Chapter Text
She pedaled furiously. It got to the point of popping kneecaps and quick yanks and shakes to regain usage of a sleeping limb. Beside her, Mystery runs elegantly. Hopping. Vivi would have wondered if he was trying to be quiet or if he was conserving energy. Not now though. No. Instead the only image Vivi had was of cornering the skeletal motherfucker and chewing him out until he cries. If he even thinks about hurting arthur, she will send him to the fucking grave. Don’t test her, Lewis.
The sky’s dark grays shift to a heavy blue. The deserts were almost shiny, but Vivi can’t get a good look at it or any of its plants. The whipping winds and her wobbly tires were enough to throw all thoughts of gawking at nature to the side. She had to concentrate. The shop wasn’t too far now, maybe fifteen minutes if the sign ahead was the one she remembered correctly. She squints, slowing down and coasting down the road. It is the right sign, she was right. Shop isn’t too far and it is especially not anymore. It’s enough to make up for the ache in her sore legs. The candle of hope lit again.
And right on time too, because within the blink of an eye, the junkyard peaks into view.
Once close enough, Vivi hops off her bike - letting it sail directly into a brick wall - and races to the door with only minimal stumbling, the objects gripped fiercely. Mystery wasn’t too far behind.
Orange hair and a stout figure appears in the doorway. Along with a light. Which upon being turned on, reminded her of how fast she was going and how small the doorway was - could she stick the landing or would she crash and burn like a deflated -
The door swings open. “Jesus, girlie! Gonna break your damn head at this rate!”
Well, that voice has never been more sobering. All at once Vivi is very focused on how fast she’s going and how horrifically weak her knees are. And how much her feet hurt. And how unbearably hungry she was-
“Vi!”
Vivi lurches to a halt just a meter from lance. Then, she collapses.
Lance sighs tiredly. “You’re lucky you didn’t land in my pancakes.”
Vivi blinks, unable to process what the fuck that meant… until the poke of a particularly large rock digging into her rib draws her attention down and to the herbs and leafy friends she nearly squashed.
That would have been bad.
Moaning in pain, Vivi forces her tired body to move, crawling to her knees. Thankfully, Lance offers a hand and helps her up. Clapping her on the shoulder, while Vivi swayed in a daze. Overcome completely by dizziness.
“C’mon, racehorse. Inside. You busted your knees in the fall.”
She blearily peers down, her knees now scraped and bloodied. Only now she feels the burn too. “Oh… that’s cool.”
Everything swirled and blurred together inside. While the lights did nothing but create giant halos of blindness - she didn’t bother trying to squint at the edges to make out where she was going. Lance had that covered, guiding her to the couch where Vivi happily flops. Letting go of the plushie, but keeping the shirt in hand. Now buried face first in cushions, she had a chance to feel the slow drag of agony in her pulsing muscles.
“You good?”
“Mm…”
“No.” A new voice interjects, the one of the traitor. So he got in, Vivi groaned lightly. Clacks of doggie footsteps grew louder until something slumped onto the ground next to her. Dangling an arm down, she pets him. Mystery continues, “we came as fast as we could. I have the items for you.”
“We’ll deal with that later,” Lance says, leaving no room for argument. With a calmer tone, he’s talking to her. “Need some meds? I got a few strong ones.”
“Just the regular…” Vivi twists her neck slowly, struggling to move, “and some crackers and milk. Crashing a bit, need… a second.” She heaves a long breath, panting now that her lungs took their turn on the pain train. Lance’s arms are crossed and he looks annoyed as hell (oh, haha, she’s seen that face on arthur), but at the same time, he only nods before heading to the kitchen.
The silence eventually breaks with Mystery clearing his throat. “Are you alright?”
“Do I look alright, Mystery?”
“… No. Not at all.”
Vivi lifts her head, propping it up to stare at the dog. Mystery avoids her gaze, looking especially guilty.
And with a squint, Vivi turns back and hides from the bright halos. Waiting in the darkness of her sleeve for lance to return. Distantly the kitchen sink is running, so she has about a minute to ride out the waves. Dark, heavy waves…
What Vivi didn’t notice as she slipped into the depths — was the slinking presence slithering into the space she shared with Mystery. Only Mystery had. His ears perk up and flick to the far wall. A vine made of blue wooden material spiraled along the wall, occupying Mystery’s attention long enough until the creaking, enormous person came into view. Head bowed only for the ceiling that was too short for her.
