Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Severa’s head rested on one of the several break room tables trying to fathom the true capacity of the human lungs. Her co-worker’s loud shouting was slipping through her earphones' music with ease. She groaned inward unable to drown out the noise. She threw a glance toward the aqua blue clock resting on the wall above the vending machine she sat across from. She still had a good ten minutes until she could finally leave work. If she had known JayJ was going to arrive early “as a surprise”, Severa would've taken some books with her. At least then, she could’ve done something productive with her “surprise” free time rather than sit in the uncomfortable chair being drove up the wall by her annoying co-worker.

The twenty two year old gazed at the clock, watching the hands inch their way around. She wanted to focus on anything other than her co-worker’s noise level. Keri seemed to have lost something, but was it necessary to keep screeching like a banshee? Severa let out a giggle at the comparison.

“What the hell are you laughing about?!”

Severa didn’t flinch at the loaded tone and retorted, “A banshee.” Her head never left the table even when the fellow woman gave out a loud hmph returning to her phone call. The young woman decided to eavesdrop a bit. After all, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em… even if they don’t know.

“It is fine.” Keri spat out. “It is a low grade imbecile being rude. Anyway, you need to find them ASAP. Do I make myself clear?”

'Ah, Keri Bateson at her finest.' Severa thought to herself as she zoned out, not even listening for a solid minute. There was a reason she didn’t like the woman after all. The attitude had left to be desired and her way of treating people was even worse. Severa prided herself as a master at holding her tongue and saving face, but a Keri Bateson always made her want to break that and just deck a bitch. Alas, that would be hard to reason… within legal means.

She bent down on the right side of the chair, grabbing blindly for the bag that rested next to her. Her head was beginning to hurt against the hard plastic of the table and her bag should make a decent cushion of sorts. The female wasn’t going to be picky at the moment. She finally felt the bag in her grasp, giving herself a silent cheer of triumph before pulling it onto the table. The black tote bag Severa carried around held all sort of things from her small makeup bag, the fish encyclopedia to random batteries, canola bars and a possible small liquor bottle or two. It had things she used on a daily basis, so it was to remain in there. Although, nothing hurt as much as the banshee’s current screeching causing Severa’s head to pound.

Severa laid her head on the tote returning to the clock on the wall. The minutes ticking away were agony to the young woman, wishing for time to slip away quicker. The room soon filled with the Keri’s constant screaming and the energized beat of the dubstep that slipped through Severa’s earphones. The latter was fading out as another song began, one that the college student knew very well. A grin spread over her features as she planted her face onto the bag, giggling softly and letting the lyrics slip out as the music played.

“...let the bodies hit the floor...” Her voice was low, but she obviously knew the lyrics from her whispers of them. She mumbled out the lyrics for-going the actual hard rock beat of the real song. She kept in tune with the beat, fingernails drumming the rhythm. She knew she sounded ridiculous, but it was better noise than the screeching and a decent way to pass the time. An old trick she learned long ago.

That was just what she did and as soon as the clock struck 6, Severa was up and headed toward the door. As she grabbed the handle a voice that made her pause rang out. A voice she’d rather not hear any longer. She shouldn’t have turned down the volume yet.

“You need to be more aware of other people, Tucker.” Severa’s head spun to meet the stern look from her co-worker. Before she could even respond, Keri continued on. “It is rude to be loud when someone is on the phone or were you not taught manners in that second rate school of yours?” Keri’s hand fell to her hip as she turned her look to a hard stare, reprimanding the younger woman.

The young woman in question held the stare of Keri’s for several tense seconds before gaining a sickly sweet smile. “I don’t understand. What does my schooling have anything to do with your screeching?”

That seemed to the wrong thing to say since Keri stomped her foot in response and leaned closer to Severa. Keri had a good few inches of height on Severa, but she wouldn't be intimidated by height and kept that smile on her face. Keri began again with a scowl etched over her pretty features. “It seems not only do you lack manners, but respect as well. Do I need to get you an urgent lesson ready, Tucker?”

The silence that fell upon the two women was thick and it dragged on so long that a proud grin exploded on Keri’s face. Well, until Severa finally responded.  “There are also manners in regards to the person on the cell phone. Practice what you preach before you try to lecture me about manners, Bateson. Respect like manners are a two way street. You receive what you give, girl. Adios.” And with that, Severa was out the door.

Severa sped walk to the front gate of the Ebott Aquarium she worked at. While on most days she would take her time at the end of her shift and gaze at the underwater beauty around her. Today, she was on a time crunch and she needed to keep the distance between her and the banshee. She had had enough of Keri Bateson for the next decade, but with her luck this would come back to bite her in the ass. Any time she never held her tongue she would always have some sort of backlash. Whether it ended up being good or bad was never seen until a later date. Severa wasn't afraid to talk back, voice her opinion or anything of the sort, it was just a pain at the end of the day. It was another thing to deal with and something that could bring chaos to her stable, routine-driven life. She really really didn't wish for that bullshit to enter her life.

Upon reaching the front of the building, Severa spotted a very well aged woman with faded brown hair and a simple smile directed toward the customers entering the aquarium. Severa was about to ruin that. “Hey, boss.” Severa greeted with a honeyed voice that the elder woman caught since the smile instantly fell from her expression.

“Hello, Severa… What can I do for you?” The woman inquired slowly giving her worker a matching look. The older woman named Velma Farley was Severa’s boss at the Ebott Aquarium. She held the title of the Director (or “Dictator” if you got on her bad side) for the past ten years at the institution and it has grown tremendously under her authority.

“It’s not really what you can do for me, but what I can do for you.”

“You sound like an insurance salesman.”

“I am so much better than that useless garbage.”

“The gunk I find on the bottom of my shoes are better than insurance salesmen, child.”

“Well thanks for labeling me as gunk.”

“You’re welcome.” Velma giggled, gaining her loose smile momentarily before continuing. “So what did you need to tell me?”

“Oh, I opened my mouth at the banshee.” Severa answered, her gaze flickering to the side before returning to meet her supervisor's.

Velma’s eyebrows shot up at the confession of her worker, but held to a new puzzled expression. “I… I am not sure what that means, Severa.” Her worker has once again said something that made absolutely no sense to Velma. Severa has a tendency to phrase things strangely, but has mentioned they make perfect sense in her own head.

“Keri. I got smart with Keri.” Severa rephrased. “She was screaming over the phone in the break room about losing something…”. The young woman’s explanation trailed off before shrugging to herself then reverting her attention to her boss.

“Ah, I see. That was pretty stupid to do, Severa.” Velma scolded her worker then placed her hand on her shoulder giving out a gentle smile. “I wish I were there to witness it.”

This caused a giggle to slip from Severa as she gave her boss a sly grin in response. “She might be kind of...". She trailed off, looking anywhere else and rotating her hand in a circular motion thinking. Velma’s hand fell from Severa’s shoulder in the process though still holding her boss’ attention. “Pissy?”

“Pissy? Is that the best word you can come up with?”

“It's past 6, so my brain has left the building like I, myself, should be doing.”

“Have a nice night then!” Velma called after Severa’s scurrying form. If Severa heard, she made no indication that she did and Velma went back to greeting the late arrivals and the leaving customers. A small mental note made to speak with Keri later on about the personal phone call.

Severa fled out the door the next moment and met with the bright light of the sun. Summer was in full swing if it was still daylight this late in the afternoon and it gave Severa a small hop in her step. Now, she didn’t have a problem with any seasons. She didn’t have a favorite, but summer had its long daylight hours and short nightlife. She wouldn’t be walking home in the dark from work for a while, plus summer meant vacation from college. That was always a good time, right? No assignments and projects needed to be done. No annoying classmates pestering her for her notes, or her professor throwing things at her when she falls asleep in the lecture.

Severa grinned at the thought as she walked to her appropriate bus stop. She put her earphones back in returning to the remixes blasting away. She continuously hums to the new song coming from her speakers albeit at a more reasonable volume. Without the banshee screeching in the background, she had no reason to be trying to block out the excessive noise with more noise. She was able to hear the two other occupants of the stop chattering away. Severa waited until the city bus came rolling up and the awaiting passengers piled in. The ride was uneventful, but once you’ve done something repeatedly it loses any sort of anticipation of change. It was just another bus ride for Severa and it was enough for her.

The ride took about 10 minutes to get to her stop that rested in front of her apartment complex. Exiting the bus, she made her way through the security doors of the complex after typing in her code.

“Welcome back, Severa.” A voice greeted Severa as she walked into the lobby of the building and yanked out her earphones to wrap around her neck.

Severa walked toward the wall of mailboxes searching for her apartment number. “Hey, Joyce.” Severa called back as she grabbed her mail from it after locating it and unlocking it. She shut the box hearing an automatic click then turned toward Joyce. Joyce was the owner and operator of the building ergo, Severa’s landlady. She was a woman of average stature, frizzy brown hair and dark eyes that were always on alert for anything. “Where’s your freeloader?” Severa asked while walking toward the lobby desk that the older woman sat at.

“Last time I saw my nephew he was trying to find the ferret. By the way, the ferret it loose again.” Joyce warned while looking back to her computer.

“Noted. Tell August I said ‘hi’ when ya see him later.”

“Will do.”

With that Severa made her way to the stairs and began the climb to the seventh floor. While there was an elevator in the complex, Severa hardly ever took it unless it was absolutely necessary. She arrived at her floor and made quick work to her door and practically barreled through it. “Finally, home sweet home!” Severa called out kicking her door closed in the process. “Now time to clean that black hole called my study. Yay.”

She placed her black tote on the small kitchen table that was visible as soon as you entered the apartment and traded it for the trash bags she placed there before leaving earlier that morning. If she wasn’t going to do it now, she wouldn’t do it for a while longer and that place was becoming a hazard. A hazard that would be perfect for a certain ferret to live in too. She hoped that she wouldn’t find that thing in there. She didn’t need her apartment to smell anymore than it already did after all. With that final thought, Severa made her way to her study that was directly across from her bedroom.

She started with the trash that accumulated the past few weeks that she spent in this room then moved onto organizing her textbooks, old papers she would go through later and various other things that had her letting time slip away. The only reason she stopped the cleaning was because her phone was going off in the kitchen. Right, she left it on her tote bag. Severa gazed toward her desktop’s time seeing it was past nine o’clock. She’d been at it for over two hours and gazing around, it was obvious she made a good dent in the mess that she made while chugging through the final weeks of her college semester. It was a good time to stop for the day and restart tomorrow Severa decided and exited the room to the kitchen where her phone was.

“I should grab it before I forget again...” Severa sighed while shutting off her alarm and making her way in the direction of the bathroom smacked between the two separate rooms. She grabbed an orange bottle from her sink then snapped her head toward the door.

Thunk.

What was that? Did something just drop? Severa sped out of the door and rounded the corner to see a clear view of her kitchen. She glanced around seeing… nothing? But that made no sense. “Prince?” Severa called out. Prince was the name of the complex ferret. Maybe he was in the apartment? Although… “I don’t smell anything. Prince? Are you in here, dude?” Severa repeated for the ferret while walking around the small area hoping to hear something again. It was then she noticed her encyclopedia on the ground. She picked it up and placed it on the table, grabbed her tote seeing it wide opened with its contents spilling out. She couldn’t see it since it was turned toward the front door, out of her view. Did she forget to close it? She wouldn’t be surprised if she did. The young woman shrugged it off then made her way to the cupboard above her stove. She yanked the door opened and pulled out the container of oreos inside of it. She ate some of the sweets while reading the prescription label she grabbed from her bathroom.

She glanced toward her tote bag then placed the bottle on the counter next to the oreos. She looked at the time of her phone and saw it was closer to ten and shoved it into her jacket pocket. “I’ll just try to sleep without them.” Severa declared to herself then retired to her room for the night. She changed into one of her nightshirts and shorts and went to bed. She spent some time tossing and turning, but soon got taken in by darkness.

Thunk.

Something dropped again and the young woman’s eyes snapped opened as more noises were heard. She slowly sat up in her bed gazing toward her door with a hard stare. There was something in her apartment. She got out of bed sneaking a peak at her phone seeing it was nearly one in the morning. This was a normal time for the ferret to start causing a mess in her apartment. Dammit. Severa cursed internally as she edged her way to the bedroom door with the noises getting more clear. It sounded like something was rummaging through something? Was Prince getting into the oreos that she left on the counter?

“Prince, those are my oreos, dammit!” Severa snapped exiting her room to the kitchen to retrieve her treats from the animals. She stopped though in front of the counter seeing… two frozen creatures in her oreos.

“You’re not the ferret.” Severa stated as the two small raiders stared at her with widen eye sockets in shock. It was not a ferret, but rather two bitties. Two skeleton bitties. Wait, what?

Chapter Text

Severa leaned against the counter top glancing behind her momentarily to check if the KEURIG was running. Once she noted it was, she looked back to the bitties currently sitting on her table. They were eating a variety of fruits that Severa cut up for them, but getting them to do so turned out to be a challenge. The duo vanished on Severa the second they were out of her eyesight. She hadn’t heard any sounds that indicated that they left and yet, they were gone.

After a short scouting mission in the general area, she managed to find them hiding in her tote bag. That was thanks to the moving imprints in the bag’s fabric. She tried to coax them out with the smell of fruit, but that failed somewhat. She ended up requesting them to help her finish the fruit she placed out on the table next to her tote. She had bought too much and it would help immensely if they ate it instead of it going to waste. It seemed to do the trick since the small creatures slowly made their way out of the bag and began eating the fruit. That’s where they were now.

She still needed to reassure them beforehand, but then they were soon eagerly shoving their faces with the food. It left Severa with a familiar, bad taste in her mouth. It was difficult to get them to eat fruit, even if they obviously hungry. It seemed clear their goal was to get away from Severa. Did they view her as a threat or something to be cautious of? The thought made more curiosity bubble in Severa about the two bitties on her table, but also a sense of concern.

Severa observed the bitties from where she stood with the sounds of her coffee spilling from the KEURIG into her mug accompanying them. In the kitchen light she had a better view of the skeleton bitties than just from the dull one from above the oven where she first encountered them. Their condition was appalling. Severa could clearly see the discoloration of their bones, their clothes (if you could call the simple shirt and pants they were wearing that) were covered in stains; … were those cracks in their bones? Severa felt her eye twitch. The only thing that seemed in a decent condition were the bright colored pieces of cloth they both wore around their necks. She grabbed the mug once it finished and drank some of the contents straight. The crisp smell of hazelnut and subtle taste of vanilla permeated her senses giving Severa the awaken jolt she needed to begin her prodding. She glanced toward the clock on the hanging microwave seeing it was still ungodly early. Good thing she didn’t have much to do today.

“So how did you get into my apartment?” Severa questioned toward her two small intruders. The bitties froze, refusing to look her way.

Silence lingered for a bit before Severa added on. “I need to know you two. If you two can get in, god knows what else can. I don’t want to find raccoons eating my face one night.”

"THAT IS A HORRIFYING IMAGE, HUMAN." The taller bitty blurted to Severa who shrugged.

“So is my face in the mornings, so the help isn't necessary.”

That seemed to have an effect on the duo on her table. They both held a complex expression that Severa was convinced was a twist between horror and disgust. This caused a shit-eating grin to spread across her lips. That earned her a snort from the shorter one.

“Aw, don’t like my humor?”

“NOT SO MUCH, HUMAN.”

“That’s a shame. I personally thought it was a good bite to start off.”

“HUMAN, I THI-” The shorter one stopped mid-sentence causing Severa to force down a twitch of her mouth. “WAS THAT A PUN?”

“Too much to chew?”

“HUMAN!”

Severa couldn’t hold it any longer. She howled in laughter, reaching behind herself to grasp the counter. Their reactions were perfect . She heard a sharp stomp from the table and one requested for her to stop the “maddening puns”. After regaining herself, Severa took another swing of her coffee with a thoughtful expression.

“Alright,” she set her mug down and made her way to the small skeletons. “I will halt my grand puns if you two spill how you got in. Deal?”

“DEAL!” The agreed swiftly before it dawned on them. Their relaxed composure was short lived and it was not lost on Severa.

“Tell me, dudes.”

The silence returned with a vengeance engulfing the kitchen area. Severa’s gaze never left the duo, so they couldn’t run away again. After several more agonizing seconds, Severa let out a small laugh.

“You act like I’m going to bite you two.” Severa was met with silence. “I am not going to bite you. I am not even mad if that’s what you’re scared of.”

“B-but we… entered your home, human!” The taller one spoke out, finally. His volume dropped drastically. Were they that scared?

“So does the complex ferret and by now I'm just tired of that thing and his smell. That thing gets in by my vents, my balcony, and through my front door. So which was yours?”

The two bitties shared a glance and nodded to one another seemingly deciding on something since the taller one spoke out. “YOUR DOOR, HUMAN.”

Severa picked up her mug once more. “Alright then. Anything else? I didn’t see you two run in with me.”

“WE WERE WITH YOU THE ENTIRE TIME.”

“...” Severa blinked then turned her gaze to her tote and gestured with her mug. “My bag? Were you in my tote?”

“YES, HUMAN. DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A NICE VOICE?” Did the short one’s eye lights turn into stars? Oh, that’s adorable.

Severa stared in awe before nodding slowly. “Oh, uh… thanks.” When did they hear her sing though? He also liked it? She got told her voice was decent, but she always thought it was still an acquired taste. “Alright. So you got an owner or guardian?”

“... NO.”

Severa clicked her tongue. “There must be someone who cares for you two.”

“WELL THERE WAS…” The shorter one trailed off. Both looked close to tears suddenly. Ouch. Guess she hit a sore spot.

Severa sighed. “I see. Then…” Severa trailed off and was met with silence once again. She watched the two squirm in place looking everywhere, but at her. They seemed to do that often. Severa could only guess why but, either way, they were getting nowhere.

She set her mug down after drinking the remaining contents in one go and clapped her hands together gaining their attention. Perhaps she should go about a different way. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen skeleton bitties. It still amazes me just how cool your types are.”

The duo grew color on their cheek bones at her words, but a question arose. “... WE HAVE TYPES?” The apartment was soon filled with Severa’s howling laughter. “WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.”

“Aaah. Don’t worry about it, dude.” Severa waved them off after calming down then sat down in one of the chairs at the table. “To answer your first question, yes, there are a variety of bitties. You two are skeleton bitties, which have sub-categories to them.”

Severa looked directly at the bitty wearing a bright blue bandana around his neck and examined his looks. “Now I’m not 100% knowledgeable about bitties, but I can tell you that you-” She gestured toward the smaller one. “-are most likely a Baby Blue.”

The baby blue didn’t seem to like that answer as he shouted with clear frustration. “I AM NOT A BABY.” It made Severa laugh once again.

“It’s just a type name, dude. It has nothing to do with who you are.” The shorter bitty flushed blue. Severa turned her attention to the taller one. He gazed back at her with an expression she couldn’t place.

“HUMAN. WHAT AM I?” The taller bitty stepped closer to Severa nearly bouncing with anticipation. The sight made Severa crack a small smile. The taller bitty was just as cute as the baby blue.

“Do you sleep a lot?”

“WHAT?” He seemed confused by the question. “SLEEP? I SLEEP FOR AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME. NO MORE AND NO LESS. NYEHEHEHE.”

Severa blinked several times. “Pappy. You are a Pappy.” The Pappy laughed once more, somewhat louder than before. It seemed their nervousness was gone again, at least momentarily. Severa motioned to the fruit in the bowl and mentioned. “There are still fruit remaining in the bowl. I didn’t mean to interrupt your midnight meal with my prodding. Sorry.”

The duo grinned up at Severa which made her pause and almost miss their response of a loud 'THANK YOU'. They resumed eating and Severa could only stare at them now.

That... that was odd. She hadn't expected them to smile at her like that. It confused her. Weren't they scared and/or nervous of her? Why did they suddenly smile at her like that if they were? Then again, Bitty Bones were known to be very receptive to affection, so perhaps it was that? What was it that Mama Cry told her during one of their visits when her and Avery went to go see the firefly?

“HUMAN.”

Severa snapped out of her thoughts and responded. “Yeah, dude?”

“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

“My name? Severa. Severa Tucker.”

“NICE TO MEET YOU HUMAN SEVERA!” The baby blue practically shouted in joy. Severa had to hold back a twitch of her mouth.

“Nice to eat you too.”

“HUMAN!!” The duo scolded in unison. “WHY?!” She swore she could hear one shout “NYEH”.

Severa nearly fell out of her seat from laughter.

“... -ure he wasn’t in his usual places?”

“Auntie, I searched for the furry thing for hours yesterday. Even if it was, it probably ran off before I saw it! It’s pointless for me to chase it down when it always ends up coming back on its own anyhow.”

Severa heard a pair of voices talking as she reached the final step of the stairs making contact with the lobby. She left the bitties, on her couch in a barrier fort of blankets and pillows, watching her television momentarily to come downstairs. When she stop her laughing fit earlier, she decided to waste time with the television. She made the fort for the bitties for shits and giggles and because she felt like they could use a barrier of sorts for themselves. They were still nervous around Severa and their present situation… most likely. They seemed hesitant to move from the table, but once the duo noticed the fort, they changed their tune. The three spent some time watching random television shows or rather, Severa watched the duo play with her remote and the TV. It was refreshing to her, but when the sun started to show more she needed to move. She wanted to speak with August and Joyce and it looks like she didn’t have far to look.

“I know he does,” Joyce sighed heavily. “But still, it’s a hazard to have Prince running around to gods knows where.”

“Then attach the Go-Pro to him like August keeps suggesting. You wouldn’t have a problem finding the furry bastard then.” Severa interjected as she walked up to her landlady and August. August was Joyce’s nephew who went to same university as Severa and helped around the complex in exchange for housing. He was a taller young man with similar looks to his aunt, but a more causal version.

“Oh, Severa, good morning. You are up awfully early.” Joyce greeted with confusion clear on her features.

“Like old Adams would let us attach her precious Prince with a Go-Pro even if it would help.” August snorted. “It would be easier to just kick her out.”

“August!”

“What?!”

“Not another word about that!” Joyce snapped causing August to look away and grumble to himself. Joyce turned her attention to Severa then.

“What are you doing up? Couldn’t sleep again?” A worried tone drenched Joyce’s questions.

“I heard noises in my apartment that woke me up.” Severa explained to Joyce. It wasn’t usual for Severa to be awake at odd hours and come down to the lobby to speak with Joyce or August to past the time. It was a routine by now.

“Was Prince in your apartment?” August inquired staring straight Severa with hopeful eyes. Severa crushed it with a shake of her head and August hung his.

“Nope, turned out to be a pair of bitties.”

“...What?” August voiced out. Joyce and him shared a look of confusion.

“I woke up to a pair of skeleton bitties eating my oreos. Granted I left them out, but I thought Prince was in my apartment when I did. I was hearing noises before I went to bed, so I thought perhaps it was just Prince being difficult and not coming out.”

“So you tried to get him out with oreos?” Joyced barked out. “That could’ve poisoned him!”

“We wouldn’t have to worry about him,” August countered, but Severa cut him off before he could continue.

“August, we know you dislik-”

“ Hate. ” August corrected Severa who sighed.

“-fine, hate Prince, but that doesn’t mean you get to continuously be an ass to the thing. He’s an animal. If you have to be upset at anyone, be so at Ms. Adams since she refuses to cooperate with you two regarding Prince.”

“That’s because the only thing August suggests is termination or attaching the Go-Pro.”

“At least it’s a suggestion!”

“Before you two start your back and forth can we get back to the fact that I have two lost or possibly abandoned bitties in my apartment at the moment?”

Joyce glared at her nephew several seconds longer before giving the young woman her attention. “If you are going to ask me if there are any reported missing bitties in my complex, that’s a big no. None of my residents mentioned anything about missing bitties and I’m pretty sure the few who do have them do not have skeleton bitties.”

“There was Peter on the fourth floor that had a skeleton bitty, but I only remember that that thing always bit everyone.” August added on. “He moved out two years ago though, so I doubt that bitty would’ve stayed hidden successfully that long if he had stayed behind.”

“Considering these two didn’t bite me, much less threaten me in anyway, I can cross that off the list.” Severa sighed heavily. She came down here for possible answers, but it looks like she wasn’t getting them that easy.

“What do you plan to do with them then, Sev? It’s not like you couldn’t take care of them if you wanted. You handled Chester well for most of your life, right? Bitties can’t be that different from him.”

“You are comparing small monsters with a bird, August.” Severa chuckled. “... They are in terrible shape. They have gray bones. Skeleton bitties normally have pearl white bones. I saw enough of them at Mama Cry’s those few times.” Severa bit her bottom lip then shook her head. “If anything my first priority is getting them back to a good condition. I’ll figure it out after that. It’s not like my morals will just let me throw them out or give them to Mama Cry’s so easily anyway.”

“Who’s Mama Cry?”

“Mama Cry is a monster who runs a bitty adoption center. The best one in my opinion.” Severa clarified to August then excused herself insisting she’s been away from the duo for too long and went back.

“... Go find the ferret!”

As Severa made her way to the stairwell, she heard August groan causing her to giggle at her friend’s misfortune. There was no way August was going to be finding that royal pain anytime soon.

Even though she sped off to the stairwell, she took her sweet time making it to her apartment. The sounds of her footsteps echoed in the silence of seventh floor hall. There was only two other residences that lived on Severa’s floor and she knew neither began moving until after 10 am or early afternoon. The chance of other noises were slim since it was still only after 4 in the morning. She reached her door and stood in front of the wood not yet reaching for the handle. She stared hard at the glossy coating of the door with thoughts of the two creatures inside clustering her mind. She’d been with them for only mere hours and she could already tell some things about them:

1. They didn’t like puns, yet somehow relaxed at hearing them. 

Severa shook her head. She’d let out so many stupid puns and bad jokes for the past few hours than she had in a long time. She was kind of sick of them herself, but it was the only way they were able to stay calm enough for her and them to have a conversation.

