just thinking abt how in a modern setting Keefe would most definitely get one of those Tesla cybertrucks and think he was the shit
Like that one tiktok audiođ
Dex would be flabbergasted and refuse to talk to him
âThereâs no way ur being fr Keefe, what in hell r u drivingâ
âYou know itâs the new Tesla cyber truck, got it from my boy Elonâ
âYou ainât KICKIN IT with Elonâ
âSo, you mean to tell me that in the span of one hour,â A voice says, holding up their pointer finger. âYou served a guy named Nyxx, coffee, and then got saved by him from a giant mutant lizard-scorpion-whatever, and then he took you to the hospital?â
Nodding, Xen stared sheepishly at the person in front of her. âYup, that about sums it up.â
The person in question was Xenâs friend, Sandy, who was treating her to a fast-food dinner after hearing about her hospital visit.
âJeez, howâs that work? Did he just leave ya there?â Sandy asks, stuffing a fry into her mouth.
âNo, no!â Xen denies, shaking her head. âHe stayed until the doctor said I was good to go. Then he actuallyâŚdrove me home?â
âWhat?!â Sandy exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table. âYou let some random guy drive you to your house?!â
âHeâs not random! And he was just doing it cause he was nice!â
Sitting back down barely containing herself, Sandy breathed deeply. Now, Xen was going to get an earful, as well as a long parental lecture about boys.
âAlright, alright. So, he saved you?â
Arching a brow, Xen answers hesitantly. âYes?â
âAnd you sensed no ulterior motives?â Sandy questioned, looking Xen in the eyes.
âOf course not.â Xen replied, stern.
She may have only know him for a short while, but Xen could tell Nyxx was different. A good different. He saved her, went of his to get her help and make sure she got home. He was mysterious and a little standoffish, but he still did so much for her.
âThenâŚI guess thereâs really nothing to worry about.â Sandy said, slumping back against the booth seat. âJust, call me next time you get into danger, alright? This cityâs got a shit ton of problems, I donât need you getting kidnapped by a league of evil-doers as one of them, got it?â
Sighing with relief, Xen nodded happily. âWill do, San! Anyway, wanna go see a movie? Thereâs this new one that just came out, itâs about like, aliens or something!â
âYeah, sure.â Sandy agreed, pushing up from the table with Xen.
â
(Fifteen minutes earlier)
Smoke fills the air as a fire raged inside a burning building. Police and firefighters had rushed to the scene, conveniently not noticing a tall figure jump out of a third-story window.
âDidnât I tell you not to make a mess this timeâ
Adaâs voice pierced through the comm, making Nyxx wince from the sound.
âIt was tougher than expected.â He replied, landing on the sidewalk and easing through the crowds.
âClearly! You knocked down a building, Nyxx!â Ada yelled.
âI didnât knock it down,â Nyxx stated, turning into an alley. âThat stupid Flame Ghoul was stronger than I realized. A lot stronger than Intel told us. Not my fault heâs a lousy informant.â
With ease, he climbed up an apartment buildingsâ fire escape and landed on a roof.
Ada groaned and Nyxx could practically hear the pinching of her nose. âListen, we just got another report that says those damn Imps are out and about again, so get to these coordinates and Iâll meet you there. Weâll talk about yourâŚscrew-up with the Sergeant later.â
âWhatever.â Nyxx replied, cutting the comm off.
He glanced at his wrist, where a fancy, high-tech looking watch set. A hologram appeared as he jumped from roof to roof, coordinates showing what looked to be a location not far from where he was.
Great, he thought, now Iâll get a lecture in person too.
Ada was sort of his superior, in a way. She was a third year at EDEN and had lots of experience under her belt. She was the one recruited him in the first place, actually.
However, that didnât make her mom-ing any less annoying.
â
Xen hadnât thought about that night very much. In fact, sheâd barely thought about it at all! She had much more important things to worry aboutâŚ
âŚis what she would have said, if her near-death experience plus also getting save by a really hot guy hadnât totally turned her brain into mush.
When he brought her to hospital, he insisted he could pay for any expenses. She wanted to object, but she was also a poor, fresh-out-of-college graduate and had eight dollars to her name. Then after that, he insisted to take her home himself, as she could still possibly be in danger.
âIâll get ya home, least I can do after all this. Oh, andâŚhold on..â He mumbled, pulling out a piece of paper and writing on it. âHere ya go, itâs my number. In case anything happens, call me. Iâm not sure how that monster behaves yet, so itâs possible it might come after ya, so keep it handy.â
Did she keep the note and memorize it and reread it a million times? Maybe.
But she also didnât have a phone, as she lost it on the train. She was mainly hoping nothing bad would happen, cause she definitely did not have a device to call him on. At the same time, though, she really wanted to see him again.