Shiromori’s red piercing gaze narrows on him. Mystery holds his breath.
“So, more of your kits have run off, have they?”
“And if they did, I don’t see what you gain from this.”
Shiromori clicks her tongue, lifting her heavy hand slowly and plucking the shirt and plushie from where they were deposited beside Vivi. Shiromori brings them to her nose, inhaling slowly. Stopping only at the sound of a growl. Shiromori glares pointedly.
“What's the matter? Don’t trust me?”
“Of course I don’t. Surely you understand that.”
“Humph. Typical. And here I was offering you my assistance.” Dropping the plushie and shirt with a plop on the surface behind her, her sturdy blue arms cross, adding a second coating of malice to her look.
As if he could trust her. How could he? Mystery doesn’t turn his back to her, although his ear flicks back at the quiet groan nestled in Vivi’s pillow.
At his silence, Shiro rolls her eyes and she slinks across the room, taking a seat on a large worn couch covered in wood chips and dirt. “Your one ran away again, unsurprising, considering you allowed a predator to live among its prey.”
“Don’t speak of them that way.”
“Then how should I? It’s fire burns without guilt, without remorse. Surely you can understand my distrust.” She says Cooley, pausing to sip at some fertilizer-water cocktail. Mystery’s ears flatten, lips drawing back.”
“What sort of assistance are you offering her?”
“Hm?” Feigning surprise, Shiromori sneers a grin at him, “surely that is for her to know and understand?”
“I am her guardian, and I was once yours.” Vines slinking behind Shiromori visibly twist at the word. Shiromori’s eye twitches. It takes all of the thousand years he was alive to not grin back. “I won’t be having her pawn herself off, not for my own misguidance. Allow me to ask again, what service are you offering?”
Her blues sink into the dark outlines of picture frames and brown wood panels. Sliding in and out of the darkness like snakes.
“Tracking the two kits through the earth and by their scent. Isn’t that obvious.”
“And the cost?”
She laughs dryly, sharp and like a snapping branch. “Why, I knew you had no faith in me, but this is cruel of you.”
“A necessary precaution.”
“You wouldn’t know precaution if it smacked you in the face. But fine. I suppose you have your reasons - since I am your mentee, after all.”
Mystery snarls.
Shiromori leans forward, hissing through her teeth. “Perhaps I shall use her as a servant. Find her friends in exchange for her service, or her life. Not all of it, though. Never all.”
Never all. She should know that he’d never believe anything like that.
Slowly tilting her head, shiromori’s teeth glint. “Unless, you have a better offer.”
Surely, she wouldn’t have with Lance so near by. And yet, a cool minty heat burnt at his paw pads. Ah, the familiarity of a deal. Standing right in front of his doorstep, waiting for an opening to invade and infest.
…
The tension, thick enough to cut, is interrupted by Lance lumbering in with a shaky tray of milk, bread on top of a mini first aid kit, w. His irritated look switches from the unsteady tray to Shiromori and Mystery.
“Could you two not have a pissin’ match while she’s asleep. Rude if you ask me.” He flicks Shiromori’s head and earns a sour glare, but nothing further. Mystery also gets a light jab as Lance passes him by.
Vivi jolts at a metal clanking, eyes snapping up to look at Lance then at the milk. Squinting due to the light, but she could see it as clear as day. Vivi swipes the glass and gulps half of it.
“Jesus, girlie. Take the pill first.” Lance gruffs, undoing the lid of the pain medication and dropping two on the table, and then tossing the small kit onto the couch, “I trust you know how to put on a bandaid, so I’ll leave you to it.”
“Thanks, uncle.” Vivi says, popping the pills and downing her milk in seconds.
“Hrm.” Is lance’s only response while she jumps onto her butt and starts fiddling with the kit. He steps over Mystery and takes a seat in his armchair, which happened to be right beside Shiromori, making them appear like weirdly disappointed parents. Honestly, Vivi couldn’t tell if she felt weirded out or not. But choosing the latter, she adjusted herself in her seat and patted the couch cushion so mystery joined her in their stare off.