2. They didn’t hold much knowledge about themselves.

Now this shouldn’t be as alarmingly as it was since most bitties barely know much about themselves, but bitties knew their own types. These two didn’t.

3. They refused or were wary of talking about their (former?) caretaker.

When Severa asked them about it in their first exchanged, they were near tears when she tried to pry it out of them. It was heartbreaking to see to say the least.

4. They were (probably) abandoned and not treated well.

This just ticked Severa off. A feeling of sympathy boiled in her belly just thinking about their obvious mistreatment. She could tell the two were so sweet and they had gotten dealt a bad hand. It sucked.

Severa grasped the handle and pushed the door opened. “Yo dudes, I’m back. You alright?” Severa kicked the door closed with her foot after stepping further inside making her way to the couch where she last left the duo. She found the fort abandoned and in disarray, but the television was still going.

She clicked her tongue and glanced over to the kitchen seeing nothing out of place at first glance. She did a quick skim anyway and didn’t find anything. She looked around at the opened area of the kitchen and living room seeing no clear sign of the duo. What the hell? Did they go into her room or study then?

The answer was her study as she heard shuffling as she got closer to the set of three doors. She noticed the door was opened a bit. It was enough that the bitties could slip inside and her be none the wiser… if they’d kept the noise down. She was the only one in here after all. She pushed the door opened more, but kept quiet wanting to see what the two were up to.

Or she would’ve if she hadn’t slammed the door wide opened and shouted. “Prince! Get the hell away from them!” The bitties were cornered by the animal in the furthest corner of the room between two bookcases. From her height, she could clearly see the two pressing themselves into the walls’ corner as the ferret stared down at them in an upright position.

Like a predator eyeing its prey .

Severa knew what was happening and her call startled the ferret as he ran off toward her ottoman where the opened vent laid. “Dammit! Prince, don’t go into that ve-” Fuck. Severa groaned, but quickly turned her attention to the still cornered bitties. The skeletons were shaking so hard. Severa could hear their bones rattling- heh. Wait, no puns. It wasn’t pun time.

Severa knelt down near them, but not too close. She didn’t wish to push them into an sort of panic- well anymore than they already were. “Hey…” she started softly.

“S-Severa...?”

Severa smiled softly at the low voice of the pappy. “Yes, it’s me.” She dare not inch forward, but she does bring her hand close to the duo. “I’m right here. I’m right here near you.” The silence is heavy, tense, and slowly engulfed the study, but Severa stayed still. She needed to help them, but they needed to make the first move toward her. So she waited.

And waited and waited. It was a bit of just Severa keeping her hand out toward them, soft reassurances and requests of slow breathes. Calm down. Deep breathes. Inhale 1.. 2.. 3.. then exhale 4.. 5.. 6.. Various things that Severa could think of to help them from her position. Sadly, barely anything seemed to work on the two bitties. In their defensive, they probably thought they just barely survived from becoming a ferret’s breakfast.

There had to be a more effective method to calm them down. What was something she hadn’t tried yet? Oh, perhaps…?

“ I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be all right
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound… ”

Severa sang softly to the shivering duo. The baby blue mentioned he liked her voice. Singing always helped her baby sister, Lucia, calm down when the child started her waterworks. Severa hoped it would have a similar effect on the bitties before her.

“ Don't you dare look out your window
Darling, everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when the music's gone, gone

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be all right
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh, ooh, ahh, ahh
Ooh, ooh, ahh, ahh... ”

Severa continued on singing to the skeletons and it caught their attention after a few more lines. She watched their shivers slow, heard the rattles grow weaker, and felt hope form in her chest.

“ Just close your eyes
You'll be all right
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh... ”

Finally the song came to an end and what happened next she hadn’t expected. The two small skeletons rushed toward her and quickly buried themselves in her lap, pushing against her stomach. She felt the tips of their phalanges digging in through her shirt and they wailed her name. Severa was again at a loss at what to do, so she did what she does with her sister. She covered the two with her palm that was stretched toward them before and softly reassured them, waiting for their tears to dry.

After they managed to calm down a second time, Severa brought them back to the plush fort. The baby blue and pappy made their way back in as Severa sat down in one of the chairs on either side of the couch. She refused to leave the duo after what just occurred. Prince could come back and she wasn’t gonna allow the animal to corner them again. Thinking about it let the guilt and worry chew at her mind. Why had she left the bitties when she knew Prince was running amuck around the complex? She never left Chester on his own when the ferret was out when he was still alive! How could she forget such a thing?! They could’ve been hurt or even worse-.. And right after moments she was telling herself about how she wanted to help them.

“HUMAN. WE’D LIKE TO APOLOGISE.”

Severa snapped her head to the voice. She was so occupied with her thoughts she failed to notice the pappy had approached her. He was shaking, but enduring it to put up a brave front and she could see the baby blue peering out over the lip of the blanket fort. She gazed back at the tall bitty. “Excuse me?”

“WE-” He motioned to the baby blue. “WE WISHED TO APOLOGISE FOR EAR-”

“Oookay. I’m gonna stop you right there.” Severa interrupted the bitty. He grew a look of confusion and… concern? “There is absolutely no reason for you to be apologising to me. If anyone should be apologising, it is I.”

“WHY? WE CAUSED YOU PROBLEMS.” The baby blue threw out from his position. Severa glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What the hell are you talking about? I was aware Prince escaped and knew of his mischievous tendencies. Ferrets are potentially dangerous to small creatures such as bitties. Something else I was aware of.” Severa sighed and laid her head against the top of the chair. “You two could’ve been… I am sorry. I am so sorry.”

The bitties were quiet and Severa noticed they were squirming in place again. “We’ve had our ferret share of problems today-”

“SEVERA THAT WAS HORRIBLE.”

Severa cracked a grin. “I know.”

 “THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT?” The Pappy huffed with his arms crossed.

 “Timing is important, but I gotta have Joyce talk to Ms. Adams again about Prince. Something has to be dealt with with that animal.” Severa sighed heavily, but putting the duty on the back burning. There was something more important to address. Severa looked toward the bitties, seeing they were eyeing her with curious expressions. “... We need to finish the chat from earlier.”

 The duo visible stiffened and Severa could hear their bones rattle, but they both nodded to Severa. “ALL RIGHT, HUMAN. WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT.”

 “Smart cookies. So from what I gathered from you guys is that you are…” Severa watched the pappy fiddle with the edge of his scarf and the baby blue keeps his eyelights trained on her. “... alone.” From their surprised expressions, Severa suspects that wasn’t the answer they were expecting. She continued on, “Now, if I am wrong, I don’t care, because I refused to let you go back there. You two are not in the best condition and need some proper care first and foremost. So I think I have an idea, but I want you two to be okay with it.”

 The duo nodded at Severa’s words and the pappy asked her what her idea was. Severa smiled warmly at him and his cheekbones erupted in color. “How about you stay here for the time being?”

Both bitties stare at Severa with a look of pure disbelief and wariness. Severa expected it, so she continued on. “I am not forcing you to stay here, please don’t get me wrong. It is an open option for you two. If you do not wish to then I will work with you two to figure out what to do next.”

 “SEVERA, MAY I ASK A QUESTION?” The baby blue spoke out.

 “You just did.”

 “VERY FUNNY, MISS JOKESTER.”

 Severa nodded, grinning.

 “TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, WHY ARE YOU BEING SO NICE TO US?”

 Severa’s grin fell. “Nice? I am not being nice to you. I am treating you like people. Like the intelligent individuals you are. You should have some sort of say in what happens to you after all. It is only right.” Severa’s explanation seems to have perplexed the bitties. She sighed internally with more worry eating away at her. They were different than normal monsters, sure, but they still had thoughts and feelings of their own. That was something Severa wanted to respect. This was just turning out to be harder than she first thought.

“WE GET TO DECIDE?” The Baby Blue reaffirmed with a hint of awe. Severa noticed he moved himself from the fort to stand next to the Pappy. She could see the height difference between the two and it wasn’t as different as she once thought. The baby blue was about 4 inches, but the pappy had to push past 5.

“Yes.”

 The pair locked eyes with one another, having a silent conversation with a tense atmosphere.

 “Oh and you have the entire day to figure it out, boys. I’m gonna be on ferret watch for the day since he knows you two are here.”

They don’t seem to like the final statement from the shutter they have. The baby blue seemed to recover first then clarified with Severa. “... WE HAVE MORE TIME?”

 Severa nodded and the bitties’ shoulders fell to a more relaxed posture. “Oh, by the way…” Severa tilted her head at the bitties. “What are your names?”

 The bitties gave her confused looks.

 “Or at least something you go by?“ Severa rephrased.

 They didn’t answer for a bit, but when they did they couldn’t give Severa a clear answer. She brushed it off and went a different route then.

 “We could go by your bitty types then as I have no talent in this and you won’t tell me your actual names. I can’t just keep calling you ‘dudes’ after all. What do you think about BB and Pap?”

“FOR WHAT?”

“For what I should refer to you as for now.”

“WHY THOSE?”

“They are based off your bitty types.” Severa explained then gestured at the baby blue. “You would be ‘BB’ because well- Baby Blue equals BB. … Don’t give me that look, I told you before I suck at these things.” Severa told BB then turned to the pappy. “And you will be Pap. Does that work for you two dudes?”

“YES!!” Well that was loud. Happy, but loud. Severa smile softly at Pap, but noticed the other bitty didn’t seem very happy.

 “What about Blue instead?” Severa offered to the blue bitty.

 The bitty thought on it then a grin spread over his features and he nodded. “THAT IS ACCEPTABLE, HUMAN!”

 Severa laughed at his antics then turned to look over to a pair of glass doors leading out to her small balcony. Because of this, she failed to notice the shared hopeful looks of the small bitties nearby.

5. They possibly had names, but refused to say what they were.

Chapter Text

[Severa] Prince was in my apartment. Left from my study’s vent

[August] FUUUU-

[August] Fuk the fur rat

[Severa] Don’t you mean fer-rat?

[August] DONT

[Severa] </3

Severa giggled to herself as she hit send on her phone. August liked her puns, she knew, but not at his expense or any related to Prince during one of the ferret’s escapades. That was also the precise time to give them out, though. She glanced up from her phone to catch a peek at the barrier fort on her couch. A bit after the talk she had with the bitties, Severa fixed the fort and gave them the tv remote again. That’s when the questions came about the remote, tv, and the shows or commercials that came on when they were investigating it earlier. Severa gave them vague answers. The boys weren’t happy with that and it made Severa amused. So began the quest to solve the mystery of “noise box” and its “controller”.

The duo were pressing buttons and seeing what it did to the tv currently. They were taking turns choosing buttons and when it was one’s turn, the other would watch the tv to see what would happen. There were several times Severa had to restore settings or remove the swap channel menu when they were playing with it, but she didn’t mind. It was welcoming to watch such open curiosity.

“Haven’t you guys done everything you can with that thing already?” Severa shot the question toward the bitties.

Blue was the one who answered her. “WE WISH TO BE THOROUGH. THAT MEANS REPEATING STEPS IF NECESSARY.” Pap made a ‘nyeh’ noise in confirmation.

Severa figured out that Pap was the ‘nyeh’ one. She briefly wondered if Blue said something similar, but her train of thought went to breakfast when her stomach growled. She saw the bitties still playing with the remote, so it seemed they didn’t hear her stomach and she sighed silently in relief. They would still tense at sudden sounds, so her stomach going off would have spooked them. While Severa didn’t blame them for their jumpy-ness, it got tiresome for her to deal with the aftermath or be on alert for any small sound. She hadn't slept that long after all, so her attention was not at full capacity.

“I'm gonna make breakfast you two. So there's about to be some noise.” Severa announced to the skeletons as she pushed herself from the chair and made her way to kitchen.

“OKAY.” Pap’s voice sounded out from behind Severa.

After Severa made the short walk to the kitchen, she opened the fridge looking through the food she could make. There wasn't much of a choice breakfast wise, but it wasn't surprising when Severa rarely ever made breakfast for herself. That only consisted of leftovers from the previous night, some quick snack, or some fast food on her way to work or school. She didn't want to leave them alone to go get anything and/or take them anywhere, so she had to find something to eat at her apartment. Severa clicked her tongue in thought, but then froze. Shit .

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

“What was what, Blue?”

“THAT CLICKING SOUND, HUMAN.”

Severa relaxed with a heavy sigh. She hadn’t startle them, good. She caught sight of the oreos she left out and grabbed them, contemplating before shoving them back in her cabinet. Oreos were not breakfast food… at least today. She threw her focus to Blue now. “That was my tongue.” Severa demonstrated the action.

Blue drew closer to the edge of the fort’s wall, looking at Severa. Pap was on his heels and stopped next to him, the remote forgotten. “SO YOU MADE THOSE SOUNDS EARLIER?”

“Yep.” Severa opened one of the cabinets looking for something. “Hey, did you two like any of those fruits from earlier?”

“I LIKED THE SQUISHY ROUND ONES.” Blue responded.

“THE TRIANGLE RED ONES WERE TASTEFUL, HUMAN SEVERA!” Pap answered the question as Severa returned to the fridge and opened it searching around. She pulled out a single container full of blueberries and showed it to the bitties.

“These?”

“YES!” Blue’s eyelights turned to stars momentarily before fading away at Severa’s sly smile. “WHY ARE YOU GRINNING, HUMAN?”

“These are called blueberries .” Severa giggled as Blue ducked behind the blanket wall, but before she caught the sight of a certain colored blush growing on the poor bitty’s skull. She looked toward Pap, putting the blueberries on the counter. “I believe you liked the strawberries, Pap, but unfortunately, those are gone. I’m sorry. Can you do with blueberries ?” Severa asked, putting emphasis on the final word.

A rather load ‘MWEH’ echoed. Well, guess Blue did say something similar to Pap - one did ‘NYEH’ and the other did ‘MWEH’. Severa laughed at the discovery thinking it just added onto the bitties’ adorable meter.

“THAT IS FINE, HUMAN SEVERA.”

Severa smiled at the bitty in response and turned away to reach back into the opened cabinet. She pulled out a sealed pack of brown sugar and premade muffin mix. “So I’m thinking brown sugar blueberry muffins. That sound good to you two?” Severa turned to the boys (Blue had reappeared) after getting no reply and noticed a shared look of confusion on their faces. “Now what are you confused by?”

“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ALL THAT?” Pap questioned, pointing to the ingredients in Severa’s grasp.

“... Make the muffins?” Severa hesitantly replied. She didn’t understand the question, honestly. What did Pap mean? “Have you never seen someone cook before?”

Blue shook his head. “FOR MEAL TIMES WE NORMALLY HAD BOWLS OF… WHAT DID HE CALL IT?”

“I DON’T RECALL.”

“EITHER WAY, THEY WERE ALWAYS THE SAME. IT NEVER NEEDED ANYTHING LIKE THE THINGS YOU HAVE, HUMAN.”

Severa blinked several times, letting Blue’s words sink in. They… had the same thing? Everyday? “...Mind me asking what your ‘meal time’ food looked like?”

“THEY WERE WHITE AND SMALL.” Blue answered.

“How did they taste?”

“HARD.” Pap huffed.

“GROSS.” Blue spat out.

“Hard and gross, huh?” Severa giggled putting the sugar and mix on the counter, moving to grab the other necessary cooking utensils from other various places in her small kitchen. “These should be soft and tasteful, so the opposite of your normal meals.” Severa returned to the counter spot with a mixing bowl, a six-cup muffin pan, and spatula. She set them on the counter as well next to the other ingredients then moved to the fridge and pulled out the carton of eggs, her half gallon of milk and her sticks of butter (after searching for it. When did the fridge get kind of messy?) and kicked the door shut. She had all the necessities and tossed a glance to the boys. She noticed they were even closer than before, almost on the arm on the couch. She chose not to comment on it.

Severa grabbed the ingredients and began making the batter for the muffins. She realized she forgot the measuring cup, so she quickly scavenged around for it and just resumed the process. With skilled hands, she was soon dumping the freshly made batter into the muffin tray after placing the paper liners in the cups. She reached over to grab the brown sugar when she paused. The duo were awfully quiet. Severa glanced over to the couch and her eyes widened. The bitties were gone . What the hell? Where did they go? When did they move?! There were no sounds! When the hell di-

“IS SHE ALRIGHT?”

“I AM NOT SURE.”

‘“SHE SUDDENLY STOPPED. SHOULD WE…”

“PERHAPS…”

“LET US… UM…”

Severa spun around to see Pap and Blue on the table near her tote bag. The duo jumped at the unexpected action. Severa stared intently at the pair and mentally cursed herself. Shit. She just spooked them.

Severa forced herself to relax and took a deep breathe before smiling gently to the bitties. “I’m fine. Thank you for worrying though.” She grabbed the brown sugar as she turned back and proceeded to sprinkle the sugar over each muffin. Now they were headed to her oven that she needed to turn on. She turned the dial up and placed the muffin pan in the middle rack before closing it. She turned and leaned against the counter, giving her attention to the bitties… that were laying in her bag?

“Do you guys like my bag or something?”

“WHY DO YOU ASK?”

“You are in it.”

The bitties looked at one another and Blue looked down at the bag in question. Pap was the one who spoke. “IS THAT A BAD THING?”

“Not really?” Severa shrugged. “I don’t mind or anything if that’s what you’re getting at. I just don’t think my bag is the most comfortable place to lounge around in.”

“TO WHAT?”

“To lay down or relax.” Severa explained then motioned to the fort on her couch. “I’d suspect the fort of blankets and warmth was a lot better than my bag full of random stuff.”

Blue gave Severa a look that she couldn’t place and Pap sunk into the bag more. She just shrugged again and moved on. “I got a question for ya.”

“YES?”

“What type of tree can you carry in your hand?”

Pap and Blue looked at each other and dove into the bag. Severa grinned when she heard them discussing possible answers. It was silent for a bit until Blue emerged from the bag.

“HUMAN, WE HAVE CONCLUDED WE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. WHAT IS THE ANSWER?”

“A palm tree!”

Silence.

“ HUMAN !”

For the umpteenth time that day, Severa was shaking with laughter. Oh, the looks of such disapproval were glorious! She calmed herself down and just grinned at the bitties.

“MUST YOU DO THOSE, HUMAN?!” Blue inquired. He huffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms, giving Severa a reprimanding glare.

“Yes.”

“WHY?”

“It’s a part of who I am. Who am I to deny myself?”

“THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT IT IS STILL INFURIATING!” Pap spoke up as he stood up from her tote bag. Blue did the opposite and dove deeper into the bag. Pap and Severa observed Blue’s imprint move around the bag and when the girl shot the bitty a questioning look, Pap just shrugged his shoulders.

Severa turned her attention to the muffins then and grinned. They were rising pretty well. A sense of achievement spread over Severa as she watched through the oven’s window. The young woman loved baking, so when it went well she felt overcome with joy. She wanted to go brag to her parents about it (which she’ll probably do later) since they did it for a living. It was a way to show them their teachings weren’t wasted on her.

“YOU SEEM HAPPY.”

Severa looked over to Pap and smiled warmly. “I am!”

“WHY?”

“I always get happy when I’m baking- what I’m doing right now.”

“BUT YOU ARE JUST WATCHING THE STRANGE BOX?”

“It’s called an oven, Pap, and yes, I am, but it is part of the baking process.”

“SO WHAT IS EXACTLY HAPPENING?”

“Good question. The dough is rising and cooking through from the heat the oven is giving off. Oh, by the way, it is dangerous so please stay away from the oven.” Severa warned the bitty then looked over to her bag where the other bitty still was. “That goes for you too, Blue.”

“UNDERSTOOD!” Blue called from the bag. He still wasn’t exiting it for some reason which Severa grew confused about.

“What are you doing in there, Blue?”

“EXPLORING!”

“My bag isn’t some unexplored territory. What the hell, dude?”

“YES IT IS!” Blue argued. “WE DID NOT HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE TO EXPLORE IT WHEN WE WERE IN HERE. WE NEEDED TO STAY FOCUSED AFTER ALL.”

“...” Severa fell quiet. She questioned herself if she should try to pry, but… “It is just filled with random shit I need for work or school. If you really wanna know that bad how about I just dump it all out?” Severa offered to the bitty in her bag.

“NO, THANK YOU, HUMAN.” Blue declined and then continued his exploration(?). It just confused Severa, but there wasn’t anything dangerous in there, so she wasn’t going to stop the little adventurer. It was amusing since it reminded Severa similarly of SNAKE, the retro mobile game. He was moving around in her bag and the more she watched, the harder it was to hold in her laughter. Huh, she was laughing a lot today. She blamed her lack of sleeping being one of the contributing factors along with the two miniature monsters in her apartment.

Now, back to the muffins. Severa opened a drawer and pulled out a toothpick and an oven mitt. She bumped the drawer close with her hip while shoving the mitten on her hand. She was aware of Pap observing her every action with interest, but kept up with her actions. She retrieved the muffins from the oven and stuck the toothpick in the baked good. When it came out clean, she grinned triumphantly and reached to turn off the oven after setting the tray on the stove top.

“DO WE GET TO EAT NOW?”

Severa looked to Pap and shook her head. “Not yet-”

“YOU SAID WE GET-”

“We have to let them cool first, impatient pants. I know you’re hungry. I’m always hungry, so like I’d keep away from food like that and let anyone else as well.” Severa laughed good naturedly while reaching up to one of her cabinets and pulled out two plates. She set them next to the tray and patted her pockets. “Where did I…” She mumbled to herself then moved around the kitchen a bit giving it a quick look through. She scratched her head in confusion. Didn’t she bring her phone in with her?

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, HUMAN SEVERA?”

“Do either of you remember the small rectangular box I was holding earlier?”

IF YOU ARE SPEAKING ABOUT THE BLUE OBJECT THEN YOU LEFT IT WHERE YOU WERE SEATED BEFORE.” Blue’s voice rang out and Severa looked up to see he had emerged from her bag.

“Ah-,” Severa looked toward the chair and didn’t see it on the arms. She walked into the living area and noticed her phone wedged in the cushions. She pulled it out and grinned at the bitties. “Nice, thanks. It would’ve taken me a bit to find it.” Severa had one of the newest releases of smartphones available on the market. She had a durable blue case for it since she was prone to dropping it from time to time. It wasn’t usual for her to have a cracked screen in the first month of her possessing the electronic.

“YOU ARE WELCOME, HUMAN SEVERA.” Pap responded happily.

“IT HASN’T BEEN THAT LONG, HUMAN… DO YOU OFTEN FORGET WHERE YOU PUT YOUR… ("Phone.") PHONE?” Blue inquired toward Severa as she made her way back to the kitchen.

“Oh, all the time. My memory can be sporadic at times.” Severa explained and caught the confused looks of the bitties. “... Spotty?”

“YOU FORGET THINGS EASILY?”

“More like I space on things easily.”

Blue made a noise and Pap pointed to the muffins. “ARE THE MUFFINS ‘COOLED OFF’ ENOUGH?”

“They should be.” Severa grabbed one of the muffins and sure enough, it was had cooled and set it on a plate. “Do you guys mind sharing one? They are rather big.”

“THAT IS FINE.” Blue responded with his fellow bitty agreeing enthusiastically. They watched Severa sit the plate down in front of them and the treat was cut in half. She was right. Compared to the bitties, the muffin was rather big.

Severa observed the bitties with their meal. She expected them to need reassurance from her again like earlier in the morning, but if anything they were just inspecting the pastry. Blue was poking it and grasping for a blueberry the next second (She swore he made a conflicted face when he grabbed the berry too.) while Pap was trying to figure out how to eat the muffin. It was definitely interesting to Severa and while she wanted to continuing watching them, she had calls to make. She walked away from them and pulled herself up onto the counter top while pressing buttons on her phone. First up was...

“What can I do for you, Severa?” A familiar feminine voice answered the phone.

“Hey, Joyce. You really need to talk to Ms. Adams about Prince.”

“I was wondering if you were going to call about that. August told me just a bit ago that you texted him about Prince being in your apartment.” Severa heard tapping through the phone. Was Joyce on the lobby computer?

“Yeah. That’s a problem because he went after the bitties.” Severa swung her legs from side to side. She looked upwards to the ceiling ignoring the kitchen lights’ glare. She should turn those off soon.

The other line was silent for several seconds before Joyce asked. “Are they alright?”

“They are extremely jumpy and nervous… more so than before, but other than that I think they are fine. They are eating some blueberry (“MWEH!”) muffins at the moment.”

“I see. By the way… are you teasing them?”

“Maybe.”

“Severa.” Joyce laughed softly.

“Don’t take away my pastime.”

“You need to get a new hobby, child.” The typing resumed. “I’ll talk with Ms. Adams later today about Prince. What are you going to do about it ‘till then?”

“Simple. I’m gonna ferret proof my damn apartment.”

“It’s been nearly two years since you last did that. Do you still have all the things?”

“Yeah.”

“Really? I thought you’ve gotten rid of it all by now.”

“I kept forgetting.”

“Uh-huh.” Joyce’s voice oozed with disbelief. “I’ll let you go then. Call me if you need anything, Severa or you can just get August to do it.”

“Another favorite pastime of mine.”

“That one I’m fine with.”