And who could blame her?
Nyxx was kind and strong, and very, very attracted. And you donât get saved by those kinds of people everyday.
âUh, hello, Earth to Xeeeennn?â Sandy said, snapping her fingers in the otherâs face.
Flinching, Xen flashed back to the present and turned to Sandy, who looked a bit put-off.
âOh, sorry, what were you saying? Is the movie starting?â
âUh, no, it just ended.â Sandy furrowed her eyebrows. âJeez, you can be such an airhead sometimes. Were you sleeping with your eyes open or somethinâ?â
Noticing everyone else is in the theatre leaving, Xen felt a little embarrassed. Could she really be that distracted by Nyxx?
âUgh, whatever. Letâs just go, I already see the cleaners rollinâ in. Come on.â Sandy took Xenâs hand, leading her to the doors.
They threw away the trash and walked into the lobby. Sandy waved to one of her friends working at the counter, then stretched and yawned.
âThat movie was pretty good, all things considered. Hey, wanna come over tonight? We could paint our nails and talk about our crushes!â Sandy said, posing dramatically.
Xen laughed, covering her mouth. âIâd love to, but Iâve got the opening shift tomorrow. Maybe next time.â
âUghhhhh, why do you work so much? Try living a little, Xen. Maybe going to a few parties might loosen you up.â Sandy poked at her, smirking.
âIâm perfectly fine the way I am. Besides, the whole life of the party slash laidback misfit is way more your style.â Xen stated, nudging the taller girl.
Sandy chuckled, stuffing her hands into her pockets. âYeah, guess youâre right. No one can compare to my utter brilliance.â
Xen just laughed, pushing past the front doors and into the parking lot.
Approaching Sandyâs beat up, Scooby-Doo-style van, the girlâs are stopped by a scream.
âLook at that! In the sky!â
âWhat the hell?â
âRun!â
âHoly shit!â
Both Xen and Sandy turned to the commotion, noticing a large green object heading straight toward them.
Launching many expletives out of her mouth, Sandy ran to the van, hopping in and starting the engine.
âOh crap, we gotta go! Gotta go gotta go gottaâ Xen? Xen?! What the hell are you doing?! Hurry up!â Sandy commanded, shouting from her place in the driverâs seat.
But Xen was frozen, staring up at, whatever it was. She couldnât move. This wasnât like the fear she got from the lizard-mutant, no, this was way different. Not even her fight or flight response was kicking in. She was utterly helpless, and there was a sick feeling that she wouldnât be saved this time.
Xen probably wouldnât have even had enough time to call Nyxx, let alone find some way to communicate with him.
Another shout from Sandy came from the van, but Xen didnât hear it. A weird static was filling her head, like the buzzing when a TV stops working right. It was all she could do to keep staring, to keep calm, to accept it.
Before she can think, however, Xen is yanked away before the green thing hits the ground.
â
(All the way on the other side of the city)
Nyxx strolled alongside as Ada led him through a warehouse. He, unfortunately, had to listen to another one of his upperclassmenâs tirades.
âOh, and donât even get me started on your lack of discipline! You think because your so strong that you can just run around all half-cocked and then get sympathy when you fail! Like, obviously! Did you not see him prioritize getting soda over killing the damn Leech Ghouls?!â Ada complained, stomping down the poorly-lit hallway. âWhatâs even worse, literally nobody calls you out on it! Not even Red or Stein! And Stein is the nit-pick of the century!â
Nyxx just rolled his eyes, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. The only reason they were in this place was because they got a report of the Imp Ghouls running around terrorizing the place. Pain and Panic, loyal servants to that damned Devil.
âYa know, I think youâre over-thinking this. Iâm pretty sure the reason nobody gets on my ass about stuff is cause I make the right calls. Ya told me to save people, Ada.â Nyxx said, pointedly looking at the woman.
âUgh, I know what I said, but that doesnât mean you can just abandon missions. That Scorpious mutant is still out there, probably running around in the sewers. And Iâm the one that gets blamed for it, remember? Cause everyone thinks youâre my protege. Bullshit..â
Nyxx only shrugged, all he had to do was bring down Ghouls and bring their souls to be exorcised or judged. It wasnât his place to decide their fate, all he had to do was capture them.
Sure, maybe he wasnât doing too good a job of that recently, but people still understood why.
He just wished Ada could as well.
For all her hot-headedness, Ada was very smart and talented. She was one of the top students at EDEN, and her combat skills were incredible. She claimed she could do anything, and so far, she made good on that claim. Out of most people at the academy, Ada was definitely one of his favorites.
Except for her nagging. That was one quality he could live without.
