Secret [ Job / Reed ]

 

“I’M NOT EXACTLY A FAN OF STAYING HERE TO GET RID OF THESE GUYS--WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW STRONG THEY ARE...DON’T YOU THINK WE SHOULD PULL BACK?”

ANY OTHER DAY OR CIRCUMSTANCE, ARIEL WOULD AGREE WITH REED. HE IS CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITIES [ confident - no. he is afraid. scared. that someday he'll stumble across an unbeatable foe. he's afraid he'll lose everything he's fought for when that damned day comes. ], AND HE DOUBTS HE WILL COME ACROSS AN OPPONENT THAT GIVES HIM ACTUAL TROUBLE. [ or at least he wants to believe, but deep down he knows he's being childish. he's not invincible but he'd never admit that. ] THE LIKELIHOOD OF WINNING A FIGHT IS NEVER THE ISSUE FOR HIM. NO, THE ISSUE IS THE CONCEPT OF FIGHTING ITSELF. IT GOES AGAINST HIS MORALS AND PRINCIPLES TO FIGHT, AFTER ALL. [ and as usual, he completely disregards the almost silent humming of enjoyment in his mind. because someday the illusion will shatter, and someday he'll lose his mind, unable to continue the lie. but until then, he'll keep pretending. how else is he supposed to stay sane when everything around him is always shifting and changing and becoming something new and leaving him behind? ] BUT HE’LL QUESTION EVERY SINGLE DAMN PERSON IN THIS CITY FOR ANSWERS IF HE HAS TO. SO EVEN IF HE DESPISES FIGHTING, HE’S DETERMINED TO GET ANSWERS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, EVEN IF HE HAS TO VIOLATE EVERY SINGLE ETHICS HE POSSESSES NEAR AND DEAR TO HIS HEART. BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE NEARER AND COMPLETELY WORTH IT. [ and yeah, children are worth defying his morals, but lapis is worth condemning his soul to hell for his undeniable hypocrisy and losing any sort of chance for redemption. he’s reluctant to admit it, but lapis is one of the few people he’d ever to go to such desperate lengths to find just so he can ease his mind because he’s a selfish bastard who spends all his time trying to keep his heart from breaking. ]

“YOU’RE WELCOME TO LEAVE. I NEVER FORCED YOU TO COME.”

 

REED IS PROBABLY RIGHT TO THINK HE’S THE STURDIER OF THE TWO. BECAUSE ARIEL REALLY IS A FRAGILE, GLASS CANON [ both emotionally and physically ]. IT’S ALL TOO EASY TO BREAK HIS BONES THEN STOMP AND SHATTER THEM. IT’S ALL TOO EASY TO INFLICT MIND-NUMBING PAIN. HE’S A MAGICIAN FOR FUCKS SAKE, OF COURSE HE’S WEAK. THAT DOESN’T MEAN HE ENJOYS HOW EASILY HE BRUISES, OR HOW QUICKLY HIS BODY SHUDDERS FROM MEASLY ATTACKS. HE MOST CERTAINLY DOES NOT APPRECIATE OTHERS DISCREDITING HIS ABILITIES BECAUSE OF HIS NON-THREATENING PHYSIQUE. TRUE, HE INJURES EASILY, BUT WHILE HE HAS NO IDEA WHETHER HIS MENTAL STRENGTH IS CONSIDERED AVERAGE OR WHATNOT, HE KNOWS YEARS OF SCARS AND CALLOUSED HANDS HAVE TRAINED HIS MIND TO RESIST COLLAPSING INWARD FROM PAIN. HE’S STRONG, DAMMIT [ and he’ll continue to insist he’s strong, even though he’s weak. ], AND UNDERESTIMATING HIM HAS NEVER PROVED TO BE PARTICULARLY WISE. BECAUSE AGAIN, HE’S A MAGICIAN FOR FUCKS SAKE. HE CAN USE SOMETHING CALLED MAGIC. PLUS, HE ALSO HAS SOMETHING CALLED A BORG AND IT TAKES AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF STRENGTH MOST PEOPLE DO NOT POSSESS TO BREAK HIS BORG.

 

“HEY ARIEL, I...I DON’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING HERE? ARE YOU SURE THERE ARE MORE GUYS AROUND? I DON’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING…”

HE FOLLOWS REED CAUTIOUSLY, SHOES HITTING THE GROUND AND ECHOING INTO ARIEL’S EAR. THE SOUND GROWS LOUDER EVERY MOMENT. HE FINDS HIMSELF FRUSTRATED TO WATCH REED IDIOTICALLY TREAD FURTHER. MORE ANNOYING YET, HE CANNOT HELP BUT BE INCLINED TO TRAIL AFTER REED. THE THOUGHT OF A COMPANION COMING TO HARM HAS NEVER SET WELL WITH HIM, AND HE CANNOT IGNORE HIS UNEASE AS HE WATCHES REED WANDER FURTHER IN. THOUGH FLIPPANT WITH RESPONSIBILITY PLACED ON HIM BY OTHERS, HE’S NOT PARTICULARLY KEEN ON ALLOWING HIS ANNOYING FRI- ER, COMPANION- NO, THAT SOUNDS WORSE! HE, HE JUST DOESN’T WANT HIS NOT-FRIEND, NOT-COMPANION, HIS INFORMATION SOURCE TO INJURE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE THE MOST RIDICULOUS PERSON HE’S EVER MET. [ and honestly at this point he’s not particularly sure why he keeps denying the obvious bond between him and reed. It’s silly to deny it and he knows it, but he’s a stubborn idiot clinging on to the illusion that his heart still remains untouched by others, that reed hasn’t somehow wriggled his way into a piece of his heart. because someday. someday he knows reed will leave him and his constant worry over lapis is bad enough - he doesn’t think his heart can take any more losses, especially that of a dear friend again. ]