Severa laughed as the line went dead. She removed the phone from her ear and glanced up to the bitties seeing them staring at her. They were covered in the aftermath of their meal. “Pfft. Do you guys want more by any chance?”

The duo nodded eagerly. Blue’s eye lights were cerulean stars again which were still adorable to Severa and Pap seemed to be just vibrating in his spot. God, could these guys get any cuter? Probably. She grabbed another one, cut it in half and put it on the plate for the bitties. She hopped back onto the countertop while grabbing a muffin for herself and pressing buttons on her phone. She put it to her ear while taking a bite of the muffin.

A click and a gruff voice came over the phone. “Your sister is getting on my last nerve.”

“Good. Better you than I, dad.”

“What the fuck?”

“You be the sacrifice.”

“That is your job!” Severa’s dad retorted through the phone.

“Give the phone to mom, so I can snitch that you’re being mean to me.” Severa started to swing her legs once again.

“Now why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because mom’s got the power.”

“The what?”

“Shut up and give mom the phone, old man.”

“Fine, brat.” He finally relented.

“Thank you~” Severa sang into the phone and she heard movement and suddenly her dad was telling Lucia to start moving to get ready for school causing Severa to snicker. Her baby sister groaned in response then got interested in the phone. Severa took another bite from the muffin in her hand and turned it around, examining it. Yeah, theses turned out pretty good.

“It’s your sister.” Severa heard her dad say out loud. That caused Lucia to start shouting about wanting to talk to her and Severa knew she needs to step in.

“Hey, dad. Tell Luce that if she finishes getting ready before I’m finished talking to mom then I’ll talk to her.”

“I think she heard you. She just sped off.” Severa heard her dad over the line and she grinned to herself and took another bite. Muffin crumbs slipped into her lap, but she didn’t care. Her dad was moving again soon.

“Emery, the first born wants to talk to you.”

“Sevy!” Severa’s mom nearly screamed and a noise that Severa guessed was her mom taking the phone from her dad. “What’s up, hun?”

Severa felt a wide smile spread over her face. “Mom! Do you think you’ll need my help today at any point?”

Emery made a noise and she called over to her husband. “Abel, do we have any orders that need to go out today?”

“None are listed, dearest.” Abel answered from a distance.

“Then nope~ Why? It’s not like you have work today, hun. Do you not wanna come see your family?” Emery playfully accused her daughter who just laughed in response.

“Nah, nothing like that. I just have…” Severa looked at the bitties in silence. “.. a little bitty problem.” Severa finished quietly, so the bitties wouldn’t hear her. She bit her lip when she noticed the duo twitched a bit after her pun. When the pair looked at her, she quickly looked away.

“Mmm~ I see. A bitty problem, gotcha. Well good luck with i-(“Lemme talk to her!”) Lucia, I’m not done. (“Boo!”) Anyway, is that all you wanna to tell me?”

“I made your muffin recipe with blueberries. They turned out pretty well, but still no match for your’s of course.” Severa announced to her mom while finishing off the muffin in her hand.

“Hehe. You’ll get to my level at some point, hun. It just takes practice.” Severa’s grin didn’t falter and she nodded, agreeing even if she knew her mom couldn’t see it. “I’ll see you later then, hun. Stop by later this week if you can then- Here’s your sister.”

“SISSY!” Severa dragged the phone away from her ear just in time to have her sister’s voice screech over the receiver. “I got dressed, so I get to talk to you!”

“Yeah, that’s how it normally works, sis.” Severa’s smile softened and she closed her eyes relaxing her posture. “Why’d you want to talk to me so bad?”

“I have a question!”

“Shoot.”

“The boy I sit next to named Dexter was going on and on about how cool sharks are. He kept saying how they are the king of the oceans and they keep eating humans because they are trying to keep us out of the oceans.”

“I agree, sharks are cool and all, but there are other candidates for the title of ‘King of the Ocean’. .” Severa answered her sister with ease. “Sharks are acting like animals and only the Bull, Tiger and Great Whites are known to attack humans. Most of said attacks ended in injuries, non-fatal.”

Lucia made a noise of acknowledgement before asking her sister about sharks further.

“You have a higher chance of being struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark, Lucia. The biggest shark is the Whale Shark and their diet consists of-”

“Whales?”

“No, plankton and other small organisms. They have the similar diet as whales actually. Sharks are definitely cool though.”

Lucia giggled through the phone. “Yep!”

“So you gonna go gloat about your new knowledge to this Dexter boy?”

“Yep! Thanks, sissy! Love you!”

“Glad to be of service. Give the phone back to mom and have a good day at summer school. Love ya, too.” Severa told her sister.

“Bleh!”

Movement is heard and her mother’s voice returns to the phone. “Did you really just tell your little sister about deadly marine predators?”

“You say like it’s a bad thing.”

“... Touche. Talk to you later, Sevy. I love you.”

“Love you too, mom.” Severa hung up and looked up at the bitties and saw their wide expressions. “What is it?”

“...IT IS NOTHING.” Pap eventually replied looking away. Blue simply looked down with a complicated expression.

“... Alright then.” Severa chose not to pry although it was obviously not nothing . She put her phone in her pocket after getting off the counter. She looked to the bitties. “Did you guys get your fill or do you want more?”

Blue shook his head with a grin. “I AM FULL, THANK YOU HUMAN.”

Pap seemed just as happy. “YES, IT WAS VERY GOOD. YOU WERE RIGHT! IT WAS BETTER THAN OUR USUAL MEALS!”

“PERHAPS IT COULD BECOME OUR NORMAL MEAL FROM NOW ON?” Blue spoke out which caused Severa to laugh.

“I am not making muffins every day. That would be boring, gotta mix things!”

“OH! THAT IS WHAT YOU MEANT!” Blue said surprised.

Severa stopped laughing abruptly then stared at them in concern for a second. She decided to turn the conversation. “How about a bath for you two?” She moved and grabbed a glass bowl from her lower cabinets. She filled it with water from the sink and placed it in the microwave above the stove for a few minutes to heat it. She moved around the place while it was heating up and returned the supplies she took out back where they belonged. She ignored the chaos of her fridge. The microwave went off, but Severa grabbed the leftover plates and put them in the sink with all the other dirty dishes. She ran to the bathroom with the bitties watching her from behind and she returned with two washcloths and set them on the table near the bitties. “Use those to wipe yourself, okay? It's not the best thing for you, but it's what I can do for now. It’ll help you feel better too.”

The bitties nodded with each taking ones of the fabrics Severa left then she set the glass bowl on the table. She instructed them on what they should do, but asked them to hold off for a bit while she went to go find some spare clothes for them. They watched her scurry away to her bedroom.

Severa entered her bedroom heading to her dresser that’s in view from the door. If she remembered correctly, the spare outfits she has for the firefly should be in her dresser and not the closet. She opened various drawers trying to locate the small box they would be in. She ended up finding it under the dresser for some strange reason. Perhaps Lucia put it under there as a joke when she last was over? Severa shrugged it off and returned to the skeletons with the box.

“Hey, guys I fou-” Severa was cut off by the sight before her. The bitties were somehow tangled in their old clothes (although with all the holes in their rags, she shouldn’t be surprised) and were in obvious distress from the situation.

“HUMAN SEVERA, SOME ASSISTANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.” Pap called to Severa pulling at some of the loose strings around his upper arm. Blue wasn’t well off either, but he seemed to be more irritated by the situation than distressed.

Severa stood still, staring at the sight before a wide grin spread over her features and she slapped a hand over her mouth to try to contain her laughter.

“HUMAN, I UNDERSTAND YOU FIND THIS AND MANY OTHER THINGS FUNNY, BUT COULD YOU ASSIST US BEFORE YOU START YOUR LAUGHTER?” Blue requested while trying to remove his shirt, but it was getting caught within his rib-cage.

Severa took several deep breaths trying to calm herself down. Once she succeeded, she stepped closer to Blue and Pap to get a better look at the predicament. Their clothes had holes in them, small ones that Severa hadn’t noticed before and it seemed their bones had gotten stuck in said holes somehow. It caused tearing of the seams when the bittes probably tried to get out of it. “...How did you guys get so… tangled in them?” Severa asked either bitty while pulling at various parts of Blue’s shirt.

“WE NEVER HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE!” Pap answered.

“Do what?”

“REMOVE OUR CLOTHES!”

Severa stopped her inspection instantly. She looked straight at Pap and Blue with a hard stare, one that made the duo began to squirm in place, and said slowly. “I’m going to go get a pair of scissors. These sorry excuse for clothes need to be cut off. I have spares for you two to use afterwards.” Severa broke her stare and set the box on the table, then popped off the lid. The inside was filled with shirts of various colors and designs, dark colored pants and black socks. “They’ll fit Pap the best because you are closer to the firefly’s height than Blue is. Sorry for that, Blue.”

“THE FIREFLY? WHO IS THIS ‘THE FIREFLY’ AND WHY DO YOU HAVE CLOTHES FOR THEM?” Pap asked while peering into the box. Blue did the same, but seemed just as curious for answer as Pap was by his eyelights continuously shifting between the clothes and Severa.

“The firefly is-” Severa began, looking through the drawers of her kitchen. There should be a pair of scissors in there… somewhere. She loses things often enough and the fact she just throws things into random drawers from time to time is more than likely a contributing factor.

“Why is there glitter all over this drawer?!” Severa exclaimed, finally managing to find the scissors, but the drawer was covered in glitter. She grasped the instrument’s metal end in her palm and walked to the sink to rinse off the sparkles as best she could. “It seems Lucia played some games while she was here last…” Severa mumbled to herself as she shut off the water. She shook her hand trying to get the excess water off while reaching for the rag behind the faucet. She turned back to the bitties and sighed seeing the scissors sparkling in the light. “God dammit.”

“LANGUAGE!” .

Severa gaped at Blue until she sputtered out. “W...what?”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, SEVERA!” Blue berated Severa with his arms crossed over his ribs.

“... I cannot do that.” Severa walked closer to the baby blue and sat down in one of the chairs at the table. She waved Blue over to her. “Come here, please. I need to cut the fabric.” The bitty did as requested, but still seemed to be keen on keeping up the current conversation.

“WHY NOT?”

Severa began to cut the fabric of Blue’s shirt to untangle the bitty. “Why not have a wide and colorful vocabulary?”

“THAT IS NOT FUNNY!”

“Tough crowd.” Severa grinned at the bitty and then finished the shirt off and moved onto Pap. She did the same as she did to Blue. They were fine pants-wise, so they shouldn’t have any problems there. Hopefully. She noticed the blue bandana and red scarf belonging to the bitties were placed to the side, neatly folded. She grabbed the remainders of the skeletons’ shirts and set them to the side and turned her attention to the bowl. The water was lukewarm, so it was the best temperature for the bitties. “There ya go, boys. Now I’ll leave you to it and… I’m gonna go ferret proof my apartment.”

Severa did just that. She retreated into her study and began to take precautions to keep Prince out of her apartment. She covered the opened vent in her study that was still there from the building’s original air system. Severa would have to repeat it in her bedroom and wherever it was in her main living area, but she knew that she could do those later. Those lines were closed off during the remodeling of the building years ago, so she really didn’t have to worry about them, but better safe than sorry. She also decided to finish cleaning out the room she began last night.

After some time passed, she returned to the kitchen area to check on the bitties. The duo were looking through her fish encyclopedia dressed in some of the clothes from the box along with their signature neckwear she has easily come to associate with them. It might’ve only been a few hours since she met the duo, but she could admit it was strange to not see either bitty without the fabric around their necks. “Heya.” she announced her appearance.

“HELLO HUMAN!” Blue greeted Severa.

“You swap between ‘human’ and ‘Severa’, Blue.”  

“THAT IS BECAUSE I CALL YOU ‘HUMAN SEVERA’! WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE CONFUSED IF WE WERE BOTH TO CALL YOU BY THAT, HUMAN SEVERA!” Pap elaborated on Severa’s statement. She wasn’t asking a question, but got an explanation anyway.

Blue nodded in agreement.

“Ah, is that so? Thank you then.” Severa smiled warmly at them then drew attention to the book. “So why are you looking at my fish encyclopedia?”

“IS THAT WHAT THIS IS?” Pap asked inquisitively leaning in toward the opened pages of the book; large images of various types of sharks are visible. Severa rolled her eyes at the absurdity, but the smile gracing her lips conveyed her mirth of the situation.

“Yes, although to be more specific, the creatures on the page are sharks.”

“WHAT ARE ‘SHARKS’?” Blue cocked his head to the side looking at Severa with curiosity.

A smile with ample enthusiasm exploded over Severa’s expression and she let out a rather inhumane sound which startled the bitties. “Sharks are large, usually gray, saltwater fish that have sharp teeth and a skeleton of cartilage.” Severa pointed to one image on the page. “This type of shark is known as the “Great White” is one of the most infamous known shark species mostly from the well-known horror movie ‘Jaws’.” The young woman began to go off on a tangent of the shark species oblivious to the growing confusion on the small skeletons’ faces. It wasn’t until she looked away from the book then toward the bitties that she halted; laughed out loud. “I just confused you further, didn’t I?”

“YES.” Pap responded with ease and it just made Severa laughed again. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

“I’m just peachy, Pap.” Severa giggled. “I intend to ramble about things I love. It so happens to be marine biology is one of those things.”

“OH! ARE THESE ‘SHARKS’ SOMETHING YOU LOVE THEN?”

“Yes! I find them fascinating and cool.”

“YES, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOU WERE ON… YOUR PHONE EARLIER.” Blue recalled.

“Oh, yes. That’s true. I was telling Luce about them.”

“YOUR SISTER, CORRECT?” Blue asked.

“Yep, my adorable little sister.” Severa felt her face getting warm from happiness. She absolutely adored her little sister even if they got on each other’s nerves from time to time. “But basically, sharks are aquatic or water-based animals that live in the oceans. From the page, you can see there are multiple species of them.”

“SPECIES?”

“Types.”

“OH.”

“Lemme see you two real quick.” Severa motioned for the bitties to come closer to her. She needed to see if they wiped themselves down enough before she cleaned up the makeshift bath. She gave space to the bitties, as she didn’t want them to feel overloaded. They were still in a strange place and even though they seemed calmer, Severa didn’t want to take any chances. She couldn’t have them get scared and run off into the building. Who knows what would happen to them. Prince was still on the loose for one and two… the building wasn’t exactly a safe place for small creatures to be running around. Even with the bitties’ intelligence, they would be in danger. That fact would not change.

Pap and Blue did as they were asked, stepping directly into Severa’s line of sight. While the human was in the other room, Blue and Pap had gotten around to finally getting the bath Severa mentioned. They didn’t grasp what that meant, but could agree it made them feel better after doing as they were instructed. The rags Severa gave them were covered in the grim and dirt from their bones by the end. Their once yellow-ish bones looked much more similar to a pristine state. Plus, it was fun to pick new clothes to wear from the box she left out for them. Severa was also right about the clothes- they fit Pap much better than Blue. The baby blue had to curl up the pant legs just to be able to walk correctly (he tried finding the shortest pair too). The pants were the same on both bitties, a dark color, but each sported a different colored shirt with Pap choosing a simple blue one that held decorative buttons going from the collar to his right shoulder. Blue sported a light orange turtle neck that hid his mandible.

“Oh, you both definitely look better.” Severa commented cheerily while giving a brief nod.

The bitties’ faces lit up in color and humble smiles at Severa’s compliment. Blue sunk his head further into the shirt and Pap did a small shuffle with his gaze directed downward. They were both clearly delighted.

Severa moved to clean the mess on the table. The water had gone ice cold and she noticed it was past lunch time. She did a low whistle not realising time had passed her by when she was cleaning her study. No wonder the bitties were looking at her book, they had to be bored. Severa made quick work of the mess that became of her kitchen. She also stored the leftover muffins in the fridge for later. She really didn’t want to eat the muffins for lunch- that just sounded repetitive. The girl didn’t feel like cooking again, so perhaps ordering online would work? What sounded good? Pizza? Yeah, pizza.

“Hey, wanna try pizza?”

“WHAT IS PIZZA?”

“Yep. I’m ordering pizza.” She needed to correct this wrong. Severa felt personally insulted by the injudicious decision of the bitties’ former caretaker.  As the young lady pulled out her phone, it bellowed an obnoxious ringtone.

“ Who let the dogs out
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof
Who let the dogs out
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof
Who let the dogs out
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof
Who let the dogs out...”

Severa answered it.

“I caught the furry fucker!”

“LANGUAGE!” Blue chided the new voice.

“Who the fuck was that?”

“One of the bitties, August, but you got Prince?”

“Fuck yea’.”

Severa shook her head at her friend’s charged voice. August seemed to experience a charge of energy whenever he managed to capture the loose ferret. It lasted a short range of time, but he always cursed more in his exchanges and gloated about it for a bit. Those were the basics of his temporary change. “Congrats, loser.”

“Fuck you, you are no help!”

“Stop cursing so loud. Blue and Pap are giving me stern looks.”

“... The bitties?”

“Yeah.”

“You named them?”

“No.”

“Oh..,” August trailed off. “... Aunt Joyce was telling me that I should bring the shitstain up to show the bitties that it was caught. Somethin’ about a sense of safety?” August explained gruffly.

“That’s not a bad idea. Hmm..” Severa looked to the duo who were looking at more fish in the book. “Prince was caught.”

“WHO?” Pap asked.

“The ferret. The furry one that cornered you in my study.” The bitties visibly stiffened and… they might be shaking if Severa was hearing the rattling correctly.

“O-OH… IS IT ALRIGHT?”

Severa blinked at Pap’s question. He was worried about the animal even after what he did? … For some reason, Severa wasn’t as surprised as she thought she should be. “Yeah, he’s fine. August was told he should bring Prince here, to show you two proof that he was caught. Are you okay with that or…?”

“IT IS NOT NECESSARY, SEVERA! WE WILL BELIEVE YOUR WORD!” Blue’s reply was instant and he hadn’t even looked up from the book. Pap nodded and concurred with Blue instantly.

Severa gazed steadily at the bitties before her. “They’re good, August. Now I’m hanging up.” She ended the call and turned her attention to her contact list. The bitties were still shaken by Prince. Perhaps she should’ve asked after all… Damn. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of Severa’s stomach at the thought. She really hoped they would be able to recover from the event. She shouldn’t have left them alone.

Severa touched a contact on her list. It was to one of her usual pizza joints that made awesome pizza. They had great reviews and knew her by name- she ordered from them quite often. She placed an order for a large pepperoni pizza with hot peppers on half of it. She contemplated if she should get something different for the bitties, but since they hadn’t a variety of taste yet she felt like she needed to take baby steps for them and not to overwhelm them. Can’t go wrong with a classic after all… plus she got her hot side.

While they waited for the pizza to arrive, Severa sat at the table with the bitties and spent the time looking through the encyclopedia.

A knock came and Severa got up to answer the door.

“Hey August.”

“‘Sup? You ordered pizza?” August was at the door holding Severa’s pizza. She knew exactly where this was going.

“Yes, wanna join?”

“Fuck yeah.” The young man made his way into the apartment with the pizza box and set it on the table.

“LANGUAGE!”

“English, bitty.” August shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, looking at the bitties who had stood up from their former positions. They looked on guard from August’s sudden presence. August, who in response relaxed his shoulders, is a pretty chilled guy to begin with, so him trying to be more so was odd.

“I MEANT YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, HUMAN! WHO ARE YOU?” Blue interrogated the new comer.

“This is August, a friend of mine and he’s harmless.” Severa introduced her friend to the on-guard bitties, hoping they would relax.

“Unless you’re a furry rodent with a tendency of causing havoc around the apartments and getting on my nerves.” August added on.

“Don’t listen to him. He just gets annoyed, but he’s harmless. I swear. He wouldn’t actually harm Prince, just call him names and be a grump.”

“I hate it.”

“I know you hate Prince, August, you corrected me about it earlier this morning.”

“Still relevant.” August grumbled and sat in the chair, shoving the pizza box open. The apartment was soon filled with the smell of melted cheese, pepperoni and what could only be described as “hot”. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Sev? Hot peppers?”

Severa claimed the chair next to August after grabbing some more plates and set them on the table. “I needed some spice in my life.”

“Oh, the jokes have begun.”

“They never stopped, August. They go on for eternity like your a-ferret problems.”

August pointed accusingly at his friend. “Don’t.”

“SEVERA, MUST YOU DO PUNS RIGHT NOW?!” Blue asked as he sat back down. He was fiddling with his pants, but kept tossing glances at August who was still glaring at Severa.

“Well, I don’t have to.”

“THEN PLEASE DON’T DO THEM. THEY ARE HORRIBLE!” Pap requested to Severa when she sat a plate in front of him. She repeated the action with the others.

“They are just as horrible as her pick-up lines. You have to suffer with one or the other.” August chimed in while grabbing a slice of the food for himself and one for Severa. “Hey, don’t you need to cut up the slices for the bitties? Actually… can they even eat this stuff?”

“Oh, yeah I forgot. Can you get a knife, August? You’re closer and yes, they can.” Severa answered her friend who got up from his seat to fetch the utensil. She asked the bitties what they wanted. They had to snap their attention back to Severa since the skeletons had squared in on the uninvited guest. After she explained the two options, they went with pepperoni. August had returned with a pizza cutter instead after some searching when Severa was retrieving some of the lunch for the bitties.

Lunch began in silence after Severa had cut up the pizza for the bitties to eat with their hands. Severa couldn’t tell if the bitties were enjoying it and she blamed it on August’s appearance. While she understood she probably should’ve kicked August out… he was her friend and she couldn’t bring herself to do so. He was a good guy and he was worried about the bitties. It was crystal clear to Severa what August’s intentions were being in her apartment.

“Did you manage to ferret proof your apartment?” August inquired, breaking the silence. He was on his second piece.

“Yeah, just need to do the ones in the other areas and we are good.”

“Is it strange I’m surprised you still have the stuff?”

“I dunno. Maybe? I was and am still very much attached to my bird, August.”

“Your dead as fuck (“LANGUAGE!”) bird.”

“You got scolded by a bitty.” Severa pointed out while finishing her slice. The hot peppers gave her that kick she wanted.  

“I noticed.” August shook his head. “So what’s going on with you guys?”

Severa looked at the bitties then to August and shrugged. “They haven’t given me an answer yet.”

“WE HAVE DECIDED, HUMAN SEVERA.”

“Oh?”

“YES, WE WISH TO REMAIN HERE.”

Severa went silent and stared at them.

August leaned back in the chair and grinned cheekily. “You just fuckin’ did.”

“LANGUAGE, HUMAN!”

“You got scolded again.”

“Dammit.”

“HUMAN!!”

Chapter Text

August stayed long after the pizza was gone, eaten by the strange gang, though mostly by the two humans after the bitties had their fill. Severa couldn’t determine if the bitties liked the pizza or not, which irked her a bit, but it wasn’t necessary to know. Time slipped by the others in the room because August had began to debate with Severa about the upcoming release of the new Cosmic Runes Chronicles (or CRC) game. The little monsters were lost on the topic, but they didn't seem to mind just watching the duo go at it. August was ecstatic about the release while Severa rested on the opposite end on the spectrum. The game trailer released earlier in the week and it sent everyone abuzz including the two college students. Severa wasn’t all too thrilled with the game play shown in the announcement trailer, believing it to be more repetition similar to the last game. August chided Severa about her pessimistic attitude toward the game when it was usually the other way around. Severa was not known for her pessimism. August had, reluctantly, left only after his aunt called asking his whereabouts.

That was a while ago; Severa currently sat in one of the living room chairs with her laptop she retrieved from the study. The bitties returned to the blanket fort on the couch flipping through the channels on the TV once more. Pap mentioned he saw something earlier that he wanted to revisit, they were currently scouting for it. There was a sense of serenity around the apartment with the constant tapping from Severa’s computer and the clicking from the bitties. Everything was still and calm; only broken by a synthetic voice.

“Good evening, beauties and gentlebeauties! Welcome to the show!”

Severa’s head snapped to the television, gaze glued to the figure on the screen. “Oh, Mettaton’s on. I thought he had time slots in the early morning and late night hours?”  

“IS THAT WHO THIS IS? METTATON?”

Severa looked over at Pap who was focused on the robot on the screen. “Yep, Mettaton. The former star of the underground that took the surface by storm- or so he says. All I really know is he’s a robot made by… someone important. Anyway, he’s a big hit up here and he's part of the main superstar quartet.” Severa explained as she returned to her computer. She was reading some newly published research journals about new ocean species.

“METTATON…”

Severa caught the clear tone of wonder overtaking Pap’s voice. Oh no. She was kind of afraid to look up...; she was rightfully so. Pap’s face was awestruck and his bones were rattling. That was strange, but Severa guessed they could rattle to several things other than merely fear. Perhaps it was from any intense emotion? Mama Cry would possibly know. Severa kept watch on the tall bitty seeing his frame leaning over the edge of the fort. The young woman didn’t know what Blue was doing other than sitting in the fort- she could barely see the top of his skull.

Severa shrugged and went back to her computer letting the bitties do what they wished. She began to zone out staring at the laptop’s screen until the robotic voice snapped her out once more.

“I am excited to announce I am planning my third worldwide tour! It is going to be more fabulous and outstanding than my last one!” Mettaton announced causing Pap to gasp.

“THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL!”

Severa sighed silently to herself then tried to focus on her task, but it proved fruitless as the robot continued his rave.

“WHAT IS A ‘WORLD-WIDE TOUR’, HUMAN?” Blue asked.