âAda! Ada, do you read me?â A voice from her watch questioned, urgently.
âIntel? Yes, whatâs up?â Ada stopped, putting a hand on her hip.
âListen, I need both you and Nyxx to go to downtown, quick. Something big just exploded in a theatre parking lot and weâre not entirely sure what it is. We need you to get a read on the situation, hurry.â
âShit, okay, I got it. Weâre on our way.â Ada closed the call and swiftly turned around. âNyxx, letâs go.â
Nyxx only nodded, breaking out into a run to follow her.
â
When Xen came to, her ears were ringing. Everything around her was a dizzying haze. All she could see what a greenish smoke, and what looked to be rubble on the ground. Something warm drips down her face and before Xen can register it, sheâs being dragged across the ground.
âDammit, Xen! Wake up! We need to go!â A distant voice yells, one she slowly recognizes as Sandy.
âS-Sandy?â She coughed, pain wracking throughout her body.
What happened? The last thing she remembered was leaving the theatre.
âOh my god, holy shit, are you okay?â Sandy stopped, kneeling down to hold Xen steady.
âIââ Another cough, this one feeling worse than the last. âI donât know.â
Sandy was in utter distress at this point, looking around wildly, shouting for help. But Xen couldnât concentrate, there was this buzzing under her skin. Her head felt like it was on fire and being beaten like a drum at the same time.
Suddenly, flashes of memories fly into her mind. They arenât her memories, though, sheâs awake enough to know that. There was a picture of a desert, then a stark-white room with medical supplies everywhere, and then fire. Green fire, all around, everywhere. It consumed everything it touched, including people who looked like doctors or scientists. A sharp pain enters her head, along with what sounded like high-pitched screaming.
âGah!â Xen shrieked, squeezing her hands over her ears.
âWhat? Whatâs wrong?â Sandy panicked.
Xen couldnât answer. The burning feeling was worse, it felt like it was through her entire body now. The screaming only became louder as her muscles seemed to ignite more and more. Almost to the point of an exploding sensation.
She doesnât know when it happened, but quickly, her entire body became enveloped in flames. Green fire, just like the memories. Just like the thing in the sky.
Her screams were agonizing now, and they mixed well with the ones in her mind.
Xen knew Sandy was freaking out, but she couldnât stop it. Her entire being was in complete pain overdrive.
She canât tell when it stops, when the screams go silent and the fire goes out. What she can tell is, is a cold darkness covering her. Whispers of something she canât quite grasp, until sheâs completely enthralled in darkness.
â
On the outside, there was Nyxx and Ada. Nyxx was cocooning Xen inside of shadows, seemingly stopping the flames. Hopefully.
âIs she alright?â Ada asked, standing above the scene with a grimace.
âI donât know, it looked really bad.â Nyxx replied, his tone uncertain.
He hadnât expected to see Xen again, especially not under such horrible circumstances. It had only been a week since her last brush of death, and he was certain she was out of residual danger.
Nyxx would be lying if he said he hadnât thought about her. His mind had wandered to the girl a few times, wondering if she was alright. Heâd ordered one of the EDEN cadets to keep an eye on her, in case that mutant came looking for her before he could find it. The whole reason he even gave her his number was so he could help her out if need be, so why hadnât she called?
Was he too late?
Had he failed to save someone again? Someone counting on him?
Nyxx hated that feeling, it scared him.
âIs she gonna be okay?â A girl asked, rubbing her nose as tears ran down her face.
She must be a friend of hers, Nyxx noted in his head.
âIâll do everything I can to help her, I swear.â Nyxx assured.
He wanted to say everything would be alright, but he couldnât say that. Empty promises were much worse than harsh truths. All he could do now was try his best to save Xen.
Nyxx didnât get very far, though, because something exploded out of the crater in the middle of the parking lot.
Both he and Ada quickly turned, standing to attention atâŚwhatever the hell was crawling out of that thing. They looked like a bunch oozy slime balls, but he could see their exoskeletons, which were clearly made of metal.
âNow what in the hellâŚâ Ada faltered, gagging at the way they moved. âThey look like worms, but worse!â
Nyxx glared at the scene. The weird neon-colored worms kept coming out of the iron rock thing that blasted into the concrete. And they were also, forming? Into each other. Honestly, Nyxx just wanted to wipe them from the Earth immediately.
Summoning shadows, he turned them into spikes and shot them like arrows at the slime worms. They just consumed them, though.
âWell, fuck.â He swore, running out of ideas.
âGreat, now I can put, defeating a giant slime monster on my list of accomplishments to hold over your head.â Ada cackled, unlocking her bo-staff and running at the things with swiftness.
Her efforts are in futile though, every hit just slides through the worms. Nyxx, whose great at multitasking, tries to figure out both what it is and how it can die.
