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Syd hooked the paper bag onto the handle of his air scooter and made sure it was secure enough to stay on while airborne before he swung his leg over to straddle the seat. As he took the time to fasten his helmet and adjust his goggles the late afternoon sun washed over in soft oranges and brilliant rays that ignited Auldnoir in a shining array of warm colors, painting the town with fire and engulfing those who were only just now making the trek back home after a long workday. The silence was a cotton blanket draped over the buildings and smoothed over the cobblestone streets, a calm quiet that suggested nothing but tranquility and serenity in both past, present, and future for their small little town. Despite that being very untrue for a conglomeration of reasons, Syd couldn't help but believe in the depths of his heart that that was just in the case.
Cutting his reflections short he revved the engine of his scooter, picking up his feet when it purred to life and with a fluid and practiced motion urged it upwards then forwards, the gentle wind tousling his hair that peeked out from underneath his helmet and caressing the stubble on his jawline as he made his way over the edge and below the city's surface.
It didn't take him long to reach his destination; soon enough he could spot the tattered curtain hanging from the mouth of a large pipe from the old and outdated sewage system that was no longer used yet never demolished for what he could only assume was purely integrity purposes. Relaxing his grip on the throttle, Syd let the motor scooter putter to a stop on the ledge right next to the pipe. After parking it and turning it off he hopped off, removing his helmet and goggles and placing them on the abandoned seat before sliding the paper bag off of the handle bar.
He walked over to the mouth of the pipehouse, whistling as to announce his presence (as if his scooter hadn't been loud enough to announce his arrival) as to not startle her when he decided to just barge in. Pulling aside the curtain he held up the bag almost triumphantly with a large grin adorning his unshaven face.
"Guess who has saved the day yet again by -"
A harsh "meow" cut him off and he looked over at Dusty curled up at the foot of the bed, head raised and ears flattened back in obvious irritation. He blinked at the cat he'd very obviously woken up from his slumber before his eyes trailed right and landed upon a sight that knocked his breath from him and made his arm drop back to his side once more.
There was his queen curled on the bed, her hair loose and unkempt, donned in a simple white tank top with her black shorts that he remembered from their time spent on the Banga settlement. Her shoulders rose and fell steadily and slowly - asleep. It was an endearing sight and even though her back was to him he was sure she looked serene. With everything she had been through recently, from returning to her birthplace and receiving the shock of her memories to the fierce battle she fought to being swallowed by the darkness for a year (or however long it had been for her), Syd couldn't begin to describe the joy and relief that overcame him at the simple sight of her sleeping as if she had been living here all her life with no worries nor cares to be given.
Deciding to drop off his package and then leave her be with the promise to talk to her tomorrow, he tiptoed into the pipe house, fully aware of Dusty's eyes on him the entire time. Once he had approached the side of the bed he set down the paper bag on the nightstand that way it would be the first thing she would see upon waking up.
Syd went to turn around and take his leave, but stopped immediately upon the sight of black tendrils that had engulfed Kat's arms and were wrapped around her legs. Upon closer inspection, he saw how the black faded to red at the ends that curled and eventually came to see a patch of pale skin peeking out from underneath, revealing another pair of closed eyes and long lashes.
A smile tugged at his lips as he took in Hekseville's other shifter, dark circles underneath her eyes but her face relaxed and, for once, painless.
Raven had wrapped herself around Kat fully, from her arms to her legs and hair and body, curled around the blonde shifter entirely with every ounce of her being. Her face was inches away from Kat's own, both half tucked into the same pillow and each girl held on tight to one another without any clear intention to let go.
Before his mind could catch up, his hands were already reaching for the foot of the bed and pulling the blankets up and over their prone forms, tucking the cloth around their shoulders. Each girl squirmed in their sleep before a little sigh left their parted lips and they seemed to scoot closer to each other, as if there was still too much room between them.
Sometimes he forgot that he wasn't the only one who had missed Kat so dearly.
With a soft smile on his face and a yawn to punctuate his departure, he closed the curtain behind him and left the girls to each other and their slumber.
The next day, Kat would wake up warm in Raven's arms and cloaked in her blanket with a mound of black hair to greet her and a paper bag behind her, waiting to be opened with her newly fixed outfit inside.