked, poking her head in and seeing the two girls staring at each other.
"yeah, you guys can sort that out." the door shut abruptly and they had privacy.
"we're not bad guys, niki. you know how i am," puffy said quietly, playing with her hands.
"how can i trust that? at least you guys knew i was lying," niki sniffled as tears started to rush forward. so much had happened and so fast.
"because i wouldn't be a dick to my player two," puffy whispered, hugging her swiftly before she could react and softening at the feeling of niki melting into her.
"i'm sorry, cap," niki sobbed. "i don't know what to do. i feel awful because there's something i know i need to do but i can't because it would hurt you and your friends and other people. i hate my job so much."
"then quit and join us. we have cookies and brunch with the southwest 'slums' on thursdays," puffy said with a little smile. niki huffed a tiny laugh and flashed a grin.
"i can't just do that," she said, wiping her eyes with the heels of her palms.
"sure you can. fake your death or do some big dramatic switcheroo right in front of the press, show em how wrong they can be about people they think they know," puffy urged.
"wouldn't that be wrong, though?" niki muttered.
"if you knew the amount of shit that we've picked up after your workplace did an oopsie, you would've quit ages ago," she whispered.
"why didn't you tell me?" niki asked, confused beyond words.
"i had an identity and operation to hide. plus, you were happy with that job despite how much you complained about that gross boss of yours," puffy said, also seeming sad with her decision. niki stayed quiet.
"okay," she finally whispered. "i'm sorry i yelled at you and upset magnolia. that wasn't professional of me."
"you don't have to be professional with me, we're friends," puffy chastised teasingly.
"yeah but... she's your boss and your friend. don't you care? aren't you worried about her right now?" niki asked.
"i've learned that when she says what she needs to she then has to go blow off some steam and that usually means working out. she knows to not go out into the field when she's emotionally out of it and minx and i have made absolute sure of that," puffy stated.
"positive?"
"positive."
"okay then. i also need to cool down a little bit, if you don't mind, i still feel all jittery," niki said, chewing on her cheek.
"yeah, you do look wound up. i can grab you some snacks and turn on a bubble bath for you, if you'd like," puffy offered. niki nodded with a grateful smile and got up to figure out how the tub worked.
fists slammed into the beaten pink leather, formerly red. sweat ran down her back and her teeth gritted as bare knuckles were hit over and over by harsh pink cloth that covered a large punching bag.
what makes you a bad guy? public opinion?
hit.
your threat to the public?
hit.
the amount of blood on your hands, no matter it's reason?
hit.
your past self?
the sound of ripping cloth brought magnolia back. she also fell into her last punch and got sand all over her now bleeding hands.
what is so wrong with me? magnolia did her best to dust off her hands but the blood made the sand stick even worse.
she needed a shower. a very hot and nicely scented shower.
bubbles crept along the sides of the tub and clung to niki's skin when she sank into the hot water. puffy walked around the wooden partition that she'd found (for privacy's sake) with a small bowl of chips and mug of steaming tea.
"i'll put these just over here so you don't drop them in your bath," she said with a smile, setting them on a little table they'd pulled over.
"thank you..."
"all good there?"
"is your real name actually puffy?" niki asked timidly. puffy's grin widened and she shrugged.
"technically but i like captain too," the brunette said after a few moments of thought.
"captain puffy," niki said regally, pushing her shoulders back and holding her head high.
"that one's good too!" she laughed.
"thank you, thank you, i'll be here all week," niki joked, reclining. puffy smiled sadly and nodded, leaving her to sit in the sudsy water. after she'd gone, niki's little smile faded and she started to play with her fingers under the water.
was she actually going to join them? that was, like, so out of character for her! puffy's her friend and minx wasn't absolutely terrible. magnolia... magnolia was passionate about what she believed was right and kind and actually pretty sweet. she actually did a lot of things that niki had wanted to do as a younger person but niki found it impossible to do within the restrictions of the law and had to give up.
did she have to pick a side? yeah, actually. her best friend and what would be considered her ex-arch-nemesis versus creepy boss. oh yeah, and those people who bombed the casino who apparently also want to kill her for being associated with said ex-arch-nemesis.
funny how that works.
there was another option, which was applying for a witness protection program and moving to canada and/or australia. that was actually sounding a lot nicer, just leaving everything here for a good bottle of root beer.
that wouldn't fix anything, though, and it would be pretty good to help people even if it meant being on the 'bad' side. good and bad are relative to the person who speaks up, after all.
the door opening abruptly pulls her from her thoughts and niki froze. she was in the bath, blocked from view of the door by the partition, but also unable to see the door herself. this will be an awkward encounter. a familiarly toned sigh was just barely audible and niki silently cursed.
of course it was magnolia. it was her bathroom.
"why'd puff put up the shoji screen?" she muttered, her shuffling pausing for a moment before starting again to the shower.
"whatever, i'll take it down after."
"please don't," niki spoke up, cringing at how quiet it became when she made a noise.
"niki."
"yeah...?"
"did puffy make you a bath and a tray of snacks?"
"yeah..." the sigh sounded again but it was more amused than the last one.
" 'course she did." it became silent except for the twos breathing, which became increasingly awkward so magnolia took the initiative.
"look, i'm sorry for getting all upset at you but this is something i can do to be helpful to someone and make sure it actually means something. i won't let you call us bad for it." niki felt herself wilt a little at the direct but dejected tone.
"i should be the one apologizing. i'm terrible for not doing more digging on you and your operations and, well, everything. i've always been taught that good and evil is a black and white concept but, to put it metaphorically, you've shown me the gray. and i know it will take some time for me to understand everything that makes up that 'gray' but i'm willing to try." niki was determined to not hear that horribly sad voice again. magnolia really did seem to enjoy her company, sometimes, when neither was on edge.
"that was very well put, niki, almost like a poem," magnolia said softly, her heart melting a little.
"i guess so." niki smiled with her eyes at the shadow of magnolia on the other side of the partition.
"now may i take a shower or do you want me to wait until you get out of here? i need to wash my hands," magnolia proposed. niki's mind immediately flew into worried mode.
"did you cut them on something? cap said you would be blowing off steam," niki asked, standing from the water and swiftly pulling a robe onto herself.
"oh! uh- no i, what?" magnolia stuttered, thrown completely off guard at the rushed sounds on the other side of the screen and taking a surprised step back when niki came around while she was tying the fluffy rope around her waist.
"lemme see," she commanded. magnolia immediately gave her both hands without thinking.
"did you break a punching bag or something?" she asked sarcastically, blinking with an unreadable expression when she nodded.
"so these are from punching a bag without any hand protection on?" she asked, gently touching the area around the broken skin. magnolia nodded again, clenching her jaw to not make a noise.
"alright, dress it first or shower first? i don't know if you have waterproof plasters or bandages or not but soap'll make it hurt more," niki said knowledgeably.
"i should probably shower," magnolia said, regretting her choice to beat up her hands.
"okay, try not to get anything in them." niki nodded to her and awkwardly pat her on the shoulder.
"sheesh, you're acting like puffy but worse," magnolia laughed.
"yeah, yeah-" niki rolled her eyes "- go cry about it." magnolia gasped in mock-affrontedness then shooed niki back behind the divider so she could get in the shower.
"that's very rude of you, maybe i will," magnolia sniffed.
"good," niki said smugly. both smiled and enjoyed the hot water while it lasted (in separate areas obviously).
sorry for slow update, not been feeling too good mentally and the end of the school year is swiftly approaching so it's even worse :')
i did listen to my first ever taylor swift album though and im very pleased with it :]