âOkay, seriously, can we please get out of here?!â The other girl pleaded, yanking her hair in frustration.
âI need to help Ada, but how. I canât just leave XenâŚâ Nyxx mutters to himself.
Ada continues her struggle with the slime monster, occasionally throwing rocks and car pieces at it.
âGod! Why isnât anything working?!â She shouts, grinding her teeth.
Nyxx doesnât get a chance to do anything though, because the slime monster finishes forming. A loud roar emanates from its mouth, and now it looks more like a four-legged snake with multiple heads.
âFucking fantastic.â Nyxx rolls his eyes.
âShit, what should we do?!â The girl asks, causing Nyxx to turn back to her.
âYou shouldnât do anything, just get out of here. Iâll take care of Xen.â
âWhat?! No! Iâm notâ wait, howâd you know her name was XenâŚ?â The girl asked, looking at him with suspicion. âWait a second. Tall, white hair, white coat, and an attitudeâŚholy shit! Youâre him!â
Nyxx stares, puzzled. WhatâŚâŚ?
His confusion is short lived, as a loud blast comes from the other direction. Ada, having jumped out of the way, barely missed being crushed by a slimey hand. It retracted back into the mass of ooze, which totally wasnât gonna haunt Nyxxâs dreams or anything, and slowly came toward them.
Ada sprints back to him, barely needing to catch her breath. âOkay, okay, Nyxx, call backup. I have no idea how to kill this thing and it doesnât seem like a typical Ghoul.â
Screeching from the monster interrupted him, though, as his attention is drawn yet again to the monster. Knives stick out of its green slime skin, but they donât fall away, and seem to be extracting some kind of poison into it.
But just from the make of the knives, Nyxx knew exactly who it was.
Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of Red. In full EDEN uniform attire, he stood on the top of car, holding a spectacularly sharp knife.
âRed?!â Ada exclaimed.
âIntel told me you two might need some help, so here I am.â He spoke, his voice flat and monotone as usual.
âHey, Red.â Nyxx nodded at him. âI assume youâve got a plan?â
âThe makings of one, why?â Red questioned, walking toward the group.
âCause I need to get her to Tsubaki and the other girls at the school so they can heal her.â Nyxx stated, looking from Red to Xen, who was still wrapped in shadows.
âRight. Well, hurry it up. Ada and I can handle things here.â Red dismisses, walking past and gesturing Ada to follow. âDo be quick about it though, I can almost smell all the blood sheâs lost.â
Nyxx winced, but hurried to pick Xen up and find the quickest way out.
âWeâre taking her to a hospital, right?â Xenâs friend implored.
âSomething like that, but we need a ride.â
âAh. I have a van.â She states, pointing to a an almost replica of that one van from the ghost cartoon.
âGreat, letâs go.â He rushes over, using a shadow to tank the back doors open.
The other girl jumps into the front seat, starting the van and pulling speeding out quickly.
Nyxx looks down, unveiling some of his shadows to see the girl. She was trembling, and her face was scrunched up in discomfort. Vein-like lines trailed from her eyes to her neck, like an infection. Nyxx didnât know much about human diseases, but green stuff on the face really shouldnât be there.
His arms instinctually tighten around the girl, a feeling of both anger and worry settling over him.
âDonât worry, Xen. Youâll be alright, Iâll make sure of it.â
â
ANOTHA ONE FOR MY GIRL @3xen ENJOY LOVELY
âThere you go, Miss Sandy! All better!â Mio smiled, wrapping up the last of her wounds.
Sighing, Sandy moved her arm, it was a little sore, but nothing some pain meds couldnât deal with.
âThanks..â She muttered, staring blankly at the wall.
Yuki and Mio shared a look, one of concern and worry.
âWe need to cheer her up! But how?â Mio whispered to the older girl.
âHmmâŚmaybe some tea? That always helps Ms. Yashiro when she comes back from missions!â Yuki whispered back.
âOh! Good idea! You go make it and Iâll stay here and try to make her feel better, âkay?â
Yuki nodded, heading out of the room swiftly. With an ever brightening smile, Mio looks back to girl sitting on the cot.
âSo, whatâs youâre favorite color?â
Sandy blinks, realizing a bit late that sheâs being spoken to. âOh..what? Mine?â
âYes! My favorite color is pink, but yellow is also good.â Mio spoke, putting a finger to her chin.
âI guess, I really like blue.â Sandy shrugged, folding one leg over the other.
Mio almost beams with excitement, a toothy smile spreading across her face. Just then, Yuki returns with the tea.
âHere you are, Miss Sandy.â Yuki said, setting down the tea on bedside table.