Severa thanked the small bitty internally for the distraction against who was on her television, although her eyes never left her computer screen. “A world-wide tour is a bunch of shows shown in different cities all around the world that the person, in this case, Mettaton, will appear at and perform.”

“METTATON WILL BE THERE?!”

Severa looked toward the bitties who were staring at her. One with concern and the other still awestruck by the robot. “... Yes, but his shows are always crowded and loud. I highly doubt you’d be able to handle it right now.” Severa was being honest about it even though she understood it would probably sadden Pap to hear it.

“O-OH…”

Aw, crud. He looked like a kicked puppy. How did a skeleton manage to look like that? “... It's gonna take some time for the tour to start anyway. Mettaton is known to announce tours and things months in advance of the actual thing. You got time, Pap.”

That lit the bitty’s expression right up. “I SEE!!”

“BY THE WAY HUMAN… YOU SOUNDED LIKE YOU’VE BEEN TO ONE OF THESE “SHOWS" BEFORE.” Blue remarked.

“That's because I have. I got dragged to one by one of my closest friends, Abigail. That girl is a big fan of Mettaton, so I got tickets to go to one and learned how they went down normally through experience.” Severa explained ruefully. She hadn’t enjoyed the show Abby had dragged her to; it was too loud, too flashy, too… racy for Severa’s taste. Aah, but the things Severa will yield to for her loved ones. Severa glanced at the show on that thought. Abby mentioned Mettaton had a new showing for a… talk show? Yep, a talk show as the show was titled “A Talk with former deadly killing machine! Starting Mettaton!” They gained a special guest every episode airing which was pre-recorded in front OF a live audience. Abigail’s ramblings were coming back a bit.

On that note, Severa returned to her reading trying her best to ignore the superstar. She was able to get in a groove with Pap’s gasps and Blue’s muffled noises in the background. It seemed Blue wasn’t the most impressed with Mettaton while Pap, undoubtedly, was becoming a big fan of the robot. Severa wasn’t too thrilled with this trail of thinking, but it was good he found something to enjoy.

Time ticked away and Severa was once more knocked from her groove by a voice.

“GOODBYE, METTATON!”

The show ended and Severa looked up toward the bitties. Pap was waving at the darkening screen and Blue was sitting on the wall of the fort with his legs criss-crossed. “I DO AGREE THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE.” Blue told to Pap who nodded enthusiastically enough that Severa was worried his head might pop off.

“YES! THIS METTATON MUST BE A TRUE GENIUS OF... SHOWBIZ!!” Pap acclaimed and it took every ounce of Severa’s power not to snort at the proclamation. Pap noticed Severa now and began singing praises about the robot to the human until Severa cut him off him.

“I don’t mean to rain on your parade, Pap, but... you only saw his talk show. How are so enamored with him already?”

“THE HUMAN HAS A POINT! PERHAPS ONE OF THE OTHERS ARE JUST AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN METTATON?” Blue interjected.

“I did not mean it by that.” Severa’s comment falls on deaf ears as Blue continued on.

“SHE MENTIONED HE WAS PART OF A GROUP! WHAT OF THE OTHERS?” Blue directed the question to Severa.

“You're asking me questions I don't know the answers to. That's Abby’s area of expertise, not mine.”

“IS THERE ANYWAY TO ASK THIS ABBY OF SHOWBIZ EXPERTISE?” Pap requested prompting Severa to give him a simple nod.

“I mean, yeah, it'd just take a phone call or text message.”

“PLEASE ASK HER!”

Wait, what? She just gazed at the small monsters in confusion. They wanted her to do what?

“HUMAN.” Blue urged her.

Severa slowly took out her phone after caving from the intense stares of the two bitties. What was happening?

[Severa] Who are the other members of the group Mettaton is in?

Severa shot the text to her friend and informed the bitties it’d take a bit to hear back. They seemed to understand and kept up their… argument? Honestly, Severa was completely lost, but she felt like if she asked… Nope. Just nope . She was satisfied with hearing their back and forth. From the pieces she grasped, Blue wasn’t taken by Mettaton like Pap was and believed there to be someone better? Pap thought otherwise. The situation would be more amusing to her if she wasn’t outright startled by the fact that Pap had only seen Mettaton for one measly episode and captivated by the robot already. It was only going to get worse from there. She could feel it. She didn’t know how or when, but it was. And boy, did it unnerve her.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK OF METTATON, HUMAN SEVERA?” Pap questioned Severa.

Severa was startled by the question. She was content with just sitting and watching their banter, never expecting to be dragged into their disagreement. What did she think of Mettaton? He was the (former) rolling calculator who held one of her best friends’ attention for the longest time. She heard hours upon hours of gushing about the robot from day one to present day, but nothing ever stuck with Severa. The only thing she knew was she held a disdain for his live shows. He was just another celebrity that she never paid any heed to, so ultimately… “No comment.”

“BUT YOU JUST MADE A COMMENT.” Blue pointed out, clearly confused.

“OH! YOU MUST MEAN THAT YOU HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR FEELINGS FOR METTATON!” Pap, somehow, deduced.

Blue puffed out his cheeks, crossing his arms to express his growing annoyance.

Severa opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by her phone ringing. She pulled out her phone seeing a new text.

[Abigail] Mettaton, Napstabot, Neon, and Rave are the main faces. They are known to have guest appearances tho~ Why~?

[Severa] Thanks and… it's a bit(ty) complicated to explain.

[Abigail] I wanna smack you!

Severa reiterated her friend’s text and with the bitties’ encouragement, she searched for pictures of the quartet on her laptop.

“IF YOU COULD HAVE USED THIS…-”

“Computer.”

“-COMPUTER, THEN WHY HAD YOU NOT EARLIER?” Blue asked, puzzled.

“... It never crossed my mind to.”

Never in her days would Severa have guessed she would be looking up so much information about superstar robots. She connected her computer to her flat screen to display it for the duo in their plush fort. They were searching all sorts of things about them from ratings to recorded shows on YouTube to basic gossip. Severa swore to herself to erase everything from her memory later. She had better things to occupy that space with like game release dates and theories, but until then, she would indulge the bitties in their curiosity. It only ended when Severa’s door was thrown open by a familiar face.

“I'm not done talking to you about CRC, Sev.”

Severa rolled her head to the side, gazing over to the new arrival. “Welcome back, August. Come to get proven wrong again?”

August chuckled with his arms crossing over his chest with a proud look. “I wasn't losing our disagreement, girl. You are just being uncharacteristically pessimistic. Seriously.”

Severa laughed good-naturally at her friend’s comment, but made no rebuttal.

“YOU MUST WAIT TO RESUME YOUR STRANGE CONVERSATION WITH THE HUMAN, OTHER HUMAN.” Blue announced turning toward August who gazed upon him in surprise.

“Oh? Did I interrupt something?”

“YES. (“No.”) WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF DISCOVERING A TRUE GENIUS.” Pap joined in with clear mirth in his voice. “IT IS NOT TIME FOR YOUR SILLY GAME DISCUSSIONS WHEN WE HAVE IMPORTANT (“Help me.”) MATTERS TO ATTEND TO.”

August made his way into his friend’s apartment, closing the door behind him and plopping down in the only open chair in the living space. He slouched down in it, tilting his head to stare over at Severa in unmistakable glee. He mouthed nope ending with a popping sound. He cracked a smile at his friend when she stuck out her tongue at him. “So what’s this ‘important matter’ that I interrupted?”

“METTATON!(“NAPSTABOT!”)” Both bitties replied with vigor toward August who looked completely uninterested at the mention of their names.

“...Oh.” August closed his eyes and seemingly melted into the chair. He failed to catch the scrutinizing look Blue had on him or the way Pap seemed to fidget casting glances to August.

Severa hadn’t. She gazed at her friend, eyeing his relaxed posture, but his uneasy expression was an open window to his inner turmoil. The young woman’s grip on her computer weakened as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. While she wouldn’t normally pry about someone’s obvious pain; August was one of the expectations.

… But she always knew August would tell her when he was ready, and this wasn’t the time to be making a scene. Who knew how the bitties would react to such a change and they were very active which while strange to Severa, she also wanted to let it drag out for as long as possible. She stared long enough that August must’ve felt it because the latter began to move and they made eye contact when August turned his head and she gave him a small nod. She watched a weak grin spread across her friend’s features in return and he returned to his fusion with the chair. She relaxed at the action knowing August would tell her what was bothering him, though she had a guess what it could be. She dispelled the train of thought before she went too deep.

She gripped her computer again when abruptly, a ringtone sang out.

August to call out. “Seriously, Sev? 8-bit?”

“Hush.” Severa countered, retrieving her phone and swiping to answer not bothering to look at the ID. “Yeah, boss?”

“Severa, I’ll get to the point. Keri called in sick for tomorrow, so I need you to come in to cover for her absence.” Velma’s voice permeated over the receiver with a tone that suggested she was done .

“... I shouldn’t be surprised, but still! How early are we talking?” Severa replied, standing up from her chair and placing her laptop on the table.

“Opening.”

Severa grumbled at the answer. “I already have the night shift tomorr-” She cut herself off as she snapped her eyes over to the small creatures currently in the plush fort. “Oh, shit .”

“LANGUAGE, HUMAN.” Blue muttered as if on reflex.

August straighten himself in the chair, watching Severa closely like both bitties.

“Severa? Is everythi-”

The young woman cut off her boss by apologizing and telling her she’d call back later. “I forgot…” Severa whispered out letting her hand clenching the electronic drop to her side.

“How the hell do you forget you have the night-shift, Sev? You do it every week.” August pointed out, slouching back in the chair with a bemused expression, eyeing his friend. This caused Severa to stick her tongue out at him before motioning toward her head causing August to nod in acknowledgement. “True-”

“And today has been kind of… eventful.” Severa added, gesturing to the bitties opening with her occupied hand.

“... Right. Okay, it's understandable.” August sunk deeper into the cushions seemingly forming into them, but kept his attention on Severa as she began to pace in front of the furniture with her arms crossed and hand pressed against her mouth, deep in thought.

“HUMAN SEVERA? WHAT IS WRONG?” Pap inquired to the female human, worriedly watching her move back and forth mumbling to herself.

“I have work…” Severa muttered to herself, “if I go in at opening that’s at nine meaning I’ll need to be there no later than 8:30….” She trailed off, not hearing the question directed at her. She barely registered Blue directing the question to August, but didn’t hear his reply to it. She came to a halt in front of August.

"I don't know what I'm going to do..."

"It's fine, Sev. You're smart and you'll figure something out." August encouraged his friend, waving at the bitties already knowing what she was worried about. "They can't cause that much trouble, I mean I'm around and they seem fine." 

Severa opened her mouth to respond then promptly shut it with her eyes suddenly widening with a matching smile directed at August.

“... I don’t like that look.”

Severa grinned widely looking down at her friend, like she just had the greatest idea since sliced bread. “You can play babysitter!”

“... I definitely don’t like that look.” August groaned out loud, but the bitties were at a complete loss and Severa’s grin didn’t falter a bit.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” Pap inquired to Severa who looked at him.

“I’ll be gone for most of the day tomorrow, but August never leaves and I don’t want you guys alone for too long. He can stay here with you and watch you two!”

“...WHAT?!” Both bitties blurt out in unison making August groan louder, but Severa just looked more proud of herself.

“You can be a bitty-sitter!”

“SEVERA!” 

"God dammit!"

"LANGUAGE, HUMAN!"

Chapter Text

Picking up someone’s shift meant several things for Severa: rushing around doing her normal tasks, picking up other co-workers’ benched tasks, and trying to help her co-workers do their normal jobs if they need the extra hands; all the while trying not to scream to the heavens in frustration. To put simply, it always became a madhouse when someone called in and the severity level depended on who it was. This time was Keri Bateson, unsurprisingly, and on a 1 - 10 scale - it would be a level 6. The time Severa spent running around the whole building since she stepped through the entrance was lost; she didn’t care to check the time, but would catch a glance once in a while from her back and forth texting with August.

August was texting her updates about the bitties in her apartment while she was at work, but while he wouldn’t remain there, they agreed he would check up on them periodically. August was technically supposed to be working himself and he openly admits his aunt terrifies him, so he didn’t want his aunt catching him slacking more than usual. It only worked out this way since Severa was confident that Prince couldn’t get in from the vents if he got out since she finished covering them all and adding extra precautions around the windows and the balcony.

The likelihood of Prince escaping anytime soon is relatively slim at the present time. Joyce went after Adams after she learned what happened with the bitties as soon as she could. Even other bitties owners within the complex came to Joyce to complain about the ferret’s antics when they caught wind of Joyce cutting into the older woman’s animal keeping. Things were changing around the apartment building and the attack on Pap and Blue was the last straw Joyce had. There was currently a new pet code being written out because everyone had had enough of the ferret and Joyce was worried that one day, something might happen, plus she was sick and tired of Adams’ excuses for the animal.

Severa pushed the metal cabinet bottom door closed with her foot, scanning the contents of a large yellow folder she pulled out of it after she rose from her initial crouch. She nodded to herself seeing it was the right documents and closed the folder before heading back to Maya who was supposed to be in the back-end of the dolphin enclosure. Severa headed in that direction and once arrived gave her co-worker the folder earning her a gracious thank you from the woman. It was then a voice came over the walkie-talkie at her hip.

“‘Ey, Sev!”

Severa waved Maya off when the woman gave her a small playful smile with her eyebrow raised at the sound of the voice.  The young woman stuck her tongue out at her co-worker in response to the expression which earned her a laugh from the latter. “Yeah, JayJ?” She answered into the electronic.

“Mind helping me with the new shipment inventory that just came in?” JayJ responded over the intercom.

“Sure, I’ll meet you in the unloading dock in a bit.” Severa put her walkie talkie back as JayJ confirmed her statement and the line went dead. She fled from her co-worker before the teasing could begin. From the back halls of the aquarium, it is easy to navigate her way to the unloading dock where JayJ was. Severa noticed the large, steel doors were spread wide open once she arrived which indicated what JayJ mentioned about the shipment arriving was true. It was only a matter of reviewing the arrived products are correct and they could begin their next phase whatever that entails for the items. Severa slipped her way through the doors, quickly spotting her co-worker near a large set of boxes marked ‘FRAGILE’ in white tape across them.

“JayJ, I have arrived!” Severa announced, stopping beside a rather tall man holding a clipboard.  

"So you have." The man responded looking up from the clipboard, meeting Severa's gaze. "That was rather quick. Where'd ya come from?"

"Dolphin enclosure." Severa said. "Maya needed some reports of the dolphins from the main office."

"Ah. So, have you basically been running around all day?" JayJ handed over the clipboard to Severa who took it and began looking over the shipment list.

"Pretty much."

"Wow... you are getting enough of sleep, right?" JayJ asked moving toward the crates, casting a side glance at his co-worker. He's met with silence that made him sigh. "Sev..."

"What?" Severa didn't look up.

"Who are you covering for?"

"Guess." Severa replied with ease, but she couldn't stop her grip tightening around the board. She wouldn't lie to herself about being upset about covering for the woman. It wasn't the first time she'd done it and won't be the last. She was always losing sleep because she'd have to cover for Keri. It was unfair in Severa's mind, but Keri was above her in rank and it was Severa's name that was listed to cover for the older woman(no matter what she tried to do to change that). It was her fault now that she was at work and not at home watching over the bitties. Severa tried to ignore the feeling rising in her gut as she focused her attention on JayJ and work. Now was not the time for her worry.

Severa's co-worker let out a heavy sigh and he read one of the labels. "Keri, again?" He looked over to his companion seeing her nodding in response. Her tense expression wasn't lost on him. “Man, Keri is a real piece of work.” JayJ whistled while returning to checking some the labels on the boxes. Afterwards, he waved to the workers from the tractor trailer in thanks. “When do you think she’ll finally be fired?”

“When Hell freezes over-”

“You mean like what happened a decade ago?” Severa noticed him trying to change the subject.

Severa didn’t look up from the clipboard, but snorted in amusement. “Oh yeah, I remember. The day of reckoning everyone thought was upon us- Or, doomsday, Judgement Day, the apocalypse- whatever you want to call it. It was the day everyone went ape-shit when the monsters appeared above ground.” Severa expanded on JayJ’s comment. She read off the inventory that appeared on the list for JayJ while he examined the labels. As she went over it, she noticed an unmarked item. Steel rods… The steel rods weren’t seen yet. Were they suppose to arrive today or tomorrow? She was pulled from her thoughts as her companion spoke out.

“Did I ever tell you my bro flipped out when he saw the news, swearing up and down this was just some giant prank or weird conspiracy by the government.” He snickered at his reminiscing. “How’d your family react, Sev?”

“I don’t know what their initial reaction was, but at some point they came into my room and requested for me to slap them.” The young woman was forced to look up when JayJ began to laugh loudly at her comment, but had enough sense to grasp the side of the one of the crates they were near, it got worse as she continued on nonchalantly. “That was a very weird thing to hear from my parents at like eight in the morning when I was eleven. I tried rolling back over and going back to sleep, but they weren't having it. I ended up smacking my dad with my pillow when he ‘threatened’ to pick me up.” Severa watched the older one wheeze out, gasping for air at the end of her story and laughed herself at the view. She let JayJ get his breath back before asking. “How old were you anyway? 13 or 14?”

“I-” JayJ was still giggly. “F-fourteen-n. My bro-o… was 17 at the time-e so-o…” He covered his stomach with his arm while breathing deeply trying to catch his breath.

Soon enough, they went back to checking inventory for the new shipments. With their conversation fresh in her mind, Severa began to think about what transpired all those years ago. She was young when the barrier breaking occurred, so there isn’t much she was aware of during the monsters initial arrival on the surface other than many humans losing their minds. The event frightened her parents which she’s pretty positive was the reason it worried her when the news was still relatively fresh.

JayJ had Severa trail after him as they went down the list of the shipment; checking off things as they appeared and talking shit about Keri. It had Severa laughing from time to time and helped her loosen up. Severa ended up yawning periodically that caused JayJ to gaze at her and ask if she wanted to take a break occasionally. The young woman always declined the offer which made the man huff, but he didn't argue about it. Severa's mind continued on reminiscing throughout the job. As time went on, things settled and people stopped freaking out for the most part(minus the closed minded pricks); the humans & monsters began working together to assist them to life on the surface. The process had a few bumps, naturally, here and there, but fortunately it's been smooth sailing which led to the present. Monsters lived their lives on the surface and things are pretty good. It is rare to find problems rising between the two species. Ten years have passed since the barrier shattered, changes occurred and unknown mysteries emerged, but that wasn’t a bad thing.

“I think that’s everything-” Severa slipped from her thoughts and reviewed the checklist. Oh- “... except the steel rods.”

“Again? Why’s it always the steel rods that are late?” JayJ grunted looking at the clipboard Severa presented to him. He grasped the employee walkie-talkie hanging from his belt and spoke into the radio. “‘Eyo, boss.”

A buzz followed by a distorted voice came over the intercom. “Yes, JayJ?”

“The steel rods are late again. Who and when did they get ordered?”

"My guess is the banshee.” Severa threw in before she could stop herself.

“Who?” Severa’s coworker responded quizzingly turning to the other with a matching puzzled expression.

“If that was Severa, she’s talking about Keri.” the duo’s superior clarified inducing a look to be sent at Severa by her companion. Severa, in return, nodded proudly.

“You do listen to me!”

“I’ll go check the records in a bit, so just go on (“Hey!”) with your other duties, please.” Velma finished and she cut the line before getting a response from her employees.

The two did as they were instructed; splitting off to go on with their next task once they finalized the shipment. Severa made her way down a massive corridor with a large glass displaying various types of underwater fish swimming about though she made no mind to the beauty beside her. The opposite wall was old cut stone that at first glance seemed real, but Severa knew it was a large art piece done years ago to spice up the space when the original dark color was outdated. Severa couldn’t help to stop in her tracks and turned her gaze to the glass shining with the life behind it. The feeling was rising once again.

Ebott Aquarium held the title of largest established marine exhibit and museum. It was the largest aquarium on record and has continuous growth to the facility. It houses many types of sea life in its underwater habitats, deals with visitor interactions, holding their own on-site research and has expeditions all across the world to conduct field research. Most of it began under Velma’s control and it has only skyrocketed from there with improvements and expansions on the drawing board and scheduled to begin sometime soon(?). Severa believed it was an expansion to the shark display tanks next on the agenda, but she’d have to double check later if she remembered. She adored the aquarium and always felt a sense of joy and serenity whenever she walked its halls. Even the banshee couldn’t disturb her from the sense of peace the felt around it.

Except now, Severa was antsy. Worry gripped to her mind and a peg of fear merged in popping up occasionally. She was able to contain it while she worked since JayJ was distracting her, but she was sure he noticed her restlessness and chose not to comment on it. That was something she was grateful for. While her mind raced, Severa could feel the heaviness of her phone residing in her pocket knowing she could ease her soul if she’d just texted August , but she knew if she did, she might not stop. She gazed at her reflection in the glass and sighed in defeat before pulling out her cell.

She saw it was close to noon, but was surprised to find a text message waiting for her. She unlocked the electronic swiftly then let out a breathy laugh. It was from August.

[August] I know you well enough by now to know you’re probably worrying outta your damned mind. You got distracted tho, didn’t you? Good! Keep it up! I don’t need my phone blowing up with you constant probing! For an update, the bitties are fine. I check on ‘em once in hour or whatever. Pretty frequently. They seem to like looking through your books and i found crayons in a drawer. I gave it to them with some paper for whatever. Should I give them something for lunch, momma mia? This is a long ass message…

Severa read the message and responded to it.

[Severa] Order something and eat w/ them please. I’ll pay u back

She sent the reply and breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves. She jolted in her spot when the object vibrated in her hold.

[August] Gotcha. Btw my aunt and Adams had a showdown earlier about the furball. Give ya the details later.

Severa felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth and she couldn’t help the snicker that escaped. She put away her phone before she thought to respond and lose herself. It was the little things like that that made a warm feeling swell in Severa’s soul. She had great friends and she sometimes forgot that even if it should be common sense by then. She shook her head, turned back to walk down the corridor since the young woman was still on the clock, but worry rested deep within that she knew wouldn’t leave any time soon. The bitties were in good, reliable hands. With that final thought, she went back to walking only to be stopped when she heard her name called. It seemed someone needed her assistance.

The young woman was walking down a back hallway leading from the breakroom when she comes to see Velma standing in the middle of the hall, looking over her infamous clear plastic clipboard and she did not look happy. Should she intervene? Severa thought about it and nodded to herself. This was Velma and she trusted her boss.

“You don’t look too happy, boss.” Severa stated coming to a halt next to the older woman and gazed at the clipboard seeing it was the ordering list and other things.

“Good observation. I’m not in the slightest, Severa.” Velma remarked bitterly. The older woman flipped through the pages on the plastic before shoving Severa the object. “Look at this.”

Severa blinked, looked at the sheet shown to her and huffed out a laugh. “No wonder you’re not happy.” The paper shown was the request order sheet from over a month ago that had steel rods on it, but there was a sign off that replaced the steel with copper rods. The original request was made by Suzie, a normal thing, but later on someone signed off for a change to the order and it was a mystery who did it. That wasn’t good to do, it was against regulations for it to be blank. “JayJ is gonna be pissed when he finds out someone swapped the order.” Severa added turning toward her boss with her arms crossed.

“Not only that, we are getting copper rods instead on top of them being late, but that does explains why they are late to begin with.” Velma sighed, moving the clipboard flat against her chest, in frustration. “Do me a favor and go report to JayJ then you can head out until your next shift.”

“Ah, yes, my 9 hour shift.” Severa nodded moving backwards form her boss in a humorous manner that caused Velma to shake her head at her worker’s antics.

“Yes, how blessed you are to have such a generous boss as myself letting you go home before returning to come earn what I pay you for.” The sarcasm dripped from Velma’s voice like honey and she pointed the board at Severa’s reverted retreating form.

“Should I kiss your feet?”

“ Go !” Velma laughed loudly, jabbing the clipboard harshly in the direction of the hall.

Severa bolted away to find JayJ and head home to hopefully nap for a bit at her boss’ command. Hopefully, she was able to brighten up her boss's day even just a bit. Something told Severa things were about to get messy at work.

After running around, she found JayJ in the stingray exhibit tending to some equipment. He wasn’t thrilled to hear of the mess up and vowed to find who did it. Severa left JayJ after helping him a bit with the diving equipment and went to the locker room to grab her tote and other items. The locker room was near the break room, so Severa was backtracking through several back hallways for the employees only that were all the same, views inside the tanks. Although most had murals or blown up pictures of the undersea life (instead of the decorative stone) on the walls and doors scattered about. She entered the door near the stingray exhibit with her access pass and quickly made her way through the maze until she hit the one where she ran into her boss (who was gone).

She was close enough that she slowed down a tad and grabbed her cell. The time displayed was near a quarter past one, so Severa should make it home by 1:30; have enough time to take a nap and check on the freeloaders. She unlocked her electronic and noticed several new texts and notifications from her social networking sites. She decided to check her texts first and grinned brightly when she saw the first name.

[Avery] I want to get together Saturday.

Severa thought on it a bit and nodded to herself shooting one back as she continued her way down the hall slowly.

[Severa] I get off at 2 PM Aves

[Avery]  Excellent! See you then, bella. Oh, Serafino says hello

[Severa] Aaah my favorite summer firefly~ :3

[Avery] I showed him the message and he turned blue. You two are adorable!