“So,” Vivi says, glancing between the two with complete seriousness, “our boys fucked off to no where ville again. What are you gonna do?” She laughs quietly in an attempt to lighten the mood, quirking a smile that no one responded with, and Vivi’s face falls, “lI’ll cut to the chase - Lance, Shiromori, uncle, tree - I’d like your help.”
Shiro lifts an eyebrow, crossing her arms again and sparing mystery a single glance before she studies Vivi again.
Lance nods, “right. We agreed to it over the ‘Telly. There’s a four by four in the back, keys on the table. You won’t hafta worry over gas for a bit. Try not to ram into a telephone pole.”
Vivi smiled sheepishly and finger guns at him. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll do damage control.”
“Not really comforting.”
Okay, thanks Lance, anyway.
Shiromori was still watching her, expression judging and cold. Vivi meets her eye and stares back, not even blinking. Vivi clears her throat, speaking in Japanese, “Shiromori?”
“… Your pronunciation could use some work.”
I’m fucking fluent you oversized tree bitch.
“Well, if you come with me, there’ll be plenty of time for you to give me lessons.”
“How amusing. Do you really expect me to waste my time on this?”
“Well, you did… offer. At least, I thought you had offered. It’s part of the reason we came here.” Vivi admits, her lip twitching.
“I meant the lessons,” Shiromori says blankly, “I already agreed. Don’t you recall? Over the ‘Telly.”
“Ah, then I’m just a dumbass.” Remembering the crackers were next to her, Vivi grabs one and shoves it into her mouth, covering her mouth with her hand, “well, that’s great to hear! We got a car, we got shiro - I’ll be chewing Lewis out in no time.”
Lance makes a face, “let me know if anything happens. I’ll come running. Especially if he’s hurt my boy or you.”
“Oh trust me, I plan on using the parent cards too, so I’ll be sure to mention that to him when I see him next.” Among other things, Lance didn’t need to hear the graphic details surrounding Lewis’s soon to be next death.
Another cracker. “I may just have to wait like, two seconds. Go potty and take care of that fun stuff. I woke up an hour ago and sprinted here.” Pushing herself up, Vivi accidentally demonstrates. Her bandaged knees wobbled as her tendons ache something fierce. “Maybe even more of that medicine. Dear Christ on a fallen bike, this fucking hurts.” Vivi stretches and then bows before trudging her way out of the room and into the desolate and comforting isolation of the porcelain throne.
… clenched fists. Washed out brown. The seat is cold on her skin, almost stinging. Sharply contrasting the heat coiling in all of her joints and humidity of painfully held breath.
… jumping muscles. Chattering teeth. Vivi’s hand fumbles for the toilet paper. To wipe her eyes or blow her nose or shove into her mouth. Just until it stops.
… just until it stops. Until it stops.
…
Vivi’s heart hammers against her chest. Zoning back in from the fuzzy depths of exhaustion. It’s been pulling at her eyes since she asked for help, but now it’s worse. Now, the implications of what’s happening couples with it - creating a nasty cocktail in every limb.
Lewis left. He’s chasing arthur. He’s chasing him again.
What if he tries again?
Have faith in him, her mind hisses, but Vivi can’t. Not after the last few months, not after the day before.
Grinding her teeth together, Vivi struggles to not buckle under her weight, standing up and drawing up her clothes. Washing her hands while she hiccuped. Each one only highlights the ever present pulse of agony in every part of her, especially her feet. God.
Her hands aren’t dried before Vivi wipes roughly at her face. Pressing her fingertips against her eyelids until she saw spots and then a bit harder. She needs to stop trembling. She has to. She’s wasting time. Lewis is going to kill Arthur and she won’t fucking stand around for it!
Then… what is she doing now?
Spreading her fingers firmly against her eyes, Vivi rid of the tears clinging to her eye bags. Cracking open an eye, she catches a glimpse of herself.