âThanksâŚuhâŚsorry, what were your names again?â Sandy asks with a nervous grin.
The girls waste no time in answering, bright smiles on both their faces. âIâm Mio, and this is Yuki!â Mio points to a slightly taller girl with
âWeâre training under Miss Tsubaki to become healers! As well as medical professionals!â Yuki giggles, holding her head with pride.
Mio nods along. âMmhm! Youâre actually one of our first real patients, Miss Sandy!â
âYeah?â Sandy arches a brow, her mouth quirking up a bit.
âYup! Miss Tsubaki doesnât really give any of the serious tasks to us just yet, since weâre so young, but sheâs been a bit more lenient with letting us help out!â
Confused, all Sandy can manage is a weak nod. The most sheâs been able to do for the past few hours is sit and zone out. After seeing what happened to Xen, thereâs something creeping in her head. She was powerless to do anything to help Xen, and the only reason her best friend didnât die was because of some weird magic-science shit. Sandy was useless, and an innocent person, one of the only people to ever understand her, almost paid the price.
How could she face Xen again? Wouldnât that be selfish? Clearly somethingâs going on, and Sandyâs more than out of the loop. Sheâd just get in the way, right?
And almost as if sensing it, Mio frowned. âIs everything okay, Miss Sandy?â
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sandy looks up to the girl, whose now sitting on the cot.
âIâm fine.â Sandy says, clearly not fine.
Yuki and Mio share a look, but just as theyâre about to say something, a figure rushes into the room.
âYuki, Mio! Make some room!â Another girl demands, her bright pink hair the first thing Sandy noticed.
In a matter of seconds, the girls move things around until another cot is placed down, along with many machines beside it.
âWeâre ready, Shiori!â Yuki shouts, and suddenly the room is crowded.
Two girls hurry in, carrying a man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
Widening her eyes and scooting back a little, Sandy watched the organized chaos that was these girlâs process.
The girl with pink hair, Shiori, helps another with brown hair tied into braids lay the man down. They quickly start to hook the man up to the machines, putting what Sandy could only assume was an IV in his wrist. The man in question, however, just used his other arm to remove his cigarette and blow out smoke.
âEveninâ ladies, howâve ya been?â He smiles lazily, his thick southern accent sounding like something straight out of a cowboy movie.
âMr. Mustang please, throw that out! Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, but smoking is extremely prohibited in the Infirmary!â Shiori commanded, glaring a bit at the man.
He only shrugs, taking another drag. âTsubaki ainât here, so whatâs the big deal? This idânt hurtinâ nobody..â
âMaybe you can survive it, but we have another patient in here, sir!â Mio pouts, pointing to where Sandy was sitting.
Taking notice of her, the man widens his eyes a bit, and Sandy is able to fully look at him. Heâs got shoulder-length, messy blonde hair with a stubble along his jaw, as well as snake-skin boots and a flashy belt.
âWell now, didnât see ya there darlinâ, thatâs my mistake.â He grins, his eyes dancing with amusement. âWhoâs that? I thought yâall only took care of agents and special cases?â
The girl with twin braids answers, âShe came in last night with Nyxx, who insisted that we take care of her and her friend.â She explained.
Nodding, the man, orâŚMustang? Flicked his cigarette into a nearby trash can. âFriend, huh? Mustâa been real bad if Nyxx had somethinâ to say about it.â
âThatâs what I was thinking, considering he only really talks to Ada and Red.â Shiori expressed, looking up in thought.
More confused than ever, Sandy merely sat on the cot, staring as the girlâs worked around the man. Yuki, looking over, perked up.
âMiss Sandy! You havenât had any tea!â She walks over, a gentle smile on her face. âTrust me, itâs good. Itâs one of Miss Tsubakiâs herbal blends, itâs supposed to make you feel lighter!â
Hesitating, Sandy merely looks at the tea. âThanks, but I think Iâm alright.â
âDonât be shy, uh, Sandy, was it?â Mustang calls from the other side of the room.
âYeah.â She confirms flatly, already tired of this conversation.
âWell, you can trust me on all this tea business, alright? It really does make ya feel good, and who knows? It might loosen ya up!â He laughs.
Narrowing her eyes, Sandy turns from the man to stare at the tea once more. Then, with a sigh, she downs it like a shot. Well, all that partying experience really does pay off sometimes.
Not in this case though, because as soon as she set the cup down, Sandy felt every kind of dizzy. âThe hellâŚ?â She mumbled, her words slurred.
âOh dear, oh no! Miss Sandy! You arenât supposed to drink it that quickly!â Yuki panics, reaching her hands out then pulling them back.
âHaha! Alright! This girl knows how to party! Iâve only seen alcoholics down a drink in one swig like that, Iâm impressed!â Mustang cackles, throwing his head back.