EVEN THOUGH HE’S NOT COMPLETELY SURE IF REED WILL LISTEN TO HIM OR NOT, HE CALLS OUT TO THE BLUE-HAIRED IDIOT. “REED-”

“ALSO! YOU STILL HAVEN’T TOLD ME WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR! IF WE’RE GOING TO SLAGGING SPELLS BACK AND FORTH WHIPPING BAD GUYS’ ASSES, I’D LIKE TO KNOW AT LEAST WHAT YOU’RE SO FOCUSED ON FINDING…”

DID HE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT BEING CONCERNED? BECAUSE IF HE DID, HE IS IMMEDIATELY TAKING HIS SENTIMENTS BACK. HE SAYS, “ANSWERS, IDIOT. NOW-” TAP. HE NOTICES THE SHADOWS QUIVERING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SOUND OF FEET LIGHTLY CREEPING. ”REED!” HE REACHES OUT TO PULL REED BACK FROM THEIR ATTACKERS, BUT HE’S NOT FAST ENOUGH.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EAT, OGRE!? IS YOUR FIST MADE OF FREAKING METAL!?” AND EVEN THOUGH HE’S GLARING AT THE IDIOTIC MAGICIAN, HE’S STRANGELY RELIEVED TO HEAR THE USUAL GUSTO IN REED’S SHOUT. AND HE’S RELIEVED BECAUSE NOW HE KNOWS WHATEVER BLOW HIS ASSAILANT JUST DEALT, IT ISN’T CRITICAL AND HE CAN STILL QUESTION REED LATER. [ or so he keeps insisting, although many may wonder when plans on getting to the questioning phase. ]

 

“A-ARIEL! A LITTLE HELP?”

”YOU’RE A FUCKING IDIOT, REED,” HE DEADPANS, INSULTING REED TO NO ONE’S SURPRISE AT ALL.

STILL, HE SLIPS FORWARD AND DEALS A PAINFUL BLOW TO THE MAN’S STOMACH WITH HIS FOOT. HE WATCHES WITH SLIGHT AMUSEMENT AS THE MAN CRADLES HIS STOMACH. HE CAN’T EVEN PRETEND TO BE SORRY FOR CAUSING ANOTHER PERSON PAIN. THIS MAN DESERVES WHATEVER HE DISHES OUT ANYWAY. HE PUSHES THE BANDIT TO THE GROUND WITH ANOTHER KICK TO THE STOMACH REGION. HE CHUCKLES QUIETLY TO HIMSELF, SMILING DELIGHTFULLY AT THE SURPRISED MAN- WAIT WHAT? HE IMMEDIATELY STEPS BACK, ALMOST RUNNING INTO REED. AND THOUGH HIS SMILE TURNS INTO A STONEY STRAIGHT LINE, HE CAN FEEL HIS STOMACH CHURN AND DISGUST RISING TO HIS THROAT. THAT… THAT JUST NOW DEFINITELY WAS NOT HOW HE TYPICALLY BEHAVED. SURE, HE OFTEN ACTED APATHETIC TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, BUT NEVER TRULY UNSYMPATHETIC.

”THE BOSS DON'T TELL ME A THING! B-BUT, THE OTHER TWO - THERE TWO OTHERS WITH ME, SURELY KNOW A THING OR TWO,” THE BANDIT SAYS. ARIEL CASTS A GLANCE TOWARD THE WARPING SHADOWS.

”COWARDS!” HE HISSES. ADMITTEDLY, HE IS NOT COMPLETELY SURE IF IS ANYTHING RELEVANT WHEN HE STARTS AFTER THE FLEEING BANDITS. BUT IT IS NOT LIKE HE HAS ANY OTHER IDEAS AND THIS IS SO FAR THE ONLY LEAD HE’S MANAGED TO DIG UP UP. PLEASE FORGIVE HIM FOR BECOMING TIRED OF JUST SIMPLY WANDERING AROUND.

HE TURNS AROUND THE CORNER, AND HE POINTS HIS WAND AT ONE OF THE FLEEING ASSHOLES BANDITS. HIS WAND GLEAMS AS DARK SHADOWS SURROUND IT. AN ARROW-LIKE FORCE SLAYS THROUGH THE AIR AND OVERTAKES ONE OF THE BANDITS. THE MAN TRIPS FORWARD FROM THE IMPACT. REVOLTINGLY, THE OTHER BANDIT DOES NOT STOP IN HIS GALLOP. TRUSTING REED TO TAKE CARE OF THE TRIPPING BANDIT, HE FOCUSES HIS ATTENTION ON THE DISLOYAL COWARD.

”ORBIT.” FOR THOSE UNACQUAINTED WITH MAGIC, THE SWIRLING VORTEX AROUND ARIEL LOOKS UNREAL. LIKE AN ILLUSION. BUT IT MOST DEFINITELY IS NOT. HE CAN CLEARLY FEEL THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND HIM CHANGING. IT MORPHS INTO FOUR, PRECISE ORBS. HE FLICKS HIS WAND AT HIS TARGET. THE ORB FLIES FASTER THAN THE BANDIT CAN RUN. THE IMPACT CARRIES THE BANDIT TO HIS KNEES. HE FINALLY CLOSES THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HIM AND THE RUNAWAY BANDIT. HE PLACES A FOOT ON THE BROWN-HAIRED THUG’S BACK, PINNING THE MAN DOWN. ”START TALKING,” HE HISSES, PRESSING FIRMLY WITH HIS FOOT.