She could have looked better. Maybe it’s due to the tiredness, but Lances’s bright white lights bathed her hair and skin into a greasy messy trap. The redness didn’t help her case. Sighing hard, Vivi let’s her hands drop into the sink. The heavy thunk was… relieving. A bell, signaling that it’s over. Now time to get her shit together and get on the road.
Despite that, Vivi doesn’t move. Blinking slowly.
I wish arthur was here to joke around and say I look terrible. Then… wipe away my tears and hold me. He always did something like that…
Knock knock.
Fuck, Lance. Vivi’s eyes flick to the door in the mirror. Has it been more than five minutes? Damn, and here she thought she could keep her record going-
“You doin’ alright in there?” Lance asks, voice undercut with a faint wariness.
“ Y-yes ,” fuck. Vivi clears her throat. Normal voice engage! Engage! She inhales and - “Mhm! I’m all good, uncle lance, I’ll be out in a second-“
“Dont bullshit me.”
Vivi freezes. Shit, guess that’s where Arthur gets it from. Vivi thinks miserably, staring at the door and wondering how it was possible to feel even shittier than she was two seconds ago. Staring at this door might even be worse than seeing Lance. At least when Lance could see you, you could notice the small twitches and thoughts in his eyes, no matter how stony. Through a door? Vivi felt like she was hiding from her parents…
Swallowing, Vivi wipes her palms on her skirt and opens the door. Lances arms were crossed, but he didn’t seem … disappointed. If he was, Vivi couldn’t notice it (or she was simply ignoring it).
Doing unenthusiastic jazz hands, Vivi cracks a joke, “you caught me. The jig is up.”
“You know it’s obvious when you’re growing gray hairs before I do.”
“You shuddup. My hair is perfectly blue.”
“Yea, yea, now sit.” He points to the toilet seat and Vivi sighs again
“You know, normally I would be all for talking about my emotions, but not at this current moment due to the very you-know-what urgent matters.”
“So what, I should letcha go out there and get into a collision because your head’s clouded?”
“Lance, I’m not that bad of a driver.”
Lance gives her a look and honestly Vivi didn’t even have the strength to hide her own.
“Fine. As we’re walking out you’ll tell me, I still made you coffee.”
“Oh right, thanks again for that.”
Lance nodded to the hall before walking off, and Vivi had to skip to catch up. The two walking slowly to the kitchen, where Lance wordlessly pointed out a sticker covered thermos. And since Vivi wasn’t in the mood to craft the perfect drink, she poured a good chunk of hazelnut creamer into it.
She sips, and then mumbles, “I’m scared, uncle Lance.”
He quirks an eyebrow, sipping his own coffee.
“I have to protect Arthur, but I don’t know … I don’t know if we’ll make it in time.” Of course she knew she could. By god and by the sun itself, she would warp realities just to fix whatever wrong Lewis was about to make. But at the same time? “I feel like everything may… I don’t know.”
Lance is quiet for a long moment.
Then he sighs. “I cant say I blame ye’, Im scared too.” He sips from his cup, “but, if in the off chance something… did happen,” he cringes, turning his head away, and Vivi lowers her head in turn, having a good feeling that Lance was worrying over the same thing she was, “It wouldn’t be your fault. Got it? None of us coulda guessed that Arthur would run, nor could we have assumed Lewis would too-”
“I could have.” Vivi interjects, unable to lift her head, “I could have noticed something, done something, before he-”
“Give yourself a break, Vi.”
She peers up, and his stony expression had the smallest twinge of determined concern clear in his expression. Lance wags his finger, “You arent god. You also cant control them. Sure, maybe you could have predicted this, but then what?”
“I would have stopped him.”
“Well, ya’ didn’t have the facts.”
“...”
“Lewis has always been that kid. Jumping into his passion without a second thought. Arthur always was fretting. You, on the other hand, got a solid noggin on your shoulders. You’re impulsive, but you think. Damage control.”
She laughs quietly, nodding slowly. “Damage control..”
“You’ve gotten those boys out of a hundred pickles by now, and this will be no different.”
“...”
“But you can’t be the only one taking responsibility. I want you to knock that. Brand it behind your eyes, if ya’ gotta, but the facts remain the same.”
“... Thanks, Lance.” The smile she musters is strained, but only because she knew that if she hadn’t, her earlier breakdown would spill out onto the floor.