âMustang! Do not encourage this!â Shiori grumbled, tightening the bandages she was wrapping around his waist.
âOw! Hey!â He winced. âThatâs where I got shot! Ainât ya supposed to be a healer?!â
âWeâre doctors, Mustang, not push-overs. Now shut up and settle down, otherwise Iâll just call Miss Tsubaki in here to deal with you.â Shiori threatened, and Mustang quickly shut his mouth.
Still recovering from the wooziness, Sandy could barely focus. Blinking rapidly, she gripped onto the cot.
âWhat was even in that?â She rubs her head, then the room begins to look wavy. ââŚthe fuck?â Sandy mutters, looking around as things start turning into other things.
âGreat, sheâs having hallucinations.â The brown-haired girl sighed.
Clearly barely holding it together, Mustang struggles not to laugh, avoiding the glaring daggers of Shioriâs eyes.
âOh goodness! Please, Miss Sandy, lay down! The effects will wear off in a few minutes, so please be still!â Yuki frowns, looking more like a frog with stars for eyes than a human in Sandyâs vision.
âThis is fuckinâ craaaaaazzzzyâŚâ Sandy giggles, falling back into the cot, staring at the ceiling.
âMiss Tsubaki is gonna be so upset!â Mio whines nervously, tapping her foot in worry.
Finishing up with Mustangâs injuries, Shiori heads over to check on Sandy.
âRelax, both of you, sheâll understand if you tell her it was an accident. After all, this girl isnât a regular patient, so really the blame falls on no one.â Shiori reassures, still looking a bit displeased at the giggling Sandy.
And Sandy, well, she accepted the fact that she was definitely tripping. The ceiling turned into a blue sky filled with rainbows, and cupcakes walked with hairy legs. Laughing harder, she could barely contain herself.
âHoly shit, haha! This is so wild!â Sandy cackled, kicking her feet.
On the other side of the room, Mustang bursts out laughing as well.
âMustang!â Shiori yelped, furrowing her brows at the man.
âSorry, I-I just canât! Look at her! Sheâs droolinââ Mustang slaps a hand over his, his whole body shaking.
âYou know what, Iâm just gonna go find Miss Tsubaki and let her handle this, Nanami, come on.â
â
Xen wakes up with a start, as the smell of burning fills her senses. Shooting up, she looks for the source, panic settling in when she canât find it. Her breaths shorten, and theirs a burning sensation in her lungs.
ââŚen. Xen. Xen!â A voice shouts, shaking her shoulders harshly.
Centering herself around the voice, she grabs onto the hands, squeezing them. Unknown to her, tears fall down her face, steaming.
âItâs okay, itâs okay. Youâre alright, Xen, calm down.â The voice comforts, sounding vaguely familiar.
âWhaâŚwhat?â She mumbled out, her voice sounding strained.
The sensation wears down, until eventually fading all together.
âThere you go, thatâs good.â
Looking up, Xen meets the eyes of Nyxx. His mismatched eyes are both a bit weary from something, but they also hold a bit of understanding.
âNyxx?â She asks, struggling to figure out if this was real or not.
He nods, then takes his hands away from her shoulders. âYou, uh, you had a lot of people worried, you know?â He rubbed his neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.
Still a bit confused, Xen tries to gather her bearings. She seemed to be in a hospital room, but nothing except Nyxx felt familiar. How long was she asleep?
âI did? Sorry.â She apologizes, fiddling with her fingers. âUh, where am I, again?â
âYouâre at EDEN Academy, a school that specializes in training people to help get rid of Ghouls, or become Devil Hunters.â
âRiiiiiight.â Xen arches a brow, a bit disbelieving. âAnd, why are you here? In my hospital room, I mean.â
He smiles softly. âI was just checking on you, Tsubaki asked me to, after all.â
A bit flustered, Xen is distracted by the distant sound of running. Itâs a bit strange, Xen normally couldnât hear that well, so howâŚ
Just then, the door flies open, revealing a very distressed Sandy with a Coke in her hands.
âXen!â She yelled, relief written all over her features.
âSandy!â Xen squealed, smiling broadly.
Opening up her arms, Sandy wasted no time running into them.
âJesus Christ, dude! I thought you were gonna die, donât you ever do that again, got it?!â Sandy rambled, still holding the can.
Laughing a bit, Xen covered her mouth. âI promise, and, Iâm glad youâre okay too, Sandy.â
âHaha, yeahâŚâ
Sandyâs voice drifted off, and the telltale sign of her realizing something flew across her face.
âWhatâs wrong?â Xen wondered.
âUhhhhh, itâs nothing! Just, uhm.. okay, donât freak out, alright?â Sandy grinned nervously, squeezing the can with both hands.
