Chapter Text
Sling let out a heavy sigh of relief as he flipped the “open” sign on Thieves’ Rest's doors to “closed.” Swords.
She turned her head to face the glass displays of the counter, which were completely barren. Fridays…
Better than Tuesdays, at least. Part of his brain commented. He willed the thought away, shaking his head.
“...Are you just gonna stand there, or are we gonna get going?” Shuri–who was leaning on the wall next to the door–commented, interrupting Slingshot's thoughts. “I’m tired.”
“You're always tired,” Sling responded, rolling her eyes as she turned to her brother.
“Maybe I'm a reasonable amount of tired and the rest of the world is too awake.”
“That’s nowhere near how it works,” Sling responded, stepping away from the door, “Regardless, after we stop by home, we're going to the grocery store. I need to pick up some things, and, thanks to SOMEONE–” she glared pointedly at Shuriken, “–we need to restock on some snacks, too.”
“Uuuugh, I don’t want to go anywhere…” Shuri complained.
“I'm not getting you cool ranch Doritos unless you come with,” Slingshot responded without missing a beat, shrugging on his messenger bag he'd left on the counter.
Shuriken glowered at him.
Just then, Vine Staff stepped out of the kitchen, her gaze trained on her phone in one hand as she pushed open the door with her good arm. “Are we ready to head out? I've got my shopping list written down, so I believe I'm all set!”
“Oh, come ON, you told her but not me?!” Shuriken complained, stepping forwards.
“You would've found some way out of it,” Sling returned, bluntly.
Shuriken opened his mouth to argue, lifting a hand, but dropped it quickly.
“...Okay, no, fair, I totally would have done that.”
“Eeeexactly.” Sling beckoned her siblings to follow her outside, locking the door behind her. Their apartment wasn't far, so the trio just walked home, usually.
Sling talked as she led in front, “Okay, so, the main reason why we're going shopping today was because I was thinking of making a gift basket for Katana.”
“Oh! Can I decorate it?” Vine chimed in, “I've been growing several different rose bushes this past month, and they're looking beautiful right now. I also just learned about some flower symbolism! I believe peach and yellow roses would probably work best with what they symbolize. Pink and yellow, or maybe white, could also work, but I'm not sure. White flowers are generally for mourning, I believe?”
Vine stopped, her right arm pausing in the middle of an enthusiastic gesture. “...Sorry, am I, uh, doing the rambling thing?”
“A bit, but you're fine,” Slingshot replied, while Shuriken said, more enthusiastically, “Don't worry about it!”
Vine lowered her arms, “Alright! Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize!” Shuri gave her a playful nudge.
Sling stopped as the trio made it to the apartment building. “Okay, we’re here. Once we get inside the apartment, I’m leaving in fifteen minutes after changing out of my work clothes, and I'm not waiting for you.”
“Implying you don’t also take forever to get ready,” Shuriken crossed his arms.
Slingshot whipped around to face his brother directly, “I do NOT-”
“No…” Vine argued, “No, Sling, you definitely do.”
Sling scoffed, turning and walking into the building, “Well, I’m driving, so I’m in charge.”
Shuri sped up to walk next to her, “Who decided that?!”
“I did. It's my car.” Slingshot replied.
“Yeah, no, even I know that's a terrible idea.”
“I hate to agree with Shuri here…” Vine chimed in, “But he's right.”
“How?" Sling pressed the button to call the elevator, “In what way?!”
“You always get aggressive.” Vine Staff replied.
“And you can't be patient for anything.” Shuriken added, crossing his arms.
“I’m a calm driver,” Slingshot replied, adamantly, as she crossed her arms, "You're making this up.”
“I swear to the SWORDS, I am SECONDS away from just ramming this guy.”
“I told you that-” Shuriken began to comment, before Slingshot cut him off, glaring at him with a gaze like ice.
“Shuri. Just don’t.”
The car in front of them continued to completely refuse to move a single inch, even while Slingshot leaned on the horn.
“...I can take the wheel if you pull over.” He reached out a hand, before Slingshot swatted it away.
“I’m. fine.” She tightened her grip on the wheel. The inphernal in front of her finally started to move.
“Can I at least control the radio?” Shuriken persisted, completely ignoring Slingshot's soured mood.
Slingshot frowned at him, then released a sigh, trying to get himself to calm down. “No, you only play the same 2 bands.”
“Says the guy who always plays TWICE.”
“I could control the radio.” Vine Staff interjected from the back seat, poking her head between the two front seats.