Lance is there, in front of her and arms coming in around her trembling frame. A hug. Lance was never one for hugs.
“It’s gon’ be okay.”
Lances words echo in her mind as Vivi jingles the keys, heels clicking as she makes a bee line for the truck. It’s a pick up, alright, a little on the bigger side and it seemed armored in a way. Shiromori is standing outside of it, making it look puny. She’s bent over and looks like she’s arguing with someone in the truck, and if the Japanese sounding yips meant anything, it’s with fucking Mystery.
“Just give it here, make this easy on us.” Shiromori sneers, glowering and holding out her enormous hand.
“I said back off. You will wait until Vivi is here and prepared to go. Then you can begin tracking.”
Shiromori rolls her eyes. However she catches sight of Vivi, and Vivi returns the look with a small wave and a nod.
“Something wrong over here?” Vivi ventures.
“Of course there is, your mutt of a guardian is refusing to let me get a head start on tracking the other two.” Shiro loudly announces, looking down at Vivi for her to step in. Jesus this is like working in retail. Vivi lumbers to the driver's side and climbs up.
Mystery is pressing himself up against the other end of the brown bench, covered and ruffled with red petals, and curling around something purple and orange. Vivi glares at Mystery and holds out her hand.
“Cough it up.”
Mystery growls, and Vivi glares harder. “Dude, what the fuck is your deal?”
His eyes flick down, faltering. Body unfurling, mystery lifts the two items and drops them in front of Vivi. She rolled her eyes harder and snatched them.
“I didn’t want her to run off without us, and hurt them.”
Vivi doesn’t respond, her teeth gritting harder until Mystery’s ears flick down over it. There wasn’t going to be any debate. None whatsoever. Especially not when images of Lewis’s snarl and Arthur’s dread filled face flashed through her mind. And even if there was no argument, Vivi was not in the mood.
Shiromori’s out stretched hand is there when Vivi turns. Her eye twitches. But there wasn’t any time to waste. Vivi thins her lips and drops the plushie and shirt in shiromori’s palm, and the gigantic woman took a deep inhale. A sunflower and rose shot out from her palms. Shooting the items off and tumbling - if Vivi didn’t snatch it from their fall.
But Vivi couldn’t help but be excited once her eye catches the golden and pink glow. Curiosity biting at her tongue and her interest sky rocketing. The sunflower was tilted, head drooping the smallest bit, but the yellows and light browns were… alarming. The rose was a bright pink, with purple highlights and sharp thorns.
Vivi’s eye twitches. The petals flashing and the stems dissipating into pollen that made her sneeze. Dammit! At least she could catch a glimpse of the floating petals in their delicate but determined path-
“Ah!” Vivi yelps. Ground breaking in a crumble as Shiromori’s body vanished into a mound of dirt, the bulge shifting and shooting out to the side of the road, uprooting cement and leaving cracks near the edges. Vivi blinks, fascination making her fingers twitch with the desire to speak a full report into her phone for later use.
But there’s no time.
No time.
Lewis presses his foot to the gas. Eyes wide and funneled on the glowing orb of Junior zipping ahead. His breathing was unsteady, grip tightening on the steering wheel every few seconds. Billowing smoke. Lifeless eyes. A mass of melting decay.
His stomach was beyond soured. Every minute a new image popped into his mind, and the next thing he tasted was bile and the saltiness of tears. His worry, paranoia, was spiking hard and fast. Especially when a mass of spiritual energy grew ahead of him, much like a blip on a radar. Juniors tail jittered and shook rapidly.
No. Lewis mouths his thoughts, eyebrows furrowing, No…! He can’t be too late, right? He cant be!
He would much rather die again than find Arthur dead this time.
The grassy fields were a blur, the road was a blur, his knuckles were white and the grinding in Lewis’s ear was most definitely from his gritted teeth. No. Please, god, he’ll do anything. Just make it so Arthur is okay.
Orange appears on the road, off to the side. Junior beelines for it.
Please.
The spiritual sparks, another spirit's territory. It's strong, and static jitters across his arms to the point his muscles jump.
PLEASE.