A bit scared, Xen tried to figure out what Sandy was worrying so much about. âOkayâŚ? Whatâs happening, right now?â
Sandy glanced to Nyxx, who looks equally as frazzled. He shrugs once he notices her stare, and Sandy turns back with a huff.
âOkay, okay. Just, seriously, itâs not a big deal, like, at all.â Sandy began, her eyes flicking to above Xenâs head.
Without thinking, Xen pulled on a piece of her hair, a nervous habit, then paused. Raising it up, Xen noticed the bright green that replaced her previously dark brown hair.
For a few moments, Xen lived in ignorant bliss, not comprehending what she was seeing. Then, the realization kicked in.
âSandyâŚâ She muttered, her eyes widening.
âXen?â Sandy squeaked, cringing back.
âSandy!â Her voice raised higher, looking to the other in terror.
âYeah?!â Her shoulders bunched, her smile nervous.
âMY HAIR!!â Xen screamed. âITâS GREEN! WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!â
Sandy could only laugh, her tone anxious. âWhat do you mean? It looks great on you! Matches your eyes! OrâŚuh.. never mind. Do not look at your eyes!â
With more horror settling in her bones, Xen scrambles out of bed, toward what she assumes is a bathroom.
Her entire eye, from the iris to the sclera, it was all green. The only part being saved were her pupils, which remained black.
Her mouth fell in shock, and all she could do was stare. Until it became to much, then she screamed.
âWHAT?!?!â
â
lmao that was hilarious @3xen
you know what Fitz is giving me guys?
Sassy man apocalypse
like
You know what I meanđ
We know what you are, Fitzroy Avery Vacker
Wearing Each Otherâs Clothes- flufftober prompt!
A soft melody sounded out from a record player, causing the girl to hum as she flipped the page of her book.
Sophie sat in the windowsill of her room, entranced to the novel she started only hours before. It had become somewhat of a habit, when things got too much for her, Sophie would retreat to the safety of her room to decompress. And, oh, how that strategy always seemed to work.
Fortunately, this wasnât one of those times where she was overwhelmed. Sheâd just woken up on the wrong side of the bed, in a way. However, to combat the annoying problem at hand, Sophie recalled some things Dex had told her.
âIf you ever need to calm down, just do something you like. I always play Animal Crossing when I get overwhelmed.â Dex stated, munching on a candy bar. âLike, Iâm typically a Mortal Kombat kind of guy, but sometimes I donât need to stress about beating some character in a game, yâknow?â
He was right. It kind of ticked Sophie off, a bit. Dex had a way with being right about the most obvious things, yet Sophie still needed a flashing light in her face to even get clue!
Anyway, she took his advice.
Eda had come up to check on her, since she hadnât said much when Sophie came down to eat breakfast. She was worried, that much was clear, and Sophie appreciated it. The blonde had explained via note that she needed to have some âme-timeâ before she became a functional member of society again. And like the Angel she is, Edaline completely understood.
âOkay honey! Text me if you need anything, I love you!â She wrote in reply.
Sophie smiled at the words, sliding an âI love youâ note back under the door before returning to her perch.
Another detail that made all the difference, was what she was wearing. The baggy sweatshirt was normal, but it wasnât hers. You see, this particular hoodie belonged to her boyfriend, Keefe. Theyâve been dating for months, six months almost. But this was the first time Sophie ever unconsciously wore something of Keefeâs. At least, until she finally noticed.
Sheâd remembered another thing Dex said, about eating comfort food and wearing comfort clothes. Sophie hadnât really understood at the time, but she was starting to now.
Sophie was in the middle of a paragraph when she recognized a smell. One of vanilla and coffee. Sophie sniffed the air, wondering if her boyfriend had somehow managed to sneak another personalized air-freshener into her room, when she looked down. The hoodie itself was a midnight blue with some light-colored wording. Sophie sniffed again, and it was stronger.
She was a bit confused, any other day Sophie would have surely noticed the change of clothing. Perhaps it was because of the weird feeling sheâd had all day, putting her into a slight funk. Or maybe, Dex was right, and clothing could bring comfort.
She didnât have long to think about it before her door was being knocked upon. A familiar tune, something that a certain someone always used to be endearing. The blonde had half a mind to ignore it and continue reading, as she was still down in the dumps. But, she also remembered how dejected Keefe looked the last time she left him waiting outside like a stray.
With a sigh, Sophie reluctantly sat up and walked over to the door, her feet dragging as her body felt heavy like cement. Opening the door, Sophie couldnât help but feel her heartbeat speed up for a second.
Keefe stood there with a goofy grin, armed with bags of what Sophie could only assume were snacks. However, her attention was attracted to Keefeâs shirt.