Sling blinked at her via the rearview mirror, his train of thought lost, “Hm? Oh, uh, yeah! You gotta share what you've been listening to more often, Vine.”
“Alright! Give me a moment.” She leaned back as she fumbled for her phone, taking a moment to connect her Bluetooth.
Shuriken turned to face her, easily twisting to look over the back of his car seat at an angle that was almost uncomfortable. “What do you even listen to? You can't have a good mix if you just listen to ‘everything.’”
“I don't listen to everything,” Vine argued, scrolling through YouTube Music.
“Name one thing you don't listen to.”
“Country,” She returned, near-instantly, her eyes still trained on her phone.
“Oh.” Shuri blinked, looking a bit dumbfounded. “Yeah, I forgot about country.”
“You should forget about country,” Slingshot commented.
“Alright, I've got it!” Vine announced. Finally, music actually started playing on the car's speakers.
It was an upbeat dubstep song, without any lyrics, but still pretty catchy. Oddly enough, it seemed… familiar?
“This is actually pretty good, Vine.”
Wait.
Sling glanced away from the road for a moment, his eyes landing on the panel usually used for the map, which currently displayed the current song, and its artist…
“Wait, this is just Boom's music???”
Vine Staff tilted her head, her brows furrowed, “...Yeah? Is there… something wrong with that?”
“It's just kind of–”
“Yeah, music made by someone you know is cheating.” Shuriken interjected.
Sling blinked at him. “What are you…” She began, before cutting herself off as she realized, “Ohhh…”
With a smirk, Slingshot joined in, “Yeah, Vine, you can’t just listen to Boom’s music, that disqualifies you.”
“I– What? That doesn’t??? Make any sense???”
“It’s– pfft– it’s a rule of society, Sis,” Shuriken replied, unsuccessfully trying to conceal his laughter.
Vine Staff narrowed her eyes. “...You’re just pulling my leg, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Sling and Shuri replied, in near-unison.
Vine Staff scoffed, “You’re both evil.” She said, in an exaggerated tone.
“Nuh-uh.” Shuriken argued.
“Yuh-huh.” Vine replied.
“Nuh-uh.”
“Yuh-huh!”
“Aaaand I’m going to stop you both right there. We're here.” Sling interjected as he pulled into the parking lot.
Shuri sighed, “Aw, damn.”
Slingshot, thankfully, didn’t take long to find a parking spot.
“Hey, Sling, Vine,” Shuri said as he climbed out of the car, grinning far too widely to not be up to any shenanigans, “I'll race you!”
“That's a bad idea,” Sling replied, shutting the car door.
“Agreed,” Vine added.
Shuriken smirked. “Yeah, but you'll still do it,” He said, before taking off down the parking lot.
“Shit– Vine, lock the car!” Slingshot tossed the keys towards his sister, knowing she had the reflexes to catch them, before racing to catch up to Shuri.
Shuriken had already got an insane headstart, even with Slingshot barely taking any time to react. At this rate, there was no way she'd catch up.
Making a quick decision, Slingshot leaped upwards, stepping on air as easily as solid ground with the help of his shoes.
Sling crossed over the cars in the parking lot, heading in a direct line to the entrance of the grocery store and landing on the ground several seconds before Shuri made it.
“Swordsdamn cheater!” Shuriken shouted, a bit breathlessly, as he ran over.
Slingshot crossed his arms. “You know you can just buy the same kicks, right?”
“There's no way I'm buying those fugly things.”
“Shut up, you just have bad taste,” Slingshot replied, turning her head away.
Vine Staff arrived moments later, completely out of breath.
“How… in the world… are you two… so fast?!” Vine panted.
Shuriken hesitated for a moment, before teasing, “Kind of ironic for you to be struggling to keep up.”
“I don't run from things! Or at them!” Vine Staff argued, “I strangle them with plants!”
“Skill issue,” as Coil would say.
Slingshot blinked. …What?
…Don't say shit like that, brain, that's stupid. Sling told himself.
“Yeah, ‘Cause you're a witch,” Shuri teased, giving her a playful shove as the trio walked into the store.
“I think sorcerer would be a better word.” Sling offered.
Vine scoffed, “You’re both just jealous.”
“Sureee, if you want to believe that,” Shuri said, standing by the shopping carts and leaning on one, “One of you grab a cart.”
Slingshot rolled her eyes, grabbing a quarter from her wallet and inserting it into a cart, “And you can’t do this yourself because…?”
Shuriken jumped. “I… uh… well, uhm…”
Vine Staff frowned. “Did you lose your wallet?"
“Again?” Sling added.