Junior vanishes into the van. The windows lighting up with a brilliant yellow.
Purple sparks dance along the dashboard. The radio cutting in and out. Blues and rock and smooth voices jumbled into one incoherent mess. Lewis slams on the breaks and the car swerves to a stop. Taking up half of the road. Didn’t matter. Lewis throws open the door before the keys are even cut. He dives for the van doors.
Lewis’s legs give wave and he jolts to a sudden, intense stop, that almost had him falling face first into the concrete.
Before him, an aura of purple shimmers. Fog, made of glitter and light, spills from the back of the van. Energy, traces of a spirit, one Lewis did not recognize. It didn’t feel any ounce of correct. Nothing like Arthur, his Arthur, his friend.
He blinks several times, a sound dancing in the air, a song that didn’t match anything hes heard before. And yet, he felt like eyes were narrowed on him. Like a predator demanding his caution, lest he wanted to be snagged in their jaws…
Nothing is there. To the left, the brilliant moon, to the right, grassy dark fields, and billows of purple fog everywhere.
. . .
Was… was Arthur still in the van? Lewis couldn’t feel anything besides the oppressive field. With quiet whispers, prayers, and weak willed determination, Lewis’s legs stiffly move. Each step is hard. Each one gives a new fear. A new panic about what he’d find on the otherside. Blood, gore? A new spirit? A creature hunched over a small body and feasting on him?
Lewis sucks in an unneeded breath, shaking hands lifting into his eye site and carefully grabbing the handles of the back doors.
… This will confirm or deny everything Lewis. Open it. Find him. Find Arthur.
We’ll see if he had the guts to-
He slams the doors open.
Its calm. Theres a smooth voice, but its distorted in the soft radiowaves of the car. The purple fog glimmers in here, but not in the way of a threat. Coating the interior in what seemed to be a blanket.
Junior is glimmering, poking their head against a bundle of blue blankets and… blonde hair… Lewis blinks hard, the stars that surrounded the hidden person and of his own shock, didn’t flee. There wasn’t a putrid stench. Just a body oder. The blankets were moving, not because of junior nestling in and bonking the lumps, but rising and falling on it own.
“Arthur…?” Lewis’s heart was clogged in his throat, worry forming a lump that was impossible to swallow down. He had to make sure.
The van shifts under his weight as Lewis climbs in. Slow and carefully, like any sudden movement would rip away this reality and replace it with something far more grim. The space between him and the blankets felt like miles. Now, Lewis’s hand hovers over the rise and fall. He’s trembling.
Lewis’s eyebrow bones furrow together. Breathe, Lewis. Come on.
Clenching his eyes shut, Lewis pulls the blanket back…
Junior squeaks. Lewis’s eyes still clamped shut, but his hand lowers to touch the being. Skin under his hand was warm, the motions slow and rhythmic.
Risking a look, Lewis is met with… Arthur. Curled on his side and head buried in his pillow. Snoring softly, with the occasional hitched breath.
“Oh, thank god…” he lets out a shuddery laugh. Its far too quiet to be heard, and he was grateful.
The relief washed over his back in pounding waves, making Lewis’s eyes bleary. His trembling breath forced him down, while silent tears roll down bones. If he didn’t have his senses, he’d pull Arthur into a hug. “Thank you, god.
It’s…. Quiet. For what feels like a first in a long time, Arthurs conscious returns to nothing. It’s like he’s on his back, drifting in a pool while the water slides and moves around him, keeping him still. It’s heavy on his eyes. He can’t open them, nor did Arthur particularly want to. It’s peaceful. A lot better than seeing pits full of spikes behind his eyes or waking up dreading an argument.
… was he even awake?
He tries to move his finger, but it barely moves in a twitch. Honestly, Arthur didn’t feel it too much. If it wasn’t for a faint woosh barely tickling his ear, he would have assumed he hadn’t moved at all. It feels almost… nice. He waits, maybe five, ten minutes, before he’s trying again. This time shifting a leg, his arm, trying to warm up his shoulder and smooth away the pinpricks lining his scars. Every movement is met with resistance. A swash and swallow that was similar to waves kept him there.