Severa chuckled at the message and sent a heart emoji in response, continuing on to look at her other awaiting texts. Her smile morphed into a frown when she noticed another text, more like a string of texts, which she promptly deleted to gaze at her final one. August’s name appeared on top of her messages and she snickered, smile returning as she opened her conversation with the guy. A picture appeared on screen of her apartment’s small hallway floor and the two tiny skeletons freeloading in her home sprawled in the middle. They were surrounded by several of her books- picture books Severa purchased for Lucia years ago- opened to various pictures and blank printer paper everywhere with the crayons August mentioned before. The angle the photo was taken showed the bitties were unaware of it; it was taken by August from above. He probably found the sight funny.

[August] I found ‘em like this when I came to eat lunch w/‘em. how’d they get the books down???

[Severa] Magic? They do have that.

Severa replied and couldn’t help, but save the image to her phone. While doing so, her mind slipped back to the string of texts before August’s. Should she have read them? She never did before though, so why now? They never change. Severa’s smile fell flat as her thoughts raced until snapping out of them when she realized she’d reached the locker room. Sighing, she opened the door making her way into the room. There were a few others occupying the space, but she barely paid them mind though she was vaguely aware of the fact they would’ve normally spoken to her as soon as she entered the room. Her outward demeanor must have changed enough that they are leaving her alone (not like she had much of a problem with that). Her mood was dim as it was and where her thoughts were going, wasn’t helping the matter, but Severa didn’t care. Work was the only thing that could’ve busied her mind, but she was leaving and the thoughts she was trying to keep at bay were returning full throttle.

She reached her assigned locker and opened the metal door, coming to see her tote bag hanging in it center view. The same tote bag the bitties, currently in her apartment, stowed away in and took a joyride in to said apartment. Her train of thought spun in an alternate direction, focusing more on the bitties with questions arising. There were so many questions that the young woman had regarding the small skeletons, but she didn’t wish to dig too deep into them for a multitude of reasons. Alas it certainly didn’t lessen her curiosity about them, so that curiosity would be forever. On that final thought, she abandoned her current state of mind and grabbed her tote from the locker and dug out her earphones to pass the time during her bus ride. She wanted to focus on something besides the small bitties even for a brief time. She plugged them into the jack of her phone, turned her music on shuffle and just let herself zone out as she exited the locker room after shutting her own locker.

The whole way home was a blur to the young woman. It was a routine commute she was used to, so she could do it blind, if necessary. She was kind of surprised she hadn't fallen asleep during it. The apartment building air conditioning blasted Severa with a wave of cold that sent a gentle chill down her spine as she entered through the door. The humidity outside was rather high today. The temperature change was pleasant. Severa felt as if her skin was melting and mixing into her clothing from being outside even for the short time. She was going to have to wash her work uniform.

Severa glanced over the lobby looking for August, but came up empty. She shrugged it off. She’d find him before she left to return for the second shift in a few hours. She pulled out her earphones while pulling out her cell, checking the time. It was a bit past 1:30 which meant she had three hours to nap and possibly accomplish other things. Severa made her way to the stairwell despite the thought of her upcoming nap causing a wash of exhaustion to overcome her. She knew she was still tired fromvthe lack of sleep she had yesterday, plus last night wasn’t exactly the best. With the worry of the bitties and her forgetting to take her medication, again , it was coming back to bite her in the ass. Then again, this wouldn’t be the first time nor the last time she put herself in the similar condition. She trudged up the seven flights of stairs, silently cursing herself for having one so high but then, mentally reasoning she didn’t have much choice when she first moved in.

After what felt like an eternity on the stairs, she finally made contact with the floor and found the energy to quicken her pace to her door and try to open it. It wouldn’t open. Severa spent several seconds too long to realise she hadn’t unlocked the door. Slowly, she dug out her keys from her bag and unlocked the door in silence. If that wasn’t a good indicator she needed a nap, she didn’t know what was. Severa made her way into the apartment, locked her door once she was in then leaned her back against it before sluggishly sinking down to the floor. Her spare energy was gone from that small dash to her door. She tossed her bag to the side and decided she’d best announce her presence to the bitties.

“Hey guys, I’m back…,” Severa called out. “...for now.” she mumbled out the final part, running one hand through her charcoal black locks. She was so tired and couldn’t find the energy and drag herself to her bed. She had half a-mind to just lay in front of the door and sleep . She was dragged from her internal debate from the pattering of small feet across the wooden floorboards and she looked ahead to see the bitties. (Being so tired, she hadn’t realised the worry that was eating at her was growing as she got closer to home until she saw them.)

“Welcome Back, Severa!” Blue greeted Severa with a wide grin though it fell flat as Severa gazed at him.

Pap held a look of concern to match Blue’s and asked to the human. “Are You Alright?”

“I need a nap…” Severa pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.

“Please Don’t Be Lazy, Human Severa!” Pap warned her placing his hands on his hip bones. “Napping For Six Hours Is A Waste.”

Severa blinked owlishly in silence before snorting in amusement. “That’s a nap I wish I could achieve, but woe is me, I’ll only be out for two hours at most.”

“Why Nap At All? You Are Finally Home.” Blue pointed out. “Should You Not Try To Exercise Or Eat Something?”

“I need sleep, guys. I’m just so tired....” Severa yawned. The floor was looking more inviting by the minute.

“If You Need It Then Please Do Not Sleep On The Floor.” Blue warned her this time causing her to grin.

“You’re lucky I’m too tired to make a pun at the moment.” Severa let her eyes close as she continued to listen out for the bitties.

“Do You Like Puns That Much?” Pap asked after a few moments of silence that caused Severa to open her eyes and look at the bitty. He was gazing to the side, fidgeting in place. Was he nervous about the question or asking her the question?

“Truth be told, yes, I do. I enjoy wordplay and it's something I picked up from my father long ago.” Severa answered honestly after some contemplation on her part. She brought her arms around her legs and hugged them tightly even as she smiled to herself, gaze locking on the hardwood. It was true though; if she had to guess why she liked puns so much it was because her father used to do it so often. “I also like riddles, sudoku, puzzles, and other things like that…”

“YOU LIKE PUZZLES?!” Blue and Pap both exploded in volume which caused Severa to visibly flinch. She picked up her head and brought her legs down to cross them then nodded to the bitties. (She didn’t realise until then they were speaking lower than their usual volume.)

The bitties seemed to notice their mistake and Pap lowered his volume back down before asking what type of puzzles Severa enjoyed. Before Severa could answer his question, she yawned again, reminding how weary she currently was. The young woman shook her head, trying to wake herself up a bit before pushing herself up from the ground.

“Cryptic ones…” Severa mumbled out while slipping out of her shoes and shoving them to the side near her tote. She was losing focus and she wanted to get to her room before she really decided to sleep on the floor no matter what the bitties said.

Severa made her way to her room, not even pausing when she heard one of the bitties(Blue?), sputter out calling to her. She only did so when she came to the hallway, viewing the bitties’ clutter consuming it. It changed somewhat from the photo August sent her earlier.

“Good. You found things to occupy yourselves with. Sorry there's not much here your size.” Severa stated out maneuvering her way to her bedroom. The young woman grasped and turned the knot once she made it and with a gentle push, the door swung wide open. After making a quick check around seeing everything was the same(August likes to borrow her things when she's gone), Severa made no waste in collapsing into her mattress. She sighed contently, shifting somewhat to make herself comfortable. She made the executive decision of forgoing changing to charge straight into napping. She was too tired for anything, minus setting an alarm for two hours. She was nearly out when she swore she felt something press against her check. It might've been nothing, but did it wish her good night?

Waking up from slumber wasn’t something easy to do when forced from its deep grip from an obnoxious noise blasting in one’s ear. Severa understood this well from experience and was always thankful to those times when she woke up naturally without the “help” of her alarm. This was one of those times. Her mind was aware of her surroundings after the normal momentary confusion; forced her eyes to flutter open just to shut them from the greeting of the bright lights of her room. She grumbled to herself about wanting to go back to sleep, but that wasn’t an option.

As she laid on her side across the black comforter, her mind tried to review what transpired before she fell asleep. She barely remembered going through the door of her apartment. Did she really turn on the lights? That was stupid of her to, if so. It would still be early afternoon, so the sun would be shining and it being mid-summer, the sun wouldn’t be setting until later in the day anyhow. Then again, "Tired" Severa did whatever the hell "Tired" Severa wanted and let "Future" Severa deal with the consequences. "Tired" Severa was easygoing. Severa amused herself thinking of a comparison. She couldn’t tell which would be worse, "Tired" Severa or " Plastered" Severa. "Plastered" Severa was always a fun story to tell. She should ask Avery when her friend comes over Saturday who would be worse.

Severa moved to lay on her back, but paused when she felt something press against her upper stomach. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to ignore the bright lights and locate the pressure. What she found caused a sense of awe to fill her being, but a bit of puzzlement as well. What she saw were the bitties holding each other tightly and practically burrowed into her stomach. When did they get up there? How did they get up on the bed?

The young woman’s brows furrowed in confusion. Did she bring them in with her? It… wouldn’t of been a smart move. She thought she’d have enough sense not to do things like that which could cause attachment. She was helping them, yes, but she had no intention of keeping them. The very notion was asking for trouble. Chester was one thing. These bitties were a whole ‘nother can of worms Severa never wished to open. Her train of thought was derailed when the alarm began to chime. She cursed her luck and searched for her phone to switch off the alarm before the bitties wake up. She succeeded in turning off her alarm and looked down at the bitties to make eye contact with two pairs of unfocused eyelights staring up at her. The expressions they bore were indescribable, but made Severa dreadfully uncomfortable. She greeted them just to scamper out of bed then out of sight. She certainly didn’t like those expression. She quickly made her way to her bathroom to rinse her face as a familiar sinking sensation settled in her stomach. The distinct feeling she might vomit .

Chapter Text

Severa checked the time displayed on her phone and clicked her tongue doing simple math in her head. It was a little past 3 and she needed to leave before 4:30, so she had about an hour and a half left to do somethings before her night-shift. She nodded to herself as she stirred the sauce in the pan. The pasta noodles were already drained and waiting in the larger pan on the opposite side of the  stove. Severa was able to find some bow-tie noodles and easy to prepare pasta sauce when she scavenged her kitchen. She also ran into the drawer of glitter she had forgotten to discuss with her sister earlier. After she came out of the bathroom, she focused on making herself something to eat. The snacks from the aquarium vending machines only satisfy her hunger for so long; she needed an actual meal before leaving for her next shift.

She paused from her stirring to glance over her shoulder in the direction of her bedroom. The bitties were still in her bed since she couldn’t bring herself to move them. The idea of touching them… Severa turned her attention back to the sauce with a tighter grip on the spoon. She tried to keep her thoughts straight, but they soon whirled back to the bitties asleep on her bed. She forced her thoughts to something else, the first thing was her fridge and the lack of food it had. She needed to go shopping tomorrow. She was running too low and while she was sure she had ramen buried somewhere in her kitchen, Severa didn't feel like having boring ramen. In that aspect, she was pretty sure she was ruined by her parents. They never had “plain" food, her mom always saying it was an insult to the baker she was. Severa giggled at the memory as she checked the sauce. When the sauce was done, Severa moved to turn off the stove and grab the noodles to add them to the sauce; completing the meal as she mixed them together. As she went to grab a plate from her cabinet, a knock echoed from her door then August stepped through.

“Hey, August. Here to do my dishes?” Severa said, dishing herself some pasta. August had a spare key, so he came in and out all the time without Severa caring much.

“It was to tell you what happened with Adams and my aunt, but apparently I'm also doing your dishes.” August shrugged and proceeded to do what was asked of him after grabbing the dishes from the hall. The air around the duo was serene with Severa eating at the table and August doing her dishes. He even began to hum a bit until Severa spoke up.

“So what happened with Joyce and Ms. Adams?”

August paused then chuckled at the thought. “Other than my aunt nearly bursting a blood vessel? Aunt Joyce decided to try and reason with Adams one more time, but like usual, Adams wasn't too willing to negotiate about the fuzzball. The old crone wouldn't believe that Prince was doing anything wrong, nor was she. It, allegedly, got loud in the hall; enough so, that some of the other floor residents came out to see what was going on. That's when one of the others spoke out to Adams this time. Aunt Joyce told me when the others spoke, Adams’ face went pale and the old hag couldn’t rebut anything. For a few seconds at least, then she started to bring up you .”

Severa stopped eating to give August her full attention, but she could already see where this was going. The first and only person to ever speak against Adams was Severa, herself, when she first moved in. Prince got into her apartment and went after Chester. It… was the reason she went and ferret-proofed her apartment in the first place.

“I don’t know where she was trying to go with it, but Aunt Joyce shut her down real quick. It was then she threatened Adams with eviction. Oh, did you know she’s a racist piece of shit?”

“Can’t say I’m surprised…” Severa returned to eating, swallowing her irritation down. The fact the old woman had the audacity to bring up her deceased companion really irked her. Like always though, she swallowed her emotions to save face. She didn’t want to deal with Adams. “So what did she say that makes you say that?”

“Well, more like species- ist ? ... Is that word? Whatever. She turned around on the monsters and even bitties saying ‘ if those animals can run without supervision, why can’t my darling Prince ?’.” August made a gagging sound at the ending of the quote causing a weird snort to spill from Severa. The sound surprised the two by their matching expression. After several seconds, August dropped the dish he was working on into the soapy water to grasp the edge of the sink, struggling with laughter to speak out. “W-What the hell was that sound, Sev?! Oh-Oh god!”

Severa, soon, was joining in the noise with her own laughter. “I don’t know!” The duo were laughing so much they failed to notice the appearance of two certain small bitties emerging from Severa’s bedroom.

August couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of Severa’s snort. Holy shit . He never would’ve thought when he first met her over 2 years ago, they would be in her apartment laughing at the ridiculous sounds she’d make from her nose. They were both dorks and he reveled in it. He took multiple deep breaths to calm down and noticed the duo standing nearby then waved at them, grinning.  “Hey you two-o…”

He watched the bitties slowly make their way across the small stretch of open area to the kitchenette of the apartment. Out of the corner of his eye, August noticed Severa turned around to look at the duo herself. He couldn’t see her face, but her posture seemed… stiff? He looked toward her for a better view, but saw nothing like before. Perhaps he was imagining it? He mentally shrugged it off and turned back to the bitties.

“Hey.” Severa’s greeting was pretty soft before she turned back to eating. August gazed at her for a bit before looking toward the bitties seeing them halted at the kitchen entrance. The bitties’ clothes were wrinkled and askew in some areas which August found funny. It reminded him of when Severa woke up after a double all nighter.

“Hello.” Pap greeted August and Severa with Blue being rather silent. August observed the duo for a bit. There was something off about them right now. He glanced between Severa eating and the bitties just stand- now, Pap was shuffling his feet and Blue had a grip on his bandanna. Was it just him or were all of them acting weird? His thoughts were cut short when he heard Severa begin to speak.

“What’s brown and sticky?”

August snorted. “What?”

“A stick.”

“You’re gonna start aren’t you?” August commented then shot the bitties an apologetic look. It seemed lost on them. On the times August visited them, they did tell him a few things, like the fact that Severa tells such horrible puns. Blue told him the puns made them feel conflicted. He wondered what the jokes were gonna do. Maybe she noticed their weird demeanor and decided to make jokes? The thought made August grin faintly.

“What do vegetarian zombies eat? Graaaains .”

August shook his head, letting the grin drop. He tossed a glance at the monsters seeing they had their attention solely on Severa. Oh?

“What do you call a fish with no eye?”

“I don’t know.” August answered, his attention remaining on the bitties. He wanted to watch their reactions. If they didn’t like puns then what about jokes? So far they seemed lukewarm about the humor.

“ Fsh .”

“The fu-” August snorted.

“LANGUAGE.” Blue warned, he even shot August a matching look. He thought the bitties weren’t paying attention to him though or maybe they are just keen on no swear words? August should ask Severa about it.

August rose his hand in a mock surrender to the bitty and shut his mouth. Severa seemed to finish her food and was placing it in the sink as she spoke again.

“Why did Sally fall off the swing?”

August was quick to look at Severa as he dropped his arms. He didn’t like where this one was going.

“She had no arms.”

“Severa.”

“Knock knock.” Did she just… ignore him?

August didn’t answer, but Pap did. “Who’s There?”

“Not Sally.” With that, August watched Severa leave the area to go to her room, mumbling about getting ready for work. … Her jokes got dark real quick. That wasn’t a good sign. The area around August was thrown into a hard silence. One he didn’t know how to break, but it looked like he didn’t have to.

“Human August…”

August returned his attention back to the bitties, moved closer to them and crouched down. “Yeah?”

“D-Did We Do Something?” Pap was the one to ask while Blue starred in the direction Severa left in.

August sighed at the question, but shook his head. “No, I think it’s from work. Her... jokes tend to get darker the more stressed she gets. It’s rare that it happens, but it does happen. She’s got to be pretty tired too. She’s been working a lot more than usual. All of it might be getting to her right now. It’s not your fault or anything, but… how about you give her a goodbye greeting? My aunt tells our residents when they leave to “have a safe trip”. Some always seemed cheerier when she told them. Why don’tcha try that?”

The bitties seemed to brighten at his explanation a bit and agree to the idea. The three stay there and talk until Severa returned.

“I’m leaving.” Severa stated dully, not bothering to look at any of them. She walked to the door, grabbed her tote bag after slipping on her shoes, but paused when she heard the bitties shout at her to have a safe trip like August suggested. August watched as she seemed to straightened, but said nothing. Next thing the young man knew, his friend was out the door. The confusion and concern he held for her was stronger than before. Something was wrong. August didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but could something have happened with…? He refused to finish the thought. No use going there yet. She was more than likely just tired. He was aware she mentioned not getting enough sleep lately, plus there were her added hours, so it had to be getting to his friend by now. August nodded to himself with that reasoning, but was soon snapped from his thoughts when he heard someone call for him.

“Human August.”

August snapped his attention to the voice, seeing it was Pap. The taller bitty was looking at him, sternly while Blue just gazed at the front door. August couldn’t pin down the baby blues expression.

Pap continued on when he obtained the human’s attention, “We Would Like To Ask You Something.”

August blinked. Now, what could that be about?

… Work. Need to go to work. Severa chanted mentally as she rushed down the stairs of her complex. Each of her steps were echoing throughout the large, empty stairwell. It was the only noise surrounding her, soon enough her chants synced with her steps. In a strange way, it was able to calm her down.

She was running away. She knew. She knew very well, but… the twisting sensation was getting stronger. She couldn’t stay there longer. She couldn’t. The young woman couldn’t understand anything at the moment. She didn’t want to either. She wanted to w o r k. W o rk. Yes… work. Severa had work.

Severa made it to the lobby and made quick steps to the bus stop to make the next one. They came at 15 minute intervals which was a step-up from when she was younger. The bus system became a main source of transportation after the monsters rose, so more stops were added over the years. It was upgraded over time and Severa was grateful it had. It was a 10 or 15 minute bus ride to the aquarium, normally and about half ‘n hour to her university during the school year. She could easily drive to both, but most of the time it wasn’t the brightest idea.

Severa was lost in thought when the bus came, only snapping out when the bus driver called to her. She nodded to the guy, quickly got on, then swiped her bus pass (when had she pulled that out?) and sat down. She tried to keep her thoughts down and just stared out the window until her stop. The twisting feeling in her gut as strong as ever. Why did she have to overreact over t h a t?

The sun shined bright, high in the late afternoon sky. The humidity was high, like usual, and Severa cursed the heavens as she made her way to the aquarium as soon as she got off the bus. She let out a sigh of relief as she entered the cool air of the building, but it didn’t last long. She checked the time on her phone as she sped to the employee locker room. She passed multiple people, from visitors to other co-workers, on her way, but she barely acknowledged them. The chattering around her seemed far away in her ears and it worsened as she got closer to her destination.

The locker room was empty, surprisingly. Severa took out her phone and checked to see who was on her shift with her. There was an app for the aquarium that Velma had developed about 2 years ago to make managing everyone easier. Employees could check out their schedules, others who were there as well, and multiple other things; but that wasn’t her main focus. She looked to see who shared her shift and when she did, she groaned out loud. She took a good long look around the room where she stood. There was no way it was empty.

“...Corrie.” Severa said, hoping she could get the younger one out of her hiding place. Corrie always pulled some sort of stunt, and normally Severa would be all for creating some fun with her trainee. Today was… not. Today was strange for Severa and she wasn’t in the mood for it. “Corrie, come out, seriously. It is not time for this.” Severa’s tone was hard, she knew, but she couldn’t bring herself to care when she noticed a shorter, bright eyed girl come out from under some of the seats. Oh, she was hiding under the seats this time. What was she planning before?

Corrie walked over to her trainer with her hands intertwined behind her. There was a hop to her step. “Fine…” Corrie seemed to examine Severa’s face before continuing. “What’s the matter? You aren’t the downer in this place, Ms. Sev. That’s our boss’ job.”

“I don’t have the energy to deal with everything today, Corrie. I’m sure what you planned would’ve been hilarious , but do it some other day. Alright?” Severa sighed as she walked over to her locker. She should get ready for her shift since Corrie already was.

“Sure!” Corrie chirped, happily. The younger girl was known to be easily agreeable which Severa silently thanked whoever for it. “But…”

Severa put her bag into her locker, not glancing at her trainee. Whatever energy she got from her nap was surely gone by now. Her over-thinking certainly made quick work of it. She felt tired again. She waited for Corrie to continue on, already guessing where it was going, but it never came. Severa finished getting ready as she shut the locker and turned to see Corrie just rocking on her heels. The girl was patiently waiting for Severa to finish with a smile on her face. Severa looked at her, confused, but didn’t dwell on it too much. They had work to do.

“Alright, so when are you getting off, Corrie?”

“Whenever you do. Boss told me to just follow you around today when I arrived earlier.”

Severa blinked, surprised. “... When did you get here?”

“Over an hour ago.”

“You’ve been here over an hour?”

“Yeah.” Corrie nodded. “Stuff happened, so I came here to not deal with it.” The trainee admitted looking away from the other woman with a distant expression.

Severa just stared at her co-worker in silence. They were on the same page with that then. Severa moved her gaze to the side thinking about her recent behavior. She wanted to cool down before returning home and it seemed Corrie was in a similar situation. Now, they don’t talk about personal issues to one another. They barely know each other, so Severa won’t push the subject. She will, however, use it to what she can. Distract each other from their problems for a short time. “... Hm. So, did boss happen to mention what she wanted us to do today?” Severa asked, deciding to direct the subject.

Corrie snapped her attention to Severa in mild-shock. If Severa had to guess, it was because Corrie might have expected Severa to try to dig at it. A moment later, Corrie seemed relaxed (even grateful?) and grinned at her trainer. “No, but she said she trusted her judgement.”

Severa made a noise in acknowledgement. So, Severa had the final say in what they were going to do, huh? While Corrie was her trainee, Corrie had several trainers throughout the week. Severa happened to be one of the night ones since it was easier to train new recruits at night when it was low on visitors. The aquarium had the occasional overnight stayers, especially during vacation times, but they were under the supervision of other employees. They shouldn’t get in the way much. “Who were you with last and what did you get done with them?” Severa asked as the duo exited the locker room.

“Talon and we didn’t do much. I just ended up watching them clean the tanks in the research area…” Corrie followed her trainer with a pout. She ended up running into Severa’s back when the older one stopped in her tracks.

“Why were you with Talon? Talon isn’t one of your trainers.” Severa turned her attention to Corrie looking for answers. Who didn’t do their damn job?

“Ms. Keri didn’t come in Wednesday morning like it was listed. I didn’t know what to do, so I just grabbed someone and asked to watch them.” Corrie told Severa who felt her eye twitch.

Keri. Of course it was Keri. “Why does she keep making my life difficult lately?”

Corrie grew confused and leaned her head to the side. Severa found the action rather cute and felt a surge of fondness, but didn’t dwell on it. God, this news just made her more tired. “What do you mean by that? Did Ms. Keri do something to you, Ms. Sev?”

Severa crossed her arms and shook her head. “I was here earlier as well, but it was because boss called me to cover for Keri again. Keri was supposed to come this morning, but called in sick.”

“... Again?”

“Corrie.” Severa looked at the other girl with a tired look. “You’ve been here long enough to know how bad Keri is.”

“... I thought those were just rumors. I had hoped they were.” Corrie admitted giving Severa a sad look. “You cover for Ms. Keri that much?”

“I do it enough that JayJ lectured me about my sleeping habits and Velma always apologizes for calling me in.” Severa returned to walking. “Come on, let’s go check the shark tanks. Maybe we can feed them.”

Corrie followed after her trainer in silence.

Hours passed with Severa trying to teach Corrie the ins and outs of the aquarium’s shark exhibits and quizzing Corrie on the girl’s marine knowledge. It was smooth sailing that Severa hadn’t thought about the bitties much. She was even able to laugh and feel a sense of relaxation. She still felt that feeling in the pit of her stomach, but it was easy to ignore. Her mind was much more at ease, so she was able to reason with herself. She just needed to be more careful with them.

Around 11 at night, the duo were in the break room eating some food that Talon had delivered earlier for the night people. Severa took the opportunity to ask her co-worker about them helping Corrie. They were just trying to be nice (which Severa suspected) when Keri hadn’t showed up to train Corrie that day. Talon mentioned they already spoke to the boss about Keri’s absence and Corrie’s impromptu observation time. Severa was always irritated by Keri. The older woman was always on Severa’s ass about something or another and managed to make her life difficult even when she wasn’t around. Her irritation with Keri was a growing issue, but a whole other issue that she pushed aside. She was good at pushing it aside.

Severa was drinking coffee, happily when she heard Corrie speak out.

