He had given him the sad news unfortunately. A sad news for himself in fact. Shifty wouldn't care at all if anything happens to the vase. And with that in mind, Handy didn't seek any sympathy from him. Not that he would expect it to begin with...
Then again, Shifty had been proven him wrong since the last few hours with him, which was unusual, " They took it and sold it to some bear that was out of fashion. Probably still living in the 70s in his head. That jerk bag walked out of that museum with the vase in his hand." He was getting angry explaining it to Shifty.
" Ah, that bear with an afro?" Shifty sounded neutral about him, " I made a deal with him once, ignorant guy." He said without the same tone as Handy had. Handy sink into his chair and was silent afterwards. Though none of them were speaking, there was this uncomfortable tension in the air, an impending conflict between them about to form.
" I'm confuse how they took the vase." The raccoon said, " You didn't fill in the detail on that one.." Handy was getting fed up with him, he acts like this wasn't him to blame in the first place, " There's no point in telling.. Everything that had happened yesterday was your cause. Thanks to you, the vase is in someone's home right now."
Handy was too weary to even raised his voice at the phone. Shifty got his handcuff removed while Handy was left with nothing up to a point to their deal. It was unfair and that left him angry towards the one who started all of this. " Shifty, i'll be straight with you right now, the deed has been done. So let's just end it here and never speak of this again."
Knowing Shifty, Handy suspected he would try to argue back even when he was clearly in the wrong here. However, the deafening silent at his end really surprised Handy. He waited for him to even say a word, but nothing did for the next few seconds. Handy was beginning to think Shifty didn't listen to his speech and was occupied with something else.
Just when he plan to hang up, Shifty finally responded, " Alright, whatever you say man.." he was quiet than before. Handy pressed his head against the speaker and could make out a sound of rustling in the call. This slightly confused him and wondered where Shifty was while having this phone call. Yet, he didn't think much of it and exhaled, " OK, i'm going to end the call now."
He slid his phone down to the table and shortly ended it. The phone rest on the wooden surface as Handy began to reflect of their whole interaction just now. There's something up with that guy that Handy can't put into words.
Shifty was unpredictable to read and had been taking Handy off guard any time he done something he wouldn't likely do. He was aware how extra paranoid he's being to the point where he gets agitated about it. But someone like Shifty wouldn't suddenly just behaved like this, it's implausible.
Enough said, Handy just hope he doesn't get to be in the same room with him anymore. He had a feeling Shifty was scheming onto something. It could likely be the reason why he was being a strange individual. It's just a thought he had for a while.
-
The door of their apartment kept banging nonstop, so much so his neighbor exited their room to shout and swear at him. Obviously, Shifty was insolent enough to pulled a middle finger at them before slamming his other fist on the door once more. The neighbor eventually went back in and shut their door loudly to expressed their frustration.
" For fucks sake!" Finally, he heard his brother swearing behind the door. Shifty stopped what he was doing and watched the door swung open, revealing Lifty, " Who the hell banged at the door this late-" He paused when he saw his twin standing by their front step. Shifty was in his full attire, along with his trench coat. Lifty's eye began to twitched, " Shifty, you could've call me. It's three in the morning!"
The older twin showed his screen phone, " Phone's dead while i was out. Did i wake you up?" Shifty answered without feeling sorry. Lifty scoffed, " No shit." He then let him entered, still talking to his twin, " Why did you come home this late? Town center is only a ten minute journey from here."
Lifty already knew he didn't made it out alive just by looking at the time. Especially how less tattered he appeared to be than previously (not to mentioned the trench coat came out of nowhere). It was quite telling how frequent Shifty got revived in this hellish town," I... ran into an issue on the way home." said Shifty, taking off his coat.
The younger brother locked the door, " What, you got tripped by a bike again?" He snickered by his mockery. Shifty glared at him before hitting him with his coat, " Shut it! Where's that damn gun when i need it?" He threw the coat on the hanger afterwards. Lifty grinned nervously, " Woah man, take a joke for once."