“No!” Shuri was quick to reply, “I just… uhm… temporarily… forgot where it currently is.”
“Shuri…” Vine said, scoldingly.
“It’ll turn up eventually!” Shuri argued.
Sling sighed. “Whatever, no point in dwelling on it right now. Let’s go.”
The trio continued into the store.
Not even ten seconds into the store, Shuri grabbed Vine, shouting, “Let’s go grab some peaches!” as he dragged her over to the produce section.
“I swear to…” Sling muttered, before calling to his siblings, “Find me in the baking aisle!”
Sling turned and drove the cart over to the baking aisle, already knowing what he wanted to grab.
She quickly collected the things on her list: sprinkles… cupcake wrappers… chocolate chips…
He paused, a bit suddenly, as he grabbed a can of sweetened condensed milk, staring down at it for a moment too long.
Right, she'd added this because of… Coil. He'd mentioned dulce de leche before. She remembered the ideas she'd had clearly.
She didn’t really need to do this. It's not like she owed Coil anything.
He should probably just put it back.
Before Sling could debate that any more, the sound of his brother’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Hey! Sling!” Shuri shouted, running over and giving Sling a shove. Vine Staff was behind him, carrying a bag of peaches, which she placed in the cart.
“What do you think about buying some tea, for Katana?” Vine asked, tilting her head.
Sling blinked. “Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” He responded, absent-mindedly.
Shuri and Vine exchanged a glance that Sling didn't really pay attention to.
“Why are you staring at milk?” Shuriken questioned, “What? Thinking of your father?”
Slingshot snorted, rolling her eyes as she put the milk in the cart. “Ha, ha, very funny,” He said, his voice full of sarcasm.
“Why are you staring at milk, though?” Vine Staff asked.
Uhm. “...No reason, just something stupid.”
Shuriken narrowed his eyes at Slingshot suspiciously, then turned back to look up at Vine Staff. “Whatever, let's leave Milk Looker over here and figure out what tea to get.”
Vine laughed, following Shuri as he walked away, “Pfft– I'd think peach tea would be something he'd enjoy.”
“Don't call me that!” Sling called, about to chase after them before glancing back at the shelf.
…She grabbed a second can, just in case, then rushed to follow her siblings.
“Remember to be respectful,” Slingshot reminded his siblings as they stood outside Katana’s apartment.
Shuriken scoffed. “You’re one to talk.”
“I’m plenty respectful!” Sling argued, “Just not to you, because you don’t deserve it.”
“Wooooooow.” Shuriken crossed his arms. “How dare you?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Sling turned to the door and rang the doorbell before his brother could protest more.
“Do you think he’ll like it?” Vine Staff asked.
Sling glanced down at the gift basket in his arms. The basket itself was fairly small, and woven from bamboo. Within it, it had four cinnamon-caramel cupcakes stored in a tupperware container (from Sling), a packet of peach tea bags, a necklace with a pendant of a xuthus swallowtail butterfly wing encased in resin (from Shuri), and several yellow roses that also served as decoration (from Vine). Overall, Sling thought pretty positively about it.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Just then, Katana’s door opened, and the tall inphernal stood behind it, somehow still giving off the vibes of a bewildered expression even while his face was covered.
“Ah… you three.” Katana tilted his head, in an owlish manner.
“Hi! sorry to bother you,” Sling began, quickly, lifting up the small basket, “We wanted to give you this gift basket.”
“We all contributed!” Shuriken interjected, with enthusiasm.
“The flowers are from my garden.” Vine offered.
Katana stared for a moment, hesitantly, before raising a hand and gently pushing away the basket. “I’m… afraid I cannot accept this.”
Sling frowned. He was afraid this would happen.
“It wasn't any trouble, really!” Vine offered.
“I have already told you three: no more gifts,” Katana replied, “I simply cannot take these things with no compensation.”
“Then don't.” Shuriken said, a bit suddenly. Vine and Sling both turned to him with equal confusion.
“Think of it as a payback for you putting up with us, or, uh… maybe you can just let us ask for advice, or something, sometime later?”
Sling blinked. Hm. That actually wasn't a bad idea.
Katana was quiet for a moment, probably debating it in his head.
“I… suppose that shall do.”
“Great!” Sling lifted the basket again, “Now please take the damn gift.” He stated, with adamance.
“Hm,” Katana hummed – the closest thing the trio had gotten to a laugh from him thus far – and, after a beat, gently took the basket.
“Still, you must cease with all of these gifts.” Katana insisted.
The trio made various vague sounds of compliance, though with a smile, all three knowing they would never do anything near such.