Or, more specifically, her shirt.
It fit nicely on him, despite his lengthy frame. Sophie silently thanked her past-self for always picking bigger sizes of shirts.
Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder, and Sophie looked up. Keefe, in all his glory, smiled down at her and lifted a brow.
âYou good, Foster?â He asked, and Sophie quickly had the realization that heâd been speaking the entire time.
Clearing her throat, Sophie mustered up a pathetic âyesâ in response.
Keefe hummed, nodding and then gesturing to her room. âMay I come in, my lady?â He requested in a terrible British accent.
âHa, yeah.â Sophie huffed out a laugh, moving to let him through the door. âDo my parents know youâre here?â
âIf you mean Mrs. Ruewen, yes. If youâre talking about Mr. Macho Man himself, then no. Pretty sure youâre Mom said something about him feeding the bulls in the pastureâŚ?â
Sophie smiled and rolled her eyes, the petty little feud between her boyfriend and her Dad had been long-standing, since before they even got together. Grady wasnât very appreciative of Keefeâs troublemaker and carefree attitude, and Keefe just loves pushing other peopleâs buttons. So, clearly, it was a recipe for disaster.
Sophie closed the door, sauntering up beside Keefe as he laid out all the snacks on the bed.
âHey.â She muttered, looking up to his eyes.
âHi.â He replied back, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at her.
Again, Sophieâs heart rate sped up a little. She wasnât embarrassed, she just, always felt floaty when Keefe looked at her. Especially with such a warm expression.
âWhatâre you doing here?â Sophie asked, sitting next to the pile of food on the bed.
Keefe puffed up, his face turning every shade but chivalrous. âWell, a little birdie told me you werenât having a good day. And, since Iâm a loving boyfriend and loyal partner, I took it upon myself to try and make youâre day a bit better. So, ta da!â
Sophie nodded in response, unwrapping a small Snickers and popping it into her mouth.
âA little birdie?â
âJolie and Amy.â He admitted, with no hesitation. âTwo little birdies then, I guess. But, they were worried and figured that, me being me, I could cheer you up the best.â
She smiled, swallowing the candy and standing up. âThatâs nice. Thank you, Keefe.â
On her tip-toes, Sophie pecked the tallerâs lips, already feeling much better than before. Still a bit gloomy, though.
Keefe didnât waste any time, however. In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a soft kiss to Sophieâs lips. Recovering from the shock quickly, Sophie returned the gesture and embraced him, her arms around his neck.
âMm, youâre lips taste like chocolate.â Keefe points out, licking his lips and glancing up, as if to savor it.
Sophie smiled, a thing she seems to do a lot around him. âYeah? Well, you smell really good, so.â
âReally? You like it? I got it from Linh, she said it matched my vibe, or something.â
She was right, vanilla and coffee really worked with Keefeâs personality.
âAnyway, is that my shirt?â Sophie asks, bluntly.
âHuh? Oh, yeah! I found it in my bag, mustâve gotten mixed in last time I was here. I actually started listening to these guys. Green Day, right? Yeah, theyâre pretty good.â Keefe rambled.
It was one of things Sophie loved about him. His ability to just, talk. She also felt warm because, well, he started listening to one of her favorite bands! Just because of a shirt!
Quickly, Sophie pecked his lips again and then untangled herself from him.
âFeel better?â He inquired, blinking over at her.
âA little. Wanna watch a movie?â
âHeck yeah, lemme make some room real quick.â Keefe shoved the snacks into the plastic bags, setting them on the nightstand and hopping onto the bed.
Sophie brought her laptop over, as well as a weighted blanket and a fluffy one.
âThank ya darlin.â Keefe teased in a country accent.
Sophie giggled and sat down, pulling the blanket over her and passing the other to Keefe, who gladly wrapped himself up in it. She opened the computer and thought about what to watch.
A few minutes later and they decide on A Nightmare Before Christmas, one movie they both could watch endlessly.
Keefe wrapped an arm around Sophie, pulling her closer and nuzzling his face into her hair. Her face heated up a bit at the affection, she was still getting used to it. Despite the length of their relationship, Sophie was still adjusting to physical affection. Though, she got over the embarrassment of it, now it was just feeling flustered.
âOh, also..â Keefe spoke up. âThat hoodie looks really good on you.â
Almost instantly, Sophieâs face exploded into a overheated mess of a red.
Okay, maybe she was still a little embarrassed.
@flufftober
I tried to make him more jagged and chaotic looking compared to Ladybug, so there would be more contrast between them
Also somewhat asymmetrical cuz he canât wear whatever he wants as a civilian
actually I may need some assistance with deciding who listens to who so please offer some suggestions đđđ