The other twin ignored him as he followed Shifty into the kitchen, Lifty then sighed annoyingly, " Seriously though, why risk getting the vase that got you arrested and killed?" He finally called out his brother stupidity. Shifty seemed to refuse to tell him as he opened the cupboard, a single beer rested in there. He grabbed the unopen beer and tapped it open. He noticed his brother was willing to wait, whether he likes it or not.
Shifty looked away and leaned against the cabinet, " It's nothing really.." His bland response resulted Lifty to be unconvinced. The older twin decided to chugged the beer. " Don't tell me you retrieved it back for Handy? That be so hilarious if you do so." Lifty guessed it as a joke.
Immediately, Shifty choked on his beer and started to cough uncontrollably. He went near the sink while Lifty looked a little bemused. He stood there blankly as he watched his brother wheezing and struggling to control his breathing.
It didn't take a while to solve the puzzle as Lifty's eyes went wide when realization hit him, he gasp lightly, " No way." he said quietly but barely for Shifty to hear from his distance. By the time Shifty wiped his mouth with his sleeve, he heard his brother laughing behind his back. Shifty prompt both palms on the sink, he held his head low as the half drink beer was place next to the sink.
Once the laugh had died down and Shifty regaining his breathing, he finally came clean, " Yeah, apparently it was a heirloom. Had to searched for Lumpy because he sold it to an auction at the museum. Then everything went to shit." After he summarized his entire adventure (not quite), he removed his hands and turned around to face Lifty, " How was Lammy by the way?"
Lifty quickly stopped him, " Hold it. Don't change the subject here." he eyed at him differently now, as if he was an intruder, " Just why?" The one near the sink, took the beer back and stare at him dumbfounded, he flickered his gaze side to side, " What do you mean why?" Lifty took a moment to processed this, " Why did you do all of that?"
The main question was starting to get to him now. He felt his body sweating as he seemed to be off edge. Shifty gripped the bottle tightly and thought deeply about it. But it was difficult for him when he got no answer to it. Shifty simply shrugged, " I just followed what my guts says." This further led to more puzzlement as Lifty cocked his head a little, a bit frustrated by Shifty's lack of clarification, " There's something wrong with you. You won't do something nice out of the blue, that's just not you at all."
Shifty can't disagree with that statement even though it was a bit insulting, " I hate that your right for once.." He begin to panic a little, his free hand somehow reached to his mouth, " I don't know Lifty, i even felt awful for him.. is it that bad?" Sure, he did gained some respect towards Handy, but thinking it back, it may be him taking action for his wrong doing. Lifty bit his lips, " Well yes but morally no.. he probably did something to you that change your behavior."
" I still feel the same, i flipped our neighbor off before you open the door for me." Shifty attempted to contradict. This was starting to get nonsensical with the brothers worrying something that should not be major. Lifty seemed hesitant to tell his thoughts aloud, " Yes you're still the same stubborn, egotistic and the most aggravating brother i know.." he sounded awkward from where he was going with this, " But i have a feeling you're trying to get to know him.."
Shifty look stunned, not because Lifty just insulted him deeply on a personal level. He set his beer aside once again and raised his finger up high, " I declare bullshit! If that was the case i should already know how much salary he makes."
Lifty folded his arms, " Just admit it Shifty. We both know i'm right. Plus, making another friend would be nice." He gave him a little encouragement. Shifty curt his head to the side, " Psh, i have strict circles. You and Lammy are enough for me."
" Oh, i don't want to be in your circle-"
Shifty cut him off before he could finished his sentence, " Now if you'll excuse me, i'll be in my room." He exited the kitchen afterwards. Lifty noticed the beer remained at the counter, " Uh, you left your beer!"
" You can have it!" Shifty shouted across the apartment and grumbled his way to his room. Lifty scrunched his face, " Blegh, gross.." He picked the beer up and put it inside the fridge instead. He's certainly not going to drink it, yet he wouldn't dare to leave it to waste as well.
As Lifty slammed the fridge, he let out a deep exhale, feeling a lack of conviction, " He's a lost cause." he said to himself and head back to his room shortly after.
-
End Of Chapter.
Author's note:
Not the proudest with this chapter and i'm struggling to get into writing lately :(