“Ms. Sev, please be honest with me.”

Severa put down her mug, giving her attention to the trainee with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“Does Ms. Keri really do all those things? Like the skipping, showing up late, and slacking on her work?”

“Among other things, but yeah. For as long as I’ve worked here that’s all she’s known for.”

“Does boss know?”

“Very well.”

“Then why hasn’t she been fired? Does boss like her-” Corrie was cut off by Severa’s hand.

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Corrie. Velma can barely stand the banshee -”

“Banshee?”

“Keri, and would love nothing more than to fire her. The thing is… Keri is kind of untouchable.”

“I don’t understand.” Corrie grew confused.

Severa expected that. Not many know about the barriers that surround Keri Bateson and she contemplated on how to explain it to the younger one. “Okay, Keri is from the Bateson family. They are a decently well-known family, but they give the aquarium a good sum of money each year in donations. Those funds are normally put toward outside research.”

“Oh, doesn’t boss rely heavily on the donations to fund the outside research? That’s what makes her untouchable?”

“If only it was that simple… while yeah, boss is worried they would take away the funding, she’s still resourceful and could easily find other ways to grab the cash for that. This is gonna sound crude, but Keri kisses the higher ups’ asses. They like her, Corrie. They only have good things to say about the banshee.” Severa sighed and took another drink of her coffee, letting the hot liquid slide down her throat. “Basically, if she were fired, she could go complain and get our boss fired.”

"She could do that?!” Corrie shouted in shock and gave a strangled noise when Severa nodded in response. The piece of information clearly upset the girl. “That’s not fair!”

“Don’t you think we know that, Corrie?”

“Is that why you put up with her?!”

Severa gave a shrug, but she could feel her grudge against Keri growing with each passing second.“I don’t have much of a choice here.”

“It’s still not fair.”

“Life’s not fair.”

“I meant toward you!” Corrie pointed to Severa who furrowed her brows in surprise. Corrie continued on. “If all of that is true then I know she’s done things to you personally. I heard about how she got you suspended from work for two weeks for her mistake !”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I was with several of the new recruits during lunch one time and we ended up talking about various things. Liam let that piece of gossip slip out during the conversation. None of us really believed it, but now… did she really do that?”

Severa took a sip of her coffee once again,her eyes closing as she processed the information. It had been a few years since that incident happened; more precisely it occurred during Sev’s freshman year of college. It was the first time anything had happened of such magnitude. It was also the first time Severa remembered she verbally lashed out at Velma. ‘Unfair’, Corrie had said. Of course, it was unfair. It was downright unjust. Severa remembered that day vividly and boy, did it cause another feeling to boil in her. The young woman ignored the rising sensation to focus her attention on her trainee.

“... She did.” Severa watched as several emotions passed over Corrie’s face until it settled on one- sadness. “Any other questions?”

“Will you tell me what happened?” Corrie’s voice was small.

Severa exhaled slowly. “The short version is I got blamed for her mistake. A rather large mistake, I might add, and it got me suspended, without pay, for two weeks. You know all those hoops we have to go through when changing orders or really changing anything ?”

Corrie nodded.

“Those were put up after the incident. It might be a pain, but it's to make sure no one suffers the bullshit I got put through. Thankfully, it’s worked so far…” Severa explained, but she stared at the table thinking about earlier events. Someone did change the shipments without writing who they were and it was worrisome. Did Keri figure out a way around it? No, she couldn’t have. At least, Severa hoped so. She snapped her attention back to Corrie when the other groaned.

“That’s her fault? They are so annoying!”

Severa chuckled at the girl’s dismay and threw back the rest of her drink.

Corrie shook her head in frustration before her expression changed. What was that about? “Oh! I just remembered, what is this thing about Chester and aquarium windows?”

Severa had to turn her head quickly so she didn’t spray Corrie with coffee, then nearly fell from her chair as laughter erupted from her throat. She had to ask that. That is a way to change the topic.

“He didn’t!”

“He did! All the time!”

Severa and Corrie were walking toward the seahorse exhibits. During Severa’s spit-take (Corrie was never going to let her live that down), they received a call for any able body to go check on the seahorses. Corrie had to respond to the call over Severa’s walkie-talkie since the latter was… busy. It took a bit for Severa to calm down and even then, it would start back up when she caught a look of Corrie’s face. It was a cycle that Corrie had learned to deal with early on, so all she did was grab her trainer and walk to their next task. Severa was able to calm down at some point and answer Corrie’s earlier question.

“I swear if there was one thing that boy liked more than me, it was his own reflection.” Severa had her arm around her stomach as she laughed at her memories. “Chester loved his reflection. When I brought him to work, he would see his reflection constantly in the tanks’ glass, so he would just start whistling to himself and say “Pretty bird~”. I mean, he was, but I had such an egotistical bird!”

“You just said he was a pretty bird, so his behavior is understandable!” Corrie argued, but grinning ear to ear from the story. “I kinda want to meet him…”

Severa’s laughter soften until it melted into a saddened smile. “He was hilarious… but there was no guarantee he would like you.”

"Whaat? Why not? I’m likable!” Corrie argued once again, looking offended. Severa could tell the expression was fake.

“Chester was picky. He had a type and if you didn’t fit in with that type you were screwed.” Severa thought on her bird’s behavior for a bit before pressing on. She had noticed Corrie just looked confused by her statement. “He absolutely detested most males and tolerated females. Don’t give me that look, it’s not my fault he was like that.”

“They say pets take after their owners~”

Severa laughed at the statement, but shook her head. “You can blame his previous owner then. I housed him in his later life, Corrie.”

“Previous owner? Wait, how did Chester die anyway?”

“Old age.”

“Wasn’t he a cockatoo? Don’t they live to be like… old?”

“Yes, some species of cockatoos can, but Chester was a blue-eyed cockatoo. They live to about 40 years of age in captivity, but normally live between 50 to 60 in the wild. Chester was 46, so I think he lived decently.”

“You say it so warmly. You really liked your bird.”

“...Yeah, I do.” Severa couldn’t stop the nostalgic smile taking over her expression. She let out a deep breath and the conversation paused as the duo came to the entrance of the seahorse exhibits. Severa switched gears to focus on the task at hand. Corrie followed her lead and soon enough the previous conversation was forgotten as the duo did their job.

Time slipped away from Severa as she enjoyed her time with the seahorses and showing Corrie the way around the exhibit. Corrie’s knowledge was surprisingly limited when it came to these underwater creatures except that they were hard to keep in captivity because seahorses were known to be incredibly sensitive. That started a whole new conversation between Severa and Corrie that carried until they were finished with the uptake of the exhibit.

“So is there a reason why the males give birth and not the females?”

“I don’t believe there is a solid reason discovered yet? I do know of some theori-”

“What are they?”

Severa laughed clearly amused by the girl’s eagerness and responded. “For their survival or to share the load of the birth.”

Corrie stared at the trainer as Severa watched the girl’s eyes squint in utter confusion which caused Severa to snort. “What does that mean?” Corrie finally asked.

Severa took a breath before responding, trying to find a way to explain it. “Okay, for the survival theory, it’s more of “more babies” equals “more chance of survival”. The male takes the eggs to hatch, so the female can have more time to make new ones and they can repeat the process sooner.” Severa paused to let Corrie grasp the explanation before moving on. She only did so when Corrie nodded for her to continue. “And to share the load is… exactly that. It takes a female seahorse immense amounts of energy to create the eggs and give them nutrients to let them mature. It takes a load off the father when she does that since all he has to do is house them and give them a safe and controlled environment to grow. They share the load of children, but there’s also the fact that when the seahorses are born they are on their own.”

Corrie nodded and let the new information sink in. “That’s really interesting…are those the only theories?”

“The only ones I’m aware of, but if you’re still curious go do research for yourself. Perhaps you’ll find something new to teach me.” Severa smiled warmly at her trainee who returned it, proudly. Corrie rocked back and forth on her feet as she spoke out. “Hey, what time is it?”

Severa proceeded to pull out her phone and checked the time. Corrie was forced to leave her cell in her locker most days since the girl had a slight tendency to get engulfed in her phone games. Severa had to stop herself from nearly dropping the device. “Nearly 2… shift’s over.”

“Oh...” Corrie didn’t sound too happy by the news, but spoke again with her usual chipper tone. “Any other interesting tidbits about Chester worth sharing~?”

“At random times he would burst into song.” Severa replied almost instantly. This seemed to startle Corrie since she made a confused noise. Severa and Corrie decided to return to the locker room since it was nearly time to clock out, while Severa continued to explain her bird’s strange behavior. Severa told the girl the bird had picked up singing from his previous owner and said owner was known to sing rock songs constantly. Chester would just repeat what he’s heard from his owner and copy his owner’s habits. Birds were known to do this. Severa revealed his favorite song to sing wasn’t really a song, but a line -  ‘Let the bodies hit the floor’ which was from an alternative metal song called Bodies by Drowning Pool.

Corrie began laughing when Severa told her the story about how once Chester straight up screamed the line. It sounded like nails on chalkboard. The bird might’ve been blessed in looks, but he sure as hell wasn’t in his vocals. The good atmosphere around the duo lasted until they went separate ways after clocking out. Severa didn’t want it to end.

Severa made it home with ease, but the nagging feeling was still there. As she got closer to her apartment the feeling she’d been ignoring was slowly making its presence known. It refused to be ignored by the young adult any longer, but Severa… didn’t feel as bad as before. The entire way home she was lost in thought about how to go about her.. problem(?). Should she tell them her bedroom is off limits? No , she couldn’t come up with a good reason for that. Talk to them about it? … Ha, funny . She could- perhaps- wait. It can wait.

Severa sighed as she dug out the keys from her bag and silently made her way inside. It was late. She was tired. All this could wait some more. She shut the door as quietly as she could and locked it before turning around. Her apartment was dark and still. From her view at the door, the street lights below were shining through the window, giving the area an otherworldly feel. The shadows from her furniture seemed to stretch great lengths down the flooring as if to reach out.

Most would find the scene off-putting, but Severa always found it soothing; similar to the sensation she got around the aquarium. Her mind might be filling with its own worries and woes, but these feelings all seemed far away as she stood there. She let out a soft sigh before moving and placing her tote in the usual place. She took off her shoes,placed them on one of the table’s chairs, and proceeded to the living room. She noticed the plush fort remained on her couch and hoped to find the bitties in it. She knew she wouldn’t be sleeping if they weren’t.

She was able to smile softly in relief at the sight before her. Pap and Blue were sound asleep snuggled against… her shark plush? Severa moved a bit closer and saw it was one of her stuffed animals. More so, it was one of her favorite ones of the collection. A plush shark she’d had for so long it’s once light grey material turned darker in color. Even the white under-belly was darkened from age and the structure showed more than a few patch jobs along its seams. It was a true icon of a well-used beloved stuff animal. How did they get that? Severa’s first instinct is to just take it from them, but if she did, she would no doubt wake them. The toy was set on its stomach, fins spread out with each bitty using it as a blanket of sorts as they clutched the thing pressing themselves against it.

Eventually, Severa conceded and let the bitties keep it. She had a feeling August had something to do with it, but why would he give them her plush toy? How did he even find it? There were too many questions for Severa to answer in a short time. It could wait. She was tired. So without another thought, she went to her room to get ready for bed. After changing into something comfortable, she slipped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash off her make-up. She was never one for cosmetics, but Severa would admit she liked concealer for her dark circles. It stopped people’s random comments and inquiries about her sleep schedule. News flash - she didn’t have one. She finished washing her face when she noticed the orange bottle resting near the sink. Right. Medication. It’d been a while since she took it. She grabbed the bottle and took a pill from the bottle and washed it down with water using her hands as a makeshift cup. After, she went to bed and soon fell into a restful sleep.

Severa slowly opened her eyes due to the light shining through the window in her bedroom. She rolled over to crush her face into one of the pillows trying to block out the sun and groaned loudly. She didn’t wanna get up. She never wanted to get up though. She jerked, however, when she heard a voice call out.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN SEVERA?”

Oh, right… the bitties. Severa grumbled a bit, but decided the best course of action was to just get up. So, of course, she just laid there in silence. She only moved when she felt the side of the bed sink in. Someone was on her bed. It was only a moment before she figured out who.

“Miss Severa, Are You Alright?” Blue asked with clear concern dripping from his tone. Severa only nodded before turning her head to look at the baby blue who was now standing next to her head. His face matched his voice.

“It’s just.. Morning. What’s up?”

“What’s... Up ..?” Blue blinked confused before turning his eyelights upward. “... The Ceiling?”

It went silent for a few moments as Severa just stared at the bitty. Blue returned the stare until it’s cut when Severa shoved her head back into the pillow and laughter is heard.

“What??” Blue questioned in alarm. “Why Are You Laughing??”

Severa just laughed harder, but had to move her head causing her voice to echo through the room. It caught Pap’s attention and he spoke out, inquiring about Severa’s laughter. This began a back and forth between the bitties, full of confusion and worry. It isn’t until Severa’s laughter finally faded that she moved to sit up with a grin. Her movements stopped the duo’s conversation and she spoke.

“You are too funny sometimes, Blue.”

Blue’s skull flushed at the comment and he returned Severa’s grin. “Thank You?? You Are Alright Then?”

“Yeah.” Severa answered. She did a few stretches as she sat in bed before rephrasing her question to the bitty. “What are you and Pap up to this morning?”

Blue observed her actions while he replied that Pap and him were watching the television. Severa gave him a confused look that had the bitty launching into his entire day yesterday. During the exchange, Pap made his way into the room somehow and onto Severa’s bed. She didn’t notice until he spoke out to add things to Blue’s explanation. It was then that Severa felt a sudden urge to get up, so she did and asked the boys to return back to the living room while she got ready. She would listen to the rest in a bit. The bitties did as they were ask apparently since all Severa did was turn slightly and next thing, they were gone from the room. That puzzled her. How did they move so quick? She should ask them.

She pushed the thought aside and got ready for the day. She had stuff to do before heading to her work shift at 1. Oh, she also had to tell the bitties about that. She should also tell them her plans for Saturday, so they aren’t spooked when Avery and the firefly arrive. While she thought, Severa moved to her dresser to pull out an outfit to wear.

Severa had a wide variety of clothing because Abigail made sure of it when she dragged Severa shopping with her. Severa never minded since she enjoyed spending time with her friend, but spending passing hours just running from store to store wore her down. Abby always had tricks for getting her way; she knew how Severa worked. Severa always endured the event in silence… mostly. The thing was Severa also knew how Abigail worked and would grab certain clothing just to get a reaction from the brunette. Nonetheless, Severa always liked the things she would pick out for herself and got them much to her friend’s dismay, but Severa knew Abby wouldn’t do anything about it.

Severa finally picked out an outfit she liked that would also be fine in the high temperatures. It was a simple white undershirt matched with a grey tank top that had ‘my blood type is coffee’ written across it and a pair of black shorts. She would wear her black boots and a new pair of white socks. She needed to do laundry at some point too. Perhaps after work? She wasn’t scheduled to there for long today. She moved to the bathroom to take a quick shower and toss on her outfit afterward.

When she was finally ready, Severa walked to the living room to see if the bitties were there. They were leaning over the fort staring at the television that was showing an animation of sorts. Severa knew she wasn’t familiar with it, but it certainly held the small monsters’ attention well. She let them watch it deciding to make breakfast when she realised she didn’t have her phone. She returned to her bedroom and grabbed it off the charger, checking the time in the process. The time showed nearly 9 AM which surprised Severa. She thought she wasn’t gonna wake up until 10 at the earliest and have to rush to work. She’s had to do that before… she remembered the earful from Velma vividly. She returned to the kitchen and went to rummage around.

The noise she made seemed to alert the bitties of her presence and she heard Pap call out to her. She continued her actions, but made a noise of acknowledgement to them.

“What Is This?”

Severa turned her attention to the bitties then noticed Pap pointing to the television. She moved toward them while looking at the electronic. She guessed he was referring to the show. If that was true, she couldn’t give much of an answer for it. What she saw was a girl on screen in a frilly pink outfit. Why did she have a wand? And were those cat ears? Oh, wait. “... This is some sort of anime, isn’t it?”

“Anime? What Is Anime?” Pap looked to Severa in question. Blue continued to stare at the screen in confusion.

“Something Abby would know.”

“So We Should Ask The Abby Of Showbiz Expertise?” Pap asked and grinned when Severa nodded in response. “I See! This Abby Is Also An Anime Expertise Too!”

Severa just grinned and told the bitty, “The proper term is weeaboo.” She returned to the kitchen as she heard Pap thank her for the information. She had her back to them, but she could feel the grin pull at the ends of her mouth. Oh, Abby was going to be mad , but it was so worth it. After rummage for a bit longer, Severa found instant cinnamon rolls in the freezer with a note attached that had 'You have nothing'.

It was August’s handwriting. Severa laughed at the note and decided to make the cinnamon rolls and invite August up for breakfast with her and the bitties.

While Severa got breakfast ready, the bitties were now concentrating on her rather than the show. It wasn’t unsurprising because the anime(?) was strange and they most likely lost interest in it from being introduced in the middle of the season. They didn’t know the plot line(if it even had one). Besides, Severa had an inkling that Pap and Blue might be interested in cooking. Time passed in mostly silence, except for the background noise, and Severa was presently putting the cinnamon rolls into the oven to cook. At one point, she had to pry the cinnamon rolls out of the tube since the seal hadn’t broken when she removed its paper cover. When it popped, it startled her, but she hoped the bitties hadn’t heard. Once they were in the oven, Severa turned around and ended up jumping a bit from surprise. The duo were now sitting on the table watching her. Okay, that was it . How did they get up there?

“How?” Severa spoke out.

The bitties looked at one another with Blue shrugging. They were both confused. Pap asked Severa what she meant.

“The moving- How did you get on the table before? And now ? And just a moment ago, my bed! How do you get from one place to another so quickly when you two are so… small?!”

“Oh! Um- Just-” Blue looked lost at how to explain it then gets an idea, if his bright expression is anything to go by. “How About We Show You?”

The girl blinked then nodded in agreement which caused the bitties to get excited. It made her more curious.

Now, Severa’s understanding of magic is limited except for the basics that are given out in schools now a days and when the monsters first resurfaced. Monsters are made from magic and use it in battle. Each monster has a different soul color of 7 colors possible… she thought and each color has different effects. Anything past that, Severa doesn’t know of, so when Blue suddenly vanished in a flash of dark blue to reappear on her counter Severa had to hold back a noise. She was in shock for a few moments until she was able to speak.

“You can teleport?!” she nearly screamed anyway.

Blue grinned with a flush to his cheekbones in pride.

“Human Severa!” Pap called out making Severa look back to the table to see what he wanted. She found him gone; nearly screaming internally, she heard a ‘Up Here!’, so she looked and this time did scream in surprise. Pap’s body was surrounded by a dark blue color and floating in the air.

“Oh… my god, you two…” Severa covered her mouth in amazement, but worry etched into her expression. “Are you alright up there, Pap?”

“Nyeheheheh! Of Course! I Do This All The Time!” The pride was oozing from Pap’s tone, but also was able to reassure Severa. These two never ceased to amaze her.

“... So that’s how you two got around.” Severa looked between Bue on the counter and Pap levitating in the air. “I didn’t know bitties could that.”

“There Were Some Who Could And Others Could Not.” Blue answered. “We Are Amazing, Right?!”

Severa laughed softly, letting her hand drop. “Definitely. You two are.” Severa thought for a moment before asking. “Is that how you got the books down?” Severa watched as Pap eased back down to the table and Blue flashed back from the counter.

“We Just Used Our Magic To Get Them Down, Though Blue Did Go Up and Check What The Inside Looked Like Beforehand!” The Pappy explained. Then his demeanor dropped. “Was... That Alright?”

“What? The books?” Pap nodded in response.

“Oh yeah, it’s cool. You make less of a mess than my sister does when she’s over.”

“Luce!”

Severa giggled. “Her name’s actually Lucia, but I call her Luce.”

Blue and Pap nodded at the new info. Then ask a question that unnerved her. “Does She Enjoy Wordplay Like You?”

Severa blinked owlishly. How did… they know that? Did they guess? She opened her mouth to respond when the timer went off from the stove, startling the three of them. Severa went over to the oven and checked the cinnamon rolls after silencing the blasting alarm. She decided they were done and pulled them out after searching for an oven mitt. She then got to work dressing the treat with the icing and the smell of it overtook the area making Severa’s mouth water. Ah, she loved cinnamon rolls. There wasn’t a lot of food she didn’t like now she thought about it. Severa shrugged off the thought and focused back on the food, proceeding to tell the small skeletons it needed to cool for a bit.

She moved to lean against the counter while shooting a text to August telling him there was free food if he wanted it. She returned her phone to her pocket and remembered the question from the bitties. She sighed internally, but gave them her attention along with a nod. “Yeah, She does.”

The bitties grew visibly happier with her answer and Pap opened his mouth, but Severa cut him off.

“I have work again today.” Severa watched their expression falter.

“Again? How Often Do You Work?”

“My schedule right now is Tuesday through Saturday, technically.” The bitties looked lost and Severa understood pretty quickly they didn’t understand what she meant. She pulled out her phone and opened the calendar app. She knew just what to do to fix their confusion.

“There are 7 days in a week- each day has a name that starts with Sunday.” she pointed to the SU on the calendar to show the bitties. “And the rest go Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and finally, Saturday. The week begins a new on Sunday.”

Blue placed his hands on his hips. “Alright! That Makes Sense!”

“One Question!” Pap asked with his hand raised.

“Shoot.”

“What Is A ‘Week’?”

Severa snorted then went on to explain what a week was, which turned into a basic time lesson of how to read a clock, what the month was and were, and various other things related. During the discussion, Severa served herself and the bitties their breakfast. The bitties did manage to make a mess of it, but were engrossed with learning just as much as eating. Severa felt a kind of warmth she hadn’t in a while, it reminded her of when she helped Lucia with her school work years ago. “Do you guys get it now?”

“Yes!” the duo said in unison.

Severa smiled and finished off her roll before she spoke. “Cool, but back to before, I won’t be gone long today for that at least.”

“What Do You Mean?”

“I need to go grocery shopping today before work.”

“Can We Go With You?!” Not a second short, but before Severa could reply the door opened.

It was August and he slid right in without a care, but he did call out. “Go where?”

“Shopping with Severa!”

“Oh?” August grinned in amusement while he made his way to the cinnamon rolls to get himself some. “That’s a good idea.”

Severa sent August a look that he returned with one of his own. His grin was gone though and Severa knew what it meant. She searched his face just to groan out loud. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Nope.” August shook his head and took a bite of the treat. He made a noise of enjoyment then moved to sit down at the table, grabbing Severa’s old plate to use. Severa dropped her head on the table after he did so.

“What Is Wrong?”

August answered the bitties when his mouth was empty. “The furry bastard got out again, so it’d be unsafe for you two to stay here alone. Who knows what he’d do.”

The bitties grew stiff at the news and Pap looked to Severa for confirmation, but Severa turned her head away. It was all they needed to know apparently as Severa heard shuffling and she moved her head a bit to see the bitties moving closer to her. She ignored the uneasy feeling bubbling in her stomach reasoning with herself they were rightfully worried (possibly terrified) of the ferret news. So it looked like she was taking them with her after all.

It was about 10 when Severa was out the door with the bitties in the same tote they first came in, waiting to cross the street. After some more talking with August, Severa decided the bitties needed a change of clothes. So after breakfast, she got it for them and while they got changed, she grabbed her tote to check its contents. She wanted to make sure she had everything in there because once she left her wallet back home and only realised after she was at the store. Never again.

She put on her shoes after she found everything in place just in time to hear  August whistle. He also complimented the bitties. She looked toward the trio and smiled. Pap and Blue did look good. They were wearing the firefly’s custom made clothing and not one of their own, so Severa could agree they looked sharp, but something about it just seemed… off.

Pap was wearing a light red turtleneck and a pair of black dress pants that were a little too short on the legs, but he was able to cover his boney feet with black socks. Pap was also sporting his scarf with pride. Blue on the other hand was in clothing too big , obviously by the dark blue shirt showing his collarbones. He hide those with his bandanna easily, but what wasn’t easy were the pants. They were just too big. Severa found it funny. He had a pair of grey socks under them, but it didn’t matter much because the pants definitely covered his feet. Severa observed the only part of those outfits that fit the bitties were their signature items around their necks - Pap’s scarf and Blue’s bandanna.

After that, they both decided to go into her tote and out the door they went with August in tow which led to where they were now - standing at a crosswalk.

Severa’s bag was opened, so the bitties could poke their heads out whenever or to simply communicate with Severa. While August had suggested riding on her shoulders, Severa shut that idea down real quick. It was too dangerous for them to do that. Blue and Pap seemed shaky on the idea as well, so tote bag it was. “Are you guys okay in there?” Severa asked softly. She heard a confirmation come from the bag just as the light changed to walk. The entire way to the garage was pretty silent, but it wasn’t a long one thankfully. The parking garage for the complex was directly across from said complex, so it was pretty easy to get to if you jaywalked, but Severa didn’t want to die.

She walked across the street listening to the hustle and bustle of the area around them. They were in the downtown area, so it was pretty busy and noisy. The way to her car was interesting in a way. The bitties would peak out from time to time examining their surroundings then retreating back into Severa’s tote to ask questions about everything from the echoes bouncing all over the parking garage to the smells and sounds outside. Severa found it amusing and endearing that they were so curious about everything and answered the questions she could.

“SO A CAR IS JUST A THING TO MOVE AROUND WITH?” Blue summarized.