Arthur’s chest tightens. His stream of Thoughts picked up pace until it was a mantra of noise that tells him to kick, do something, anything! Each thrash was met with failure. He’s just dangling there. Like a doll.
A pressure weighs against the center of his chest, silencing his racing heartbeat, His ears filled with soft waves that resembled a voice. The words were lost on him, but it was sweet and somber. Grateful. Another pressure ghosts over his shoulders. One of them drifted over his scarred arm, but settled onto his neck. It's electric. Small sparks lighting up after all three settled. More whispers joined the waves, and he’s being moved.
He should be scared. He should have been. But…
Arthur couldn’t will the energy to be scared.
It felt… nice. Maybe he was becoming a masochist…
….
….
….
Thank you
Arthur’s eyes pop open and the first thing hes greeted with is something soft and floral pressed to his nose. His vision was blurred, and the rest of his body stiff in what felt like an odd position. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, instead getting dry cloth. Blinking didn’t unblur his vision, but Arthur made out the outlines of a pillow and its yellow stripes…
What? Where was he?
Arthurs body locked up, slow to move and vibrating with the intensity of the terror in his heart. He was in the van last. Not in a room. Did he get grabbed? Did he sleep walk? What about amira-
He throws the blanket off him and immediately its cold. The only thing he had on was his boxers, and Arthur felt terrifyingly exposed. Stumbling, Arthur crawls out of the bed, barely making sense of the sweat drenching his pits and naked legs. Rational thought goes out the window, and Arthurs brain supplies horrible images of what could have been his fate if he didn’t escape to the van as soon as possible.
Shocks shoot up Arthurs leg when he steps down. The frigid hardwood felt sticky, jolts of terror bursting under his skin with the sqluench of his toes on the ground.
Theres a window infront of him, light pours into the room. A breeze comes in. Ah, so thats where the chill was from. Arthur bows forward and launches forit, nearly pressing his cheek to the panel. He really didnt need to, but desperation and adrenaline was kicking his ass.
Its a motel. A gravely parking lot pulled out directly onto a dusty road and into the bright desert sands. Three cars were outside and- Holy shit, no fucking way.
His van was right there. Just sitting there in broad daylight. In perfect fucking condition.
He- he got kidnapped, right? Why wouldn’t they ditch his van? It was one of the most identifying aspects of him and they’d get caught in an instant! At the same time, he was still here, and Arthur did not want to find out what would happen if he stayed standing out in gods spotlight.
Speaking of, he should run now. He didn’t see or hear anyone, and that must have meant that no one was behind him. Hopefully no one was in the parking lot, but as long as Arthur got to his van and got away (completely ignoring the question of if he even could ) he would be safe.
He had limited seconds, and Arthur was not going to waste it by searching for clothes.
The front door slams open. Arthur flinches away and shivers, the breeze now a strong wind, before he bolts to the van. The gravel stabs his soles and his body sagged to the point of dragging. He runs and almost hits the front. Lopsidedly grabbing the handle, Arthur clambers inside.
His seat clung to the underside of his thigh, messing up his boxers to the point of discomfort. Shit. Shit, where's his clothes? He was almost entirely bare- including his lack of an arm. No wonder he felt so tilted. Its fine. Its fine. He’ll get more clothes when he gets somewhere else and -
Arthur swipes at his leg, the seat, and then over the dashboard- despite the clinks and clanks, he didn’t grab his keys. Arthur narrowly scans overs the panels- nothing. His shiny keychain could have been hidden, but the paranoia-shrieking side of him was losing its fucking mind. Making his arms tremble and his feet tap-dance along the accelerators. Never actually pressing down but just wasting his time! Where the fuck, where the fuck would it even be? Arthur grinds his teeth until they ‘bent’.
He slams his palm against the plastic of the glove box. Once, twice. Shit the sun is fucking blinding.
Arthur hits the latch and tears out every envelope and trinket stashed away. It's easier to spot and snatch the small key when it's among the papers. Arthurs vision blurs, and he only knows that the van is moving when a roar of vibrations rush through his body and his body takes over. Hot scents cloud his senses and makes everything one big blur of yellow and gray
The road in front of him is long, expansive. He stamps on the accelerator.
And a motel door swings open.