Chapter Text
Friends forever?
Friends forever.
Yeah!
...
The figure reaches their hand to her hair, soft and gentle strokes tangled between the curly strands of mess. For once in a while, they move their hand up to her black horns and outline the spikes of her horn.
A light chuckle escaped their mouth, piercing the glow of the atmosphere. Almost melancholic and dreamy sounding to her ears.
She returns back with a hand on their ivory horns, playing on the side of their gold ring. Sometimes she wishes the both can share their fair of jewels, to feel like they are one of a soul.
The figure tilts their head a bit to meat her touch a bit more, and take their hand off just to hold her hand in place. This familiar sense of trust hits like home. They are someone she can confine her self reflection into. They are someone she would gladly give the opportunity to rip her heart out and swear to the gods that they are one of another.
Heartbeats rings in her mind, reminding her that she's still alive, she is able to feel and live freely to her will. She doesn't want to close her eyes, afraid she would lose the image of them. Right in front of her.
...
Hook, we're still goin' to be together if I tell ya this?
Sure! That's what friends are fer.
...
...
I...I love ya!
!!!
She jumps up in an instant, trembling with cold sweat. Her eyes dot around the room, heavy breaths as if she was resurrected from the deep shallow waters. She turns to the unmoved alarm clock on the desk next to her bed. Reach forward to rotate the device to her sight.
12:47.
"Crap! I'm late to the sales!" She pretty much bounced off her bed, sprinting to the wardrobe to gather her clothes for the desert once again. (More like gathering her jumbled up thoughts.) She is kind of surprised they haven't called her up and possibly give her a earful for not showing up. Maybe in another form?
A firm knock sound the wooden door, shocked the living soul out of her while trying to snatch off the poncho and bandana off the pegs.
"C-Comin'...!" Her leg barely had time to stay in one place as she rushes to open the door, stumbling towards the wooden material for a bit before actually swinging the door opened.
At the frame looms the outward horned Inphernal in her door, a worried expression differs from she was expecting.
"Uhm, are ya feelin' well? Ya weren't pickin' up my calls while I was sellin'." The real deal was standing right in front of her, leaning on her door frame. She fumbles with the bandana around her neck for a while, clearing her throat up. "Y-Yeah! I just overslept a bit haha...'Ad sum stuff to deal with at 'ome, y'know..."
"But wait, if yer 'ere, then who is..." There's nothing to see behind them, however she can't help but wander her gaze to the far distance of the desert. "The importers." Their throat suddenly feels dry, somethings must've hit the "worried" thought of them.
"Importers?" She widens her eyes curiously at the choice of replacement. "Y'know where we get all the goods from? Them. I was 'alf expectin' they would turn my offer down, but surprisingly they didn't. Actually, they were ecstatic ta 'elp. They are a group of Wranglers just like us." They looked to their glove on the door frame instead of her, seems somewhat anxious about their decision.
"Oh, that's fantastic! So can I come ta 'elp next?" She clasped her hand cheerfully, jumping up and down like a excited child. "Sure, but yer feelin' faint, don't hesitate to come ta me, aight?" They reaches out their hand, hoping to hold hands with her.
"Oh wait, wait, wait, I don't 'ave my boots on!" Her legs rush her to the side to swiftly pick up the pair of boots. "D-Don't mind me!" She awkwardly puts on the boots in front of them, mostly missing the her leg in the boot opening.
They smiles in glee, watching her struggles with her own boots as they wait patiently. Once she's completely dress, they make way for her to exit the house, then locking it. For a second, a flash of her pet's meal ran through her mind. She hasn't gotten it breakfasts!
"O-Oh wait! My baby hasn't eaten, yet!" She was about to return back to the door when a light tap on her shoulder. "Worry not, I already feed yer Oziph! Mine 'appens to not finish its meal so I came with the leftovers." Now she thinks about it, their smile wasn't always this bright and radiant, seeing their enthusiasm seems to awaken something inside her.
She "phew" off her worries as she take their hand and venture off to the busy market.
Marketplaces hasn't cleared up at all so it was a bit difficult to find their stall. But they finally managed to do so. Upon entering through the back curtains, she looked up to see five people in the stand, two up front, three in the back rummaging through the crates and bags in an uncoordinated order.
They seemed to not notice the two Wranglers get in from the back, this is the reason why Grapple is worried about unauthorized entry in their stall. So they had to snap their fingers to get their attention.
"Yo, Hook! We're doin' great! Nothin' out of place ta see 'ere." A spike looking horned Inphernal wave her arm at the duo, while half gripping on the crate she has. "No slacking off, Tarantula. The customer wants nutmeg, black garlic n' paprika, remember that!" Another Inphernal with wide white horns punches the unfocused Inphernal on the head, making her laughing out of spite and slither away to her duty.
"Ha ha. We will give ya a 'and, don't worry." They ducked down the curtain and make space for the person behind them. They go help with the crates, she helps with the main stand. Together, the group manage to cooperate and nail down the work down faster and more efficiently.
...
What was that dream?
Was it even a dream?
It felt so real. Yet so distant.
...
Distant? But we're-
"Hello? Inpherno to Lost Temple? There's an old lady that needs 'elp 'ere..." The sound of a finger snap rings up like a gunshot that nearly made her flinch from her spot. "Also, we didn't catch yer name earlier, since we only contact Hook fer the job." An another voice sound from her other side, tying up a full bag in his hands.
"Oh, right. The name's Scythe. Laser Scythe." She turned side to side to the assistants from both her side, then she turns to slouching old lady in front of the stand. But it seems that the two assistants had already gotten the orders.
"Hey!! Hey, hey! I heard ya were 5 hours late! What in the blazes happened durin' those time???" A eager, infantile like voice came from the rear back of the stall, the crate left open while they tried to get a better look at the strange yet familiar looking Wrangler.
"She just overslept, that's all." Hook explained shortly, a signal to tell them to focus and get back to work. The workers understood their adamant to sell off the remaining crates. Still, some of them is wondering why is that Wrangler late from out of all the days, it had to be today.
They seem to notice the lack of attention of their friend at the stand, too. They would probably excuse themself to have a talk with her a bit, but then again it can disrupt the work flow they finally taken time to set until now. Although they can technically dismiss her from working cause she was feeling faint yesterday evening and overslept.
They have to wait until duty is over.
The evening breeze draws closer to their spines as the crowd had cleared up a bit for the night. All of the Wranglers scrambled around the stall trying to clean up all of the stuff that holds up the stall and gather up the crates back for storage again. Hook stole a couple of glances at Scythe, then dodge their gaze in a quick second whenever she look at them.
They can definitely tell there's something going on with her. She's fidgety, sometimes space out a little during their daily sales. In reality, she has been clingy to them a lot. When hugging them, she is really, really grasping to them, like she wants it to last forever.
Not that friend can't hug eachother, but they just can't wrap their mind around the fact that she was acting strangely around them ever since she hit adulthood. Was she awaiting for something?
They have to talk to her about this unsaid tension between them.