Pap and him were looking around the area. Severa had entered the garage and was making her way inside. It appeared they were using their normal volumes right now. It made sense since the three of them were outside.

“Basically.”

“AND WE GET TO RIDE IN ONE?”

“Yep, as soon as I find it.”

“....FIND IT?”

Severa didn’t answer the bitty as she took out her car keys, making her way up a flight of stairs. Her car was on the second floor of the garage like many other residents’ were. Her steps were echoing off the walls with each movement on the concrete and other voices were drifting in the air from the upper floors of the stairwell. She pushed the metal door open when she arrived at the 2nd floor door and made sure her tote bag was out of the way to keep the bitties safe. She had to be careful since they weren’t that protected in her bag.

Once she made it on the second floor, she pressed a button on her keys that made her car light up and make a noise. She grinned and made her way over to the vehicle. Severa’s car was one of medium-sized with a blue finish to its body and black leather seating. It is big enough to fit five people comfortably and had a decent size trunk even if it had the stuff packed in that her parents insisted she kept in there. She did a quick scan of the car to see if it had any new dents or nicks which there were not, but some of the tires were low. She might need to put air in them while she was out if she remembered. She shrugged and got inside the car and placed her tote on the passenger seat, telling the bitties they were more than welcome to get out and stare out the window. The bitties did just that and the entire ride was the bitties commentary on the surroundings. It just as interesting as the walk to the garage. Perhaps even more so...

The small journey around the grocery store would be the same if not for the fact that the bitties seemed… persistent in staying in Severa’s bag and out of sight of the other customers. Severa didn’t blame them though since as soon as Blue and Pap popped their heads out, they were spotted by a small child who practically screamed when she saw them. They were tugging at their parent to “look at the bitties! I wanna see the bitties!” and Severa left before the parent could react. It only got worse as more people would glance at them or out right stare at the duo in a variety of good and bad ways. Yeah, Severa didn’t blame them for hiding.

It was like that for most of the trip until Severa got to the cereal. She was too short to reach her favorite brand. “Well, crap…”

“What Is Wrong, Severa?” Blue whispered from the bag. A while ago, the duo realized they could speak with Severa as long as they were quiet. That was difficult for them, but they were managing quite well.

“I can’t reach something.”

“What?” Blue asked popping his head up from the bag to see what was causing trouble for the human.

Severa pointed to a large white box on the top shelf. “It’s the white one on the top shelf. I’m too shor-” Before Severa could finish, Blue teleported up to the top shelf next to the box.

“This One?”

Severa blinked several times in surprise then nodded. Blue pushed the box down and was thanked by Severa, causing him to flush. It caught the attention of Pap who requested he got to help next. That’s how the bitties began helping Severa do her shopping by getting things from high shelves for her. Pap had just gotten a few cans of mushroom for Severa. She was scrolling through her phone and mentioning how she should look at the eggs next when Pap made a small noise.

“Oh, bitties ! How cute!”

Severa’s head snapped in the direction of the new voice seeing a middle age woman standing nearby gazing into the cart- staring at Pap and Blue. Oh, Pap must’ve got back into the bag. Blue probably helped him. She’d seen them work together before. Severa shot them a quick glance and noticed how stiff they turned by the strange woman’s appearance. Blue’s eyelights were nearly gone and Pap seemed to shrink in place. Oh no. “... Can I help you?” Severa shot to the woman trying to get her attention off the bitties.

The woman smiled at the bitties and cooed at them before turning to Severa. “Actually yes! I’ve been thinking about getting one~”

“Ma’am, I-” Severa was cut off by the woman continuing on.

“Tell me all about them, please. How well behaved are they?”

“Well they-”

“I have two boys you know, dear. They are enough of a handful, if I have to watch another one I might just snap! Oh, and what about messes? Can they be trained?”

“What-”

“I can’t have a messy bitty. I hate messes, deary. Just hate them! I have to clean up after my own two boys enough.”

“I didn’t ask-”

“Wasn’t there a bitty type that is known to be destructive? No, no, no! That won’t do at all. I-”

“Ma’am!” Severa finally cuts her off, making the woman frown.

“It is rude to interrupt someone, dear.”

Severa swallowed her irritation, choosing to ignore her hypocrisy, and addressed the woman. “I am not familiar with bitties, ma’am. It would be best to ask these questions to someone who knows more about them like Mama Cry at her adoption center. I’m positive she could help you find the right bitty for your family.”

The woman sighed heavily. “They will just say anything to sell their pets, deary. I feel better hearing from actu-”

Whatever else the woman said, Severa couldn’t hear. She stared at the woman with an unreadable expression. “They are not pets, ma’am.”

“Pardon?”

“The bitties. They are not pets.”

The older woman scoffed and waved Severa off while retorting. “Oh, deary. It seems to me you’ve been reading too many of those self-proclaimed ‘activists’ articles. Let me explain something to you.”

Severa certainly didn’t want to listen. So she didn’t. She moved to grab the cart and push it away, but she hadn’t gotten very far when she felt someone grab her shoulder, yanking her back.

“Excuse me! I am trying to speak with you, young lady, and you are being rather rude.”

Severa exhaled slowly, but decided not to say anything. She, instead, simply shook the woman off and tried to turn away once more. The woman was not having it when she grabbed hold of Severa’s cart, stopping it in its tracks.

“You are so rude! Deary, you shouldn’t have-”

“YOU ARE THE RUDE ONE, HUMAN!” a voice blasted out from the upper basket of the cart. The two women looked into the cart to see Blue and Pap staring at the woman. Blue’s arms crossed across his ribs and he had his sockets narrowed toward the other woman. Pap was leaning forward with his hands on his hip bones staring at the other human sternly. They both were visibly upset.

“OTHER HUMAN, I INSIST YOU BE NICER TO THE HUMAN SEVERA! SHE IS VERY NICE AND HELPFUL!” Pap added on to Blue’s original comment with a hint of something Severa couldn’t tell. Was it pride? Pride for what though?

The woman turned to Severa with a disapproving look in her eye. Oh no . “You are not a very good owner, deary…”

Severa’s face turned hard as she began to grow irritated with the other. “Ma’am,” Severa began, trying to keep her cool. “I am not their owner. Please leave me alone.”

“... Then why do you have them, young lady?”

Severa had a strong desire to punch this woman in the face. How dare she insinuate something! Severa would never do anything to any bitties. Severa didn’t know what kind of expression she had on her face, but whatever it was the woman seemed to think it was best to continue speaking.

“It might be best if I -”

“Do not touch them.” Severa suddenly snapped at the woman. She knew now what type of expression she had, one she rarely had on her face. “They are with me on their own accord. Blue and Pap chose to come along like the intelligent small monsters they are. I say again, they are not pets, ma’am. Each have their own thoughts and feelings. So now, for the final time, please leave me alone.” Severa didn’t let the woman get another word in as she brushed her hand off the cart then push it away with a huff. “...Now what was I going to get again?”

“...Eggs.”

“Oh, right. Thanks, Pap.” Severa missed the looks of pure amazement on the bitties as she returned to her grocery shopping. Nothing else occurred during the trip, so Severa was able to finish her shopping without another hitch, except Blue and Pap seemed even more “helpful” at every turn, which confused Severa. She really didn’t need help grabbing bread or opening the doors in the refrigerated section of the store. She shrugged it off and soon enough, they were all back in the apartment with bags everywhere.

Severa was currently trying to put things away with Blue and Pap watching her from the table. They would pick things up and give them to her. They were trying to help which Severa thought was cute. It made her smile and she thanked them for their assistance. Blue’s eyelights turned into stars again while the young woman noticed Pap’s seemed to straighten in stature. Also, the bitties flushed a deep color similar to their magic. How does that work anyway? Ah, she was gaining more question she doubted she’d ever get answers to. She then remembered she could always ask Avery about it since Avery had the firefly. Oh wait, Avery was coming by tomorrow. Did she tell the bitties?

“Did I tell you guys my friend Avery is coming over tomorrow?”

The bitties looked over at her. Pap was the one who shook his head. “No. Are They Nice?”

Severa laughed at his question, nodded and sat down at the table. She placed her arms on it to speak with the bitties. “I think she bleeds kindness sometimes. She’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. She’s the one with the firefly.”

“Who Is That?”

“Who?”

“The Firefly!” Blue retorted getting closer to Severa. Was it just her or was he rather eager for this answer?

Wasn’t it obvious? “He’s a bitty.”

“...WHAT?!”

They wouldn’t believe her. For some reason the bitties wouldn’t believe Severa that the firefly was a bitty even after she explained multiple times that he was .

“Why it is to hard to believe?”

Blue and Pap held expressions that Severa couldn’t nail down, but it was obvious the bitties were having a difficult time accepting the truth. For what reason, she didn’t know and couldn’t understand. It was another bitty. Shouldn’t they be excited? Then it struck her. Were they worried?

“... He is like his owner, guys. Serafino is nice and patient even if he’s a little on the quiet side.” Severa moved her head down to be eye level with the small creatures and gave them what she thought was a reassuring smile.

The bitties shared a look. “...Serafino?”

“His actual name.”

Severa’s smile fell as she looked at the bitties’ dejected looks. What was wrong with them? She opened her mouth to ask, but shut her mouth. She shouldn’t press it. If they really wanted to tell her, they would.

After that, the rest of the time Severa had before her shift was uneventful. Dare she say, it was… boring . The bitties went back to the television, but seemed less focused than they normally were. Severa did things around the apartment she wanted to get done before she had to leave for her shift. Maybe when she got back things would be different?

Nope .

After she returned from her usual busy shift, the bitties were even more silent than earlier. Severa ended up texting August about it and his only response was confusion as well. He was of no help, but Severa couldn’t blame him. It’s not like… she really knew the duo. She barely knew anything about them. What they liked and disliked; what they would enjoy or find boring, etc. It was all a mystery to the young woman.

She glanced over at them in the blanket fort while she folded her newly washed clothes. Severa felt the warmth radiating from them as she handled each piece of clothing. Since Prince was still at large, she had to be smart about doing the laundry. So naturally, she had August come up and sit with the bitties while she left to go do her laundry in the complex laundromat downstairs accessible from the lobby. She spend the entire time fussing over the bitties and her own feelings in inner turmoil. She was still tired and… upset over everything . Severa understood that very well, but what could she do about it other than swallow it like always? She just ended up sighing and trying to sort everything, which she failed at.

When she came through the door after finishing her laundry, August asked if something had happened. They just sat in the fort and… spoke amongst themselves the entire time she was gone. The only thing August noticed was the sad look they sent toward the door a few times. That piece of information worried Severa. Why would they do that…? Are they planning on leaving? If they are… she wished they would speak with her before doing so.

Severa sighed, silently and continued her task. Nothing she could do about it though, right? … Right?

Chapter Text

Severa laid in her bed with her phone held above her face as she scrolled through her social media. She had several of them, but most went unused for days on end. She mostly went on them out of boredom or to check on friends regularly and old acquaintances periodically. She had opened InstaShare to see any updates from Abigail. Her friend was always using the app more than any other since it gave her the ability to show off more of her fashion designs. Severa recalled Abby telling her she had a decent following as of late, which made Severa pleased for her friend. Her friend deserved everything she’d achieved so far. Severa hoped she would continue to steadily grow from this point on. As she rolled through her feed, she saw mostly photos of marine animals galore until she found one of a dark brunette sporting clear, round glasses on her face pointing to an older lady giving the brunette a disapproving look. Severa read the description of the photo and laughed through her teeth. It read: ‘Abigail wasn’t very fond of our boss’ choice of color scheme for the new advertisement at the new store. Photo taken as Abigail gave her opinion on said choice. Again. Our boss was not having Abigail’s sass today.’ Well, that was Abby for you. If she didn’t like something she was the type to speak about it, especially if it was something she was passionate about. She was the type to always keep moving to get where she wanted to be. Severa always admired that trait in her friend, although she’d never admit that.

Severa scrolled down a bit more to see Abigail posted the advertisement to the account. Now, she didn’t know much about advertisement science, but she could understand Abby’s… anger about the color scheme. It was all neon colors which just made Severa’s eyes hurt. She had to quickly scroll away from the photo. She did manage to catch her friend’s description below the photo though: ‘I get it was designed with a certain person, but does it have to be burning for the eyes?! There are better colors than this!’ Severa had to agree with her, but you could also say that she was being biased. Severa wasn’t one for neon colors and Abigail was just mad about the color scheme, not the advertisement itself. Severa had no doubt she would be hearing about her friend’s distaste for the ad at some point. She viewed the upload date and saw it was just today, so there was a high chance she would hear about it within the next 24 hours. With that thought, she glanced at the time and locked her phone noticing it was after seven. She needed to get up, but that would involve seeing the bitties. She sighed, heavily.

Severa was at a loss. The bitties were being quiet. There were several times Severa forgot they were there because all they did was stay in the plush fort. Yesterday, she tried to get a conversation going between her and the bitties while they had dinner (the bitties had insisted they eat in the fort) and only spoke when Severa directed a question to them. It was worrisome. Severa understood that she wasn’t there a lot of the time, but with the way they were behaving before, she thought that might not have mattered. Perhaps, they even understood she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but Severa seemed to be wrong. They were acting withdrawn from everything if you compare it to the past few days. Now, Severa hadn’t know them for long and she barely knew them due to their short interactions, but she could say they seemed to be positive, curious creatures who loved talking and learning. Their sudden silence was concerning and their behavior change was unnerving to Severa. It was a quick 180, one that Severa doesn’t know how to change. Severa forced down the uneasy feeling bubbling as she stopped her current train of thought. It was too early for this. She still didn’t want to get up, but she also needed to get ready for work. She desperately wanted a shower.

Severa rolled out of bed, deciding to just brood in the water. She quickly made her way to gather her work clothes that consisted of her blue-collared aquarium shirt, a pair of black pants, and black socks with her usual black boots. It was the same thing for the most part every time, but Severa wouldn’t complain. It was easy to remember. Her shoes were by the door, so she wouldn’t worry about them until she had to leave. She made her way out of the room and paused. It was silent. The television wasn’t on. There was no chattering. Nothing. Why was there no noise? Why weren’t the bitties making noise?! Severa dropped her clothes in the middle of the floor before she walked to the couch. The bitties had to be there.

She was right. Severa reached the couch and saw the duo curled with her plush shark again. Right, she never removed the stuffed animal. She observed them momentarily. It’d been a while since she got a good look at them. Their bones were definitely whiter than when she first encountered them, but that’s all she could say. That... was all she knew. Severa sighed, silently. Why did that thought make her feel so… disappointed? They weren’t obligated to tell her anything about themselves and visa versa.. All she was doing was housing them until they were better, so they could go somewhere more appropriate. Although, if she were more honest to them, it was probably more of a self-appeasing move than anything. She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to them when they were in such a horrible state in front of her. The admission just made her feel worse. Today was going great so far. She turned away from the bitties, returning back to the bathroom to shower. She picked up her discarded clothing before entering the bathroom.

The entire time Severa was showering, her thoughts were occupied by the bitties. She swore ever since they appeared in her apartment they would always be on her mind. It was rather inconvenient. She had many other things to worry about, but the bitties remained on the forefront of her mind, especially when she was away. Why? They weren’t going to stay. They couldn’t stay. The arrangement was temporary. She thought about it a bit more as she let the water rain down. They had been in her apartment for a while. While they stayed, she tried to make sure they were treated and cared for well. Again, though, it’s not like she was there for most of that time. There was also the time with Prince… She was constantly worrying about them. Why? What was she so worried about? It’s not like they could just lea- She stopped the thought. They could leave. With Blue’s teleporting abilities and Pap’s floating skill, they could very easily leave. The thought made Severa’s uneasy. She stared up at the shower head before turning her thoughts away. She should finish the shower.

Severa ran a rag over the fogged up mirror of her bathroom to get a clear view of herself. She gave a dry laugh seeing her reflection. “Oh, I look terrible.” Her black hair was dripping wet from her recent shower and the hot water she used gave her peach skin a reddish tint. Severa moved a bit closer to the mirror, now angled over the sink a bit, she traced the dark shadows under her eyes. “Huh.” They were worse. Abby mentioned before that the darkness under Severa’s eyes always made her teal-colored eyes stand out in a strange way. Whether it was good or bad was a person’s opinion, one opinion Severa didn’t care to know. Right now, Severa thought her friend was probably right, but that didn’t make her happy about it. She looked dead. The thought made her snicker. “Perhaps Blue and Pap looked more alive than me…I wonder if I could gain a raccoon look.” She snickered again as she moved from the mirror to dry her hair and get dressed.

The shower and getting ready for the day only took about 45 minutes even with Severa’s slight detour to examine her improving raccoon look. Her next aim was breakfast. She went grocery shopping yesterday, so she had more options this time around. She decided yesterday that she would make french toast. It was something she hadn’t had in a while. French toast was a treat she made with her mom when she was younger on weekends sometimes. It was one of  her dad’s favorite breakfast foods. Whenever they made it, her dad would get this giant grin on his face that Severa worried it might get stuck that way perpetually(although she wouldn’t complain if he did). Then her father would insist on making some other food to go along with it and end up roping Severa into it(she always enjoyed it though). There was never a real dull moment with her parents, that is for sure. Severa smiled at the memories as she pulled out the ingredients to make her chosen breakfast. She had completed the process so often and for so long, she could do it with her eyes closed, not that she ever would. That is a dangerous idea and that would be the one time she would set the house on fire, guaranteed.

With everything out, she placed her phone to the side and began to make the food. The process was pretty silent except for the noises Severa was making from creating the french toast. It didn’t take as long as she thought it would, but looking at the finished product, she knew it lacked something. She just didn’t know what. Back to the fridge to figure it out. She opened the fridge and gazed around trying to find something. She succeeded when her eyes connected with containers filled with strawberries and blueberries. The bitties liked those! She quickly grabbed the items from the fridge and closed the door with her side before returning to the table. She placed the fruit to the side then went to grab a knife. She would need to cut the strawberries for Pap, but the blueberries were a fine size for Blue. She snickered to herself thinking about Blue’s original reaction to said fruit. Maybe she could get it again?

The happy feeling subsided when she remembered the present situation. The bitties were being distant. Severa let out a quick sigh from the reminder. She shouldn’t be getting so happy about it anyway. She needed to remember this setup wasn’t permanent. It was never meant to be forever. In that case, this might be a blessing in disguise in the long run. She reasoned with herself on that line of thought as she added the fruit to the bitties’ respective plates. She also decided to add powdered sugar at the last second along with the usual syrup. Finally, she was satisfied with the presentation, but the feeling of pride was short-lived. Severa glanced at her phone then shouted. “FUCK!”

Oh god. She was late . It was past 8:50 and she needed to be at work at 9. She was so going to be chewed out by Velma. Today was going fantastic! She needed to leave now … well, after checking on the bitties. She wanted to tell them about breakfast since they needed to eat.

Severa was turning when there was a sudden pressure in her chest. It only increased in weight until she had to grab the table to steady herself. The pressure was so bad it felt difficult to breathe. What was going on? She tried to turn her head, but she found it impossible. She couldn’t move. Why ? Why couldn’t she move?! Worry began to build in her stomach. What was going on? What was happening?! She couldn’t move- it was hard to breath-

All at once, the weight was gone and she could breath. What the fuck just happened?! Severa was lost for words. It was so quick to start and to fade. She let go of the table then moved her head to check if she was mobile. She was. In response, she straightened her back and quickly turned in the direction of the bitties. She should check on them now. She moved to the living room and to the fort, but she didn’t have to move far. The bitties were now wide awake and standing on the table with hard expressions. Their postures were stiff which worried Severa. Did they feel the weird sensation like her? “... Are you two alright?”

The bitties just stared at her in silence. They seemed frozen, stuck where they stood. Blue’s eyelights were gone. It was a tad unnerving, but Severa needed to focus. She knew this, but Pap wasn’t looking much better. His sockets were large and hallow. It was… weird. Severa didn’t know what to do. She was waiting for anything from the two when her phone suddenly went off. It was nine o’clock.

“Oh, come on!” Severa shouted. Then it clicked.

She shouted earlier too. She turned her attention to the duo and apologized profusely for startling them. She was late and she wasn’t thinking. She didn’t wait for a response though before she told them about the breakfast on the table. Severa went back to the kitchen to grab her phone, bag, shoes then was out the door. Oh, she was most definitely going to be chewed out.

Severa was about half an hour late for the start of her shift and boy, was she right. As soon as Velma caught her, she got chewed out for being late. It was Saturday. The one day of the week Severa really shouldn’t be late.

There wasn’t much Severa could do to calm her angry boss. Severa was rarely late- it was a once in a blue moon type of thing and Velma seemed angrier than she should’ve been for Severa being late. Velma must be stressed about something. Severa let it go on that thought. Her boss seemed to be having a tough time. She wondered what was going on there. Velma left Severa to begin her shift.

Yep, fantastic day.

Severa didn’t know what was going on today. Everything seemed to be going crazy. First, there was Severa being late and getting chewed out by her (obviously stressed) boss. Then, it was discovered that there were more errors in shipment orders. Some of which had to be completely re-ordered and the materials they had received were unusable. There was also an infestation in one of the large aquarium tanks- one of the researcher’s… research was a complete bust and something happened to Velma. Severa heard her boss’ screaming down one of the back hallways. The young woman couldn’t make out anything the older one was saying, but from her tone, it surely wasn’t good.

Everyone at her work was feeling the stress of the day’s events by the end of Severa’s shift. She felt tired and the thought of returning to the bitties after such a bad morning made it worse. She can’t believe she startled them. No wonder they looked so horrified. Severa was brought out of her guilt trip when she heard her phone go off. She was currently in the locker room getting ready to leave when it went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and she felt a bright grin spread over her face. She quickly answered it.

“Avery!”

“ Ciao, Sev !” Avery’s voice came through the phone’s speaker clearly. Severa could already feel the warmth of hearing her friend’s smooth voice filling her chest.

“I’m currently in the locker room.”

“ Ah, so you are just about to leave I take it? ”

“Yep.” Severa shut the metal door then, with her phone to her ear, made her way out. “So what’s up?”

“ I was wondering if you had lunch yet. The cooks are making meals for you and I.”

“I have not, but even if I had, I would never turn down your restaurant's food. Come on.” Severa answered while she made her way out of the building toward the bus stop. Talking to Avery was a good distraction from her own onslaught of thoughts and worries. Then again, talking to Avery always brightened Severa’s day no matter what.

“ True, you are one to never turn down a free meal. ” Severa heard rustling over the phone and Avery began talking to someone else. Severa recognized it was Italian, so she was talking to one of her parents. “ My mother says ‘hello’, Sev. ” Avery suddenly interjected in English before reverting back to the conversation with her mother. Avery was still speaking with her mother when Severa made it to the bus stop causing her to tell Avery she would call her back. She ended the call and waited for the bus. She would call Avery as soon as she got off.

Severa was met with a loud chatter as she began scrolling through her phone messages. She shot a glance to the side to see what the noise was from and saw a pair of teens coming up to the stop. It was two girls looking at a phone and giggling. Severa returned to her phone, reading an automatic message from her cell provider about her overdue bill. Apparently, she hadn’t paid it. She should check her account later to see if she did or not. It’s very possible she did forget to pay it. It has happened on occasion. With that thought, Severa looked up from her phone to see the bus roll up to the stop. She pulled out her bus pass from her pocket and passed it through the scanner after she entered the bus. It made a ‘beep’ and the driver let her on. She moved to take a seat and resumed scrolling through her phone. She could listen to music, but she might miss the stop.

She was almost home. Severa slouched slightly in her seat thinking about her apartment and the bitties inside it. This morning… was strange and bad. She frightened the bitties. She needed to apologize for that as soon as she got home and explain herself. She didn’t mean to, but it still occurred. She hoped they ate the breakfast. Did they enjoy it? She hoped for that too. Although now that she thought about it, they might take it as a bribe. Hmm. Maybe she should make it like that? Severa was pulled from her thoughts when she heard whispering nearby.

“Oh my gosh… Look at her.”

What? Severa took a peak in the direction of the voice and noticed the two girls from before. They were both sitting across from her and a blonde with blue streaks was pointing at… Severa? Severa’s head moved upward to get a better look. The girl was speaking with her friend, so she didn’t notice Severa looking at her, thankfully. Her next line surprised Severa.

“She’s so pretty…”

Severa made eye contact with the friend and she watched as the blonde’s friend giggled, whispered, and pointed to Severa. The blonde in question spun her head and noticed Severa staring at her. It was silent and the girl was only looking horrified as she was caught red-handed. Severa didn’t really understand the expression, but nevertheless, she waved at the girl. After a few moments, the girl waved back with her face flushed with embarrassment, then hid away saying something to her friend that Severa couldn’t hear. Her friend just laughed at her.

Severa was just confused and glanced at the girl after a while, seeing she was still obviously embarrassed at being caught looking at a stranger. It wasn’t anything bad, so Severa wasn’t mad or anything. She was rather flattered. The girl was complimenting her after all. That wasn’t a bad thing. She observed as the girl had her friend move to a new area further in front of the bus. The girl must be really embarrassed to do that. There had to be a way to make the girl feel better or to show her thanks, right? Severa contemplated it for a bit while staring at her phone. After a bit more silence, the bus hit Severa’s stop and she got up with her things. She was about to leave, but halted in front of the girl from before.

“Thank you and by the way, I like your hair. It’s pretty too.” With that statement, Severa hopped off the bus and began walking away. She didn’t get very far when she heard someone shout out a loud ‘ T-Thank you! ’. Severa laughed softly, but felt a warmth in her being. Okay, this day wasn’t so bad. Oh, she should call Avery now.

On that thought, she pulled out her phone and searched through her contacts. She pressed Avery’s and listened to the ringing, waiting for an answer. She walked to her complex, getting an answer after a bit.

“ Have you made it home? ”

“I’m walking through the door to the lobby right now.” Severa answered with ease as she went through the doors. She noticed Joyce was sitting at the desk, so her landlady most likely unlocked the door where she sat when she saw Severa walking up. As she passed Joyce, Severa smiled at her, which was returned, then went to the stairwell.

“ Va bene. Serafino is currently in the kitchen helping. It might be a bit before we come- ”

“That’s cool. You bring the food and I’ll make the desert?”

“ Mi sembra un'ottima idea! Ah, - un momento… ” Severa heard Avery responding to someone. She was quick to discover it was Serafino when she heard her friend’s ‘ il mio bitty ’ over the speaker which made Severa call out- ‘Hello~ firefly!’. From that, it was a moment of silence before Avery’s laughter echoed through the phone causing Severa to grin. “ Severa! Lui è blu ora- grazie! ” Severa made it to her floor when Avery spoke once again. “ Serafino vuole cuocere con te- ”

“Aves, I can’t understand you!”

“ ...Cosa? ” Avery fell silent for several moments and Severa could hear her friend whispering Italian on the other end. This caused Severa to snicker. It seemed Avery forgot how to English again.

It wasn’t until Severa opened the door to her apartment that Avery seemed to find her words, but it still was pretty broken.

“ Serafino.... bake… you… che cosa è inglese… ” Avery fell silent again until it seemed to click. “ Serafino wants to bake with you! ”

Severa laughed at her friend. “Are we sure English is your first language?”

“ I fail at both, so does it really matter? ” Avery laughed along. This wasn’t the first time Avery blanked on a language and won’t be the last. “ Serafino wanted you to wait and bake with him. That is what I was trying to say.”

“Ah, gotcha.” Severa closed the door while kicking off her shoes. She placed her tote on the table and noticed the plates were not there. She moved to the sink and saw them soaking. August must’ve done it and with that, Severa turned her attention toward the living room. The apartment was still silent. Severa walked closer to the living room to see Pap retreat into the fort. She raised her eyebrow at this. “Is there anything you would want, Aves?”

“ Apple Crisps. ”

Severa paused in her tracks, laughing at her friend’s rapid answer. “I can make that, but you are going to need to bring the apples.” She returned to walking toward the bitties in the fort and when she did, she looked down at them with them returning the stare. There was obvious curiosity in their gaze.

“... What Are Apples?”

“ Who was that? ”

“Oh, now you speak?” Severa asked toward Pap who spoke out. She was still worried something was wrong, but this was a good sign, right? “It’s a fruit similar to what the strawberries and blue (“MWEH!”)berries were.” Oh, so that still worked? Severa grinned.

Pap nodded, looking over to Blue, who was putting his face into the plush shark more than likely trying to hide his flustered face. Severa did the same, but she finally answered her friend.

“A bitty.”

“ ...Come again? ”

“A bitty.”

“ What? ”

“There are a pair of bitties in my apartment at the moment and one just asked what apples were.”

“ You… You have bitties in your apartment? ”

“Yeah.”

“ Were you able to clone Serafino like you have been telling me? ”

“He’s been with you the whole time. When would I’ve been able to get him with me to do so?”

“ I do not know, but it is you , so he would agree to go easily. ”

“That is your opinion.”

“ That is fact. When I get there, we can ask him and I swear to you, he will agree to go with you for whatever reason. ” Avery paused. “ ... I should be warning him about you more. ”

Severa couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from her. “I-I mean I can see why! But it’s not like I would seriously do…” Severa cut herself off, thinking briefly. “...or maybe I would?”

“ Tu es une sirène stupide. ” Avery responded back with ease.

“Ah, you are the one who hangs out with me though.”

“ Someone needs to be responsible of you. ”

“Isn’t that what my parents are for?”

“ When it comes to you, having extra help is not bad. ”

“... That’s fair.”

On that note, Severa finished her conversation with Avery. Avery would be arriving after the meals were prepared, so it’ll be awhile before they do come. After bidding goodbye to her friend, she disconnected the call and turned to the bitties. Said bitties were staring up at Severa with expressions that Severa couldn’t figure out. “Avery and the firefly are going to be here later...” Severa trailed off, thinking to herself.  “Did you guys eat your breakfast?”

The bitties nodded at Severa in response. It was Blue though who spoke out eventually. “...You Did Not.” His tone was strange, but Severa could make out a heaviness to it.

“That’s true, I didn’t. I was running late and ended up getting something from the vending machine when I could.”

“Do You Do That A Lot?”

“What? Be late to work or skip meals?” Severa asked looking down at the Baby Blue.

Blue responded with a simple ‘both’.

Severa thought a bit before answering. “I don’t miss work all that much. I could count on one hand the number of times I’ve been late. Now, I do tend to skips meals, if not because I forget, then it’s because I’m in a rush to get somewhere. Most of the time though, I just end up forgetting about eating which is strange. If you knew me enough, you would think that it is downright impossible.”

“You Shouldn’t Do That.” Blue reprimanded her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Severa just raised her eyebrow at him in response, clearly amused, but chose not to respond any other way. That phrase is one she is very familiar with. Oh, so familiar with. She wouldn’t rebuttal the truth.

Severa left the pair to go to her room and change. She slipped into a more comfortable outfit of brown shorts and a striped tank top then deposited her used clothes into her laundry basket. Now, what to do next? It’d been a while since she really had free time, so an idea quickly emerged in her head. An idea she liked considerably.

Severa raced back into the living room to start her idea which was playing video games. Video games were something Severa liked well, but was picky about which ones she played. Her absolute favorite game of all time was the Portal series. She has hours upon hours invested in the series, more than any other she owned. Portal was a stress reliever for her, so right now was a perfect time to play it. When she got to the living room, she quickly took control of the television(with some noises from the bitties) and prepared it to use her console. Once she was done setting her console up, she turned it on and hopped back onto the couch, sitting next to the bitties’ fort.

“What Are You Doing?” Pap questioned.

Severa crossed her legs on the cushion while answering. “I am going to play Portal.”

“What Is That?”

“A puzzle-platform video game.”

“Puzzles?!”

That surely got the bitties’ attention. Severa nodded and glanced at them with a grin. “Yep. Puzzles.” The bitties appeared to be awestruck. She turned her attention back to the television. The title screen came on and Severa checked to see where she left off last. It was near the end, so she decided to start from the beginning. That is what began the next hour of the small monsters trying to solve the puzzles on screen while Severa played.  

“How Many Time Does That Make It?” Blue asked

“Three times. I always have trouble getting around this part...” Severa responded while waiting for the game to reset at her checkpoint. She didn’t make it through her portal and fell into the fire pit this time unlike before she fell into the ooze, twice. She knew her way around it, but always had the bad luck when it came to escaping her fall into fiery hell. The bitties so far were enjoying watching her play, which she was glad for since it was definitely better than the silence that decided to make its home in her apartment lately. The game began again and a robotic voice came over the speakers from the game. Severa shook her head in response to it. “Yeah, we know, GLADOS. The cake is a lie though.”

A knock echoes in her apartment just as she was about to shoot a portal. Severa’s head spun toward the door and before she can say anything, a voice came out that caused Severa to squeal in delight.

“Sirena, come open the door.”

“Avery!” Severa dropped the control and sped over to the door to swing it open. She got a full view of her dear friend at the door, Avery. Avery Rhides, Serafino’s owner and one of Severa’s closest friend, had a taller stature than Severa, being a good few inches taller. She had similar dark black hair, but unlike Severa’s, Avery’s stopped several inches above her shoulders and it was wavy, borderline curly.  Severa noticed a bag near Avery’s feet before her attention was reverted back.

Avery smiled brightly at Severa, her cyan colored eyes twinkling with warmth as she held her arms out. “Hello, Sev!” she called out to the other woman.

Severa threw herself into Avery’s grip, hugging her friend tightly shoving her face in the other woman’s shoulder. “Avery! I missed you!”

Avery returned the embrace, laughing at her friend. “Same, Sev! It’s so good to actually see you!” She tried to move away from Severa after a few minutes, but failed as Severa wouldn’t let go. “Sev~.”

Severa whined, but let go after a bit more prying from her friend. “Just let me love you.”

“You can do so when we get into your apartment. I don’t wanna stand out here.”

“But why? You’re my sunshine~”

Avery gave her a speechless look before giving a shaky laugh with a reddish tint across her cheeks. “Ah… I should be used to this…”

Severa grinned at her friend’s reaction. “But then it becomes no fun, sunshine!”

Avery laughed at the statement, nodding in agreement.

Severa turned her attention to the being on her friend’s shoulder who was waiting patiently during the duo’s exchange. Now that he had Severa’s attention, he gave her a smile and wave. She raised her hands toward him and he nodded then was grabbed by the young lady. He didn’t mind as he was hugged close to the human. “Firefly!”

Serafino returned the hug with enthusiasm as best he could. “Hello, Severa.” The bitty was a Grillbitty, but more precisely, a G. He was a small flame bitty who was soft spoken, but hugely talkative to those he liked. The same could be said about his affection habits. After he was drawn back, he motioned to be on her shoulder which Severa gladly accepted. Serafino situated himself on Severa’s shoulder before the duo looked at Avery.

Avery had a warm smile directed at them. “You two are so cute.” She let out a soft laugh before starting again. “Now that you’ve successfully taken my bitty, would you mind taking this inside so I can see the ones you’ve, apparently, allowed housing?”

Severa nodded and moved to the side to allow her friend in her apartment. “You got the food, right?”

Avery grabbed the bag beside her as she went inside. She made it to the kitchen and saw the large plush fort on Sev’s couch. “Oh, a fort! It has been years since I saw one of those. When was the last time we made one?”

“Wasn’t it when we were in high school, spending the night at my house and the power went out?” Severa responded while walking over to one of the chairs in the kitchen. “Luce came downstairs crying about it being too dark.”

“Yeah, I think so. She was young when that happened...” Avery placed the bag on the table while sitting next to her friend.

"She was 3 or 4 and scared of the dark. We made the fort to keep her happy and safe until the power came back on.”

Avery nodded at Severa’s explanation then looked back to the fort and noticed a pair of skeletons staring. She smiled at the sight and returned to Severa, opening the bag as she did so. “The apples are in here too.”

“Gimme.” Severa made a grabbing motion which made Avery laugh.

Serafino observed his owner and her friend from his perch on said friend’s shoulder. Severa was shorter than Avery, so the view the bitty had was different. He enjoyed it. He always enjoyed riding on his trusted humans’ shoulders with no fear in his soul. He spared a glance at Avery and a smile came over his features. The bitty could see and feel how radiant his human’s soul was. He felt his own filling with happiness in response.

Over the past week, Serafino could only watch as his owner’s brightness dimmed. He knew what that meant. Avery was getting lonely. It was the one thing that the duo made clear so long ago. While he was happy to see Severa again, he was more glad over the fact that his human was getting her warmth back. He understood why Severa called his human ‘living sunshine’ because while he was technically made of fire magic, the warmth he gave off was nothing compared to Avery’s. Humans were often scared to hold or be around him, but people were drawn to Avery. He truly enjoyed being around his human.

On the topic of his human, Avery was talking to Severa about their lives at the moment. All that Avery was retelling were things that Serafino knew already, so he focused his attention on Severa’s half. He swung his legs side to side, listening to Severa’s day to day activities and it sounded like she hasn’t done anything new besides the new additions to the apartment. The bitties.

By their magic, the Grillbitty knew there were two. Neither of which seemed too happy. Serafino looked over to the fort on the couch, catching the stare of one of the bitties. It was a skeleton bitty- a Baby Blue. Oh, dear. This might not be as quiet as he thought it would be. Baby Blues were known to be very... excitable. The ones at Mama Cry’s were always energetic to the point that just watching them tired him out. The more Serafino dwelled about it, the more he thought a Baby Blue might be a good match for Severa. The thought was cut when the other bitty emerged in Serafino’s view. The other one was a Pappy, huh?

Serafino, eventually, waved at them after a long stare off between him and the duo. The Pappy returned the wave, rather weakly. The Baby Blue remained still, but Serafino gained a glare(?) from the opposite bitty. It just confused him. What? Why was the Baby Blue glaring at him? Did… did he do something? All he was doing was sitting. Maybe they weren’t as friendly as the others were from the adoption center? After some contemplation, the small flame decided it was best to ask. If they already hated him, then it couldn’t get worse, right?

Severa laughed as Avery told her about customers she's had to serve at the restaurant. Her stories were always interesting and also funny, considering Avery's parents would end up getting involved with the worst customers. This particular story Avery was telling was about a pair of recent customers that tried to dine and dash. They were caught by Rebecca, Avery’s mother, before they could leave, had to pay for their food, apologize to their server, and got an earful lecture about honesty and other things. It was a common thing with Rebecca, but always wonderful to hear. The tales of Rebecca Rhides were always a ride .

“So that is the newest adventure from my side. How about you?”

Severa laughed then answered her friend. “Nothing really exciting on my end, but I’ve got something rather annoying.”

“Yeah?”

“The banshee caused me to work a double shift.”

“Banshee?”

“Keri.”

“Oh, I should have guessed. Bateson, Banshee.”

Severa stared at Avery for several moments before bursting out into giggles. “I-I didn’t even think about that!”

Avery joined in after a bit. “Seriously?! Then why do you call her banshee?”

“Because she was screeching on the phone!” Severa’s giggles down died then she pointed in the direction of the bitties. “The same day I met those two actually, was the phone call. I think the name fits her.”

Avery nodded in agreement then looked at the bitties who were looking in their direction, curiously.

Severa smiled at the duo then her attention was moved to the small creature on her shoulder. “Hmm? What’s up, firefly?” Serafino placed his hand on her cheek to grasp her attention.

“Perhaps we should eat?”

“Oh, good idea.” Avery proceeded to remove the containers of food from the bag and put them on the table. She examined the containers before scooting one of them over to Severa. “Pasta all'ortolana for the mermaid and gnocchi di ricotta for me.”

“With peppers?”

“Of course! The chefs know what you like by now, Sevy.” A pause before Avery added. “Although, that is not difficult to learn… you will eat just about anything besides seafood.”

Severa nodded in agreement then moved a bit to be in the direction of the bitties on her couch. “Hey, Pap, Blue. Want to try some italian food?”

Said bitties popped up at Severa’s voice and soon enough, Blue and Pap appeared on the table closer to Severa. Avery jumped at the sudden appearance, stared at the duo then turned her attention to Severa.

“Which one can teleport?”

“Blue.”

“... Really?”

“YES. IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT, HUMAN?” Blue japed in with his arms crossed, giving a heavy stare at Avery, but kept close to Severa. Pap ‘hid’ behind his fellow bitty and Severa’s arm as best he could.

“No? That is just rare. Baby Blues aren’t known to have that ability, right? Serafino?” Avery asked her bitty. The bitty nodded in agreement.

“So… what you’re saying is, Blue is even more magnificent than before?” Severa asked.

Avery paused, but ultimately smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

Severa grinned, glancing down at Blue who returned her look with color splashed across his cheekbones. It took every ounce of her being to hold in an inhumane noise at the cuteness. She, instead, looked toward Serafino who remained on her shoulder. “Firefly, Avery,” Severa motioned to the bitties. “the bitties - Blue and Pap, ”

Serafino’s look down at the pair of bitties who were looking between him and his human. “... Hello.” His voice was gentle, warm and one that matched Avery’s own greeting to the bitties.

Severa watched the interaction silently, noticing how the duo were remaining concealed behind her arm. She decided not to comment, instead direct the conversation. “You two never did answer my question.”

That caused Pap to at least look at Severa, but Blue seemed keen on staring at the firefly. Severa didn’t like the look he had, but still remained silent. “Want to try Italian food?”

“What Is Italian Food?” Blue spoke up, finally turning his stare onto Severa.

“Food?”

“Sev.”

“What? You’d have a better answer. You are Italian, technically.”

“My parents are, mermaid.” Avery shook her head, but answered the question. “It’s a type of cuisine or food from a different region than our own. Trying some is better than explaining, honestly.”

With that, Severa raised her hand to Serafino who hopped on and was set on the table near Avery. She then moved her container of food closer to the bitties. “Here. This is pasta all’ortolana which is basically pasta with a variety of veggies. Wanna try?”

It didn’t take long for the bittes to agree.

The meal was pleasant with Avery and Severa mostly talking, but trying to get the bitties involved from time to time. Pap and Blue remained quiet, keeping close to Severa as they ate.

Serafino was doing the same, settling in between the two female humans who were laughing and enjoying themselves. The flame seemed content with eating in silence, letting the humans chat amongst themselves. He noticed his fellow bitties on the other hand, kept sending glances to his human. What they meant, he couldn’t tell. He didn’t wish to guess either. It went on like this for the rest of the meal until the food was long gone and Severa spoke out. “My turn!”

“Woo!” Avery bent down and grasp the bag she brought before. “Here are the apples.” She pulled out a bag of apples and pushed them toward her friend.

Severa grinned and moved to retrieve the bag while Serafino was climbing up her arm. “Time to make desert! Ready, firefly?”

“Always.” Serafino chimed in. He was looking forward to this obviously.

Severa made her way over to the stove and began retrieving the utisnels she will need to make apple crisps. “Serafino, do me a favor please.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yes?”

“Try to befriend Pap and Blue.”

The desert preparation went well. Serafino enjoyed baking with Severa everytime they did so. The desert itself turned out well(unsurprisingly). Serafino savored the treat with each bite, but the entire time he thought on how to go about fulfilling Severa’s request.

As of now, Serafino sat on the plush couch in the vicinity of the fort the pair of bitties had retreated to. Even though Severa had requested him to befriend the bitties she was housing, it was proving to be rather difficult. The Grillbitty tried to be as understanding as he could regarding their… situation, but even he was getting frustrated. The bitties absolutely refused to speak with him. Serafino noticed they acknowledged him from the spare glances they give him from time to time. So ultimately, he could only wait, but even he could only have so much patience.

So he sat there for some time and turned his attention to the television, seeing it was playing a familiar show. The bitty recalled the title was ‘Silent House’. Serafino remembered it was a horror show. It was the type of show his human couldn’t watch for long, unlike Severa who could watch them on repeat. She always loved horror things and made others watch them on occasion. He made it for a few minutes before he had to look away. It was a good thing because when he did, he made eye-contact with Pap. He waved at the other bitty, and after a bit, he got one in return. Well, it couldn’t hurt to try now.

“... May we talk?” Serafino requested to the bitty who looked surprised.

“About What?” Pap replied.

“Anything.”

“Why Does Severa Call You ‘Firefly’?” Blue cut in, surprising the other bitties. Serafino straightened his posture when he watched Blue climb out of the fort and stand in front of the wall. The opposite bitty’s stance was expressing something. Serafino couldn’t tell what it was, but something told him it might be the reason for the hostility of two, otherwise, friendly bitties types.

“Because it is  the nickname she gave me?”

“But WHY?” Blue growled out which caused Serafino to jump. “WHY DOES SHE HAVE CLOTHES FOR YOU?! WHY DOES SHE LET YOU SIT ON HER?! SHE TOUCHES YOU SO MUCH! WHY DOES SHE SPEAK OF YOU WITH SUCH… SUCH…”

“Affection.” Pap finished for Blue. “Why Is She So Affectionate With You?”

“AND WHY NOT US?!”

“I earned it.” The answer was simple, but quick. Serafino stared down at the fabric of the cushion, gripping at his pants. They were jealous . The bitties were jealous of him . Ha… He found it rather funny. Never would he have thought someone else would be jealous of him again…

“...What Does That Mean?” Pap inquired. his voice sounded closer than before causing Serafino to look in their direction and, to his surprise, the bitties had moved closer to him. Blue still had his defensive posture, but he was gazing at the flame bitty in wait. He wanted an answer.

“It means what it means. I earned her affection...” Serafino went quiet for sometime before continuing on. “Would it shock you two if I were to tell you when I first met Severa I was greeted with… Well, she hasn’t always treated me like that.”

“...THAT’S NOT POSSI-”

“It is.” Serafino cut in. “I will explain it, but you must understand somethings. I earned her affection… and acceptance.”

Chapter Text

Serafino let out a heavy sigh as he sat within the plush fort. He looked around in interest but wasn’t able to take in much as Blue grabbed at his attention.

“Explain... Please.” The baby blue pleaded with his phalanges in fists. He and the pappy sat on the opposite side of the fort, giving their full attention to the small flame.

The flame bitty nodded and collected his thoughts before beginning. “I was adopted by Avery from Mama Cry’s Bitty Adoption Center several years ago. Adoptions take a considerable amount of time so that they last.”

“Why Are You Telling Us This? This Has Noth-” Blue quickly interrupted.

“This involves Severa, do not worry.” The bitty fell silent as Serafino continued. “Frequent visits by a possible owner is necessary for the process and it was during these visits that I first saw Severa. Severa would sometimes accompany my human when Avery did show up, but Severa would never interact with the bitties. She would always watch Avery, keeping her distance but still remaining close.” Serafino recalled how some of the other bitties tried to get Severa's attention or even play with her, but she would always brush them off. Severa was never rude or mean to them, however, she made it obvious she was there for certain reasons that hadn’t involved the bitties. “That was all I knew for the longest time- She was a human that must be close with a possible adopter.”

Serafino shifted in his seat. “Now, let us move forward a bit. I’m adopted by Avery and everything is wonderful. I never thought I would be adopted, but low and behold, I was. I was meeting important people to my new owner left and right. When the day came that I was to meet Severa, Avery made something clear to me: ‘Nothing is your fault’.”

“What Does That Mean?” Blue asked quickly.

“At the time, I held the same thought. I wouldn’t understand the phrase for some time until I was finally able to speak with Severa.”

“We Talk To The Human All The Time!” The baby blue was getting rather irritated by his tone in the interjection.

Serafino let out a tired chuckle. “She wasn’t… always like that. In our first true meeting, she ignored me.”

This shocked the duo. Serafino couldn’t blame them since he knew how Severa was acting with them. It was different than before and it gave him mixed feelings on the matter. “It was well within a year of being with Avery that I finally made ground with Severa. And it was only because… Well, that doesn’t matter anymore.” Serafino turned the conversation. “I had a long talk with Severa and I finally learned what the line meant.”

“...Line?”

“‘ Nothing is your fault .’” Serafino repeated somberly. “That line wa-... was related to Severa.”

“How?” Again, only Blue was responding.

Serafino glanced toward Pap, who remained rather quiet this entire time. Was he alright? He seemed to be, so the fire bitty returned his attention to the baby blue. “The line was meant for her actions. I never did anything wrong.”

Blue made a noise of frustration. “What Do You Mean?”

“This Is Like A Puzzle!” Pap told in excitement. This caused Blue and Serafino to look at the taller skeleton bitty. The tall bitty threw his arms in the air in his excitement. “Is It Not!?”

Serafino chuckled a bit after some contemplation. “That is one way to put it. Avery has compared Severa to riddles on a few occasions.”

“Severa Likes Riddles!” Pap stated, confidently. 

Serafino nodded. “Oh, yes, she does. Even now, there are many parts of her I do not understand… and I have known her for several years.”

Serafino caught the two skeletons share a look. The next words of their mouths aren’t much of a surprise.

"Can You Tell Us Somethings?”

Serafino turned his gaze onto the duo. He had to look at them. Their looks were ones of determination. Determination to know Severa. To understand Severa. To… Serafino couldn’t stop the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “... Of course.”

“...-o they came from your bag?” Avery repeated and Severa nodded in response. The duo were seated at the island, just enjoying the conversation between each other. Their plates from lunch were placed in the sink, soaking for the time being.

“Yeah, they told me they were in my bag.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t get crushed. Were they okay in there?” Avery asked with concern in her voice.

“It appeared so. If the bag did damage, it wasn’t anything compared to the abuse they suffered before.”

The older woman went quiet as she moved her gaze from Severa to the bitties speaking with her own little flame. She smiled softly seeing the smile lighting Serafino’s face. He was always so friendly with others… It made things so much easier. It fell when Severa’s words finally sank in. “Who would do such a thing?”

“Huh?”

Avery’s head snapped in Severa’s direction. “What do you mean ‘huh’?” Her expression was one of pure disbelief. “Sevy, has it ever occurred to you to question just where they came from?”

The other woman went quiet but eventually spoke. “... It’s more of a fleeting thought.” Severa looked away from her friend.

“Severa.” Avery sighed.

“You know I don’t dwell on that.”

“I know, sirena. You should still think about that. It is important if you want to-”

“I am not keeping them, Avery.” Severa swiftly cut her friend off. Her head snapped back and she retained eye contact with the other woman.

Avery shut her mouth with an audible click before gesturing to the creatures on the couch. “Are you kidding me, Severa? You have other people in your apartment. You honestly think that means nothing?”

“It doesn’t matter if it does. They are not staying.”

“What if that’s what they want?” Avery argued.

“Mama Cry’s Center is better.” Severa rebutted easily. "You should know that."

Avery bit back her next words. Severa didn’t hesitate on the statement. She was floored, but unsurprised. That was Severa for you. Avery let out a heavy sigh then turned the conversation. “Where could they have come from though? Should we find out?”

Severa shook her head. “I honestly don’t think so. You aren’t involved.”

“But you are?”

“No.”

“You are tiring.”

“I am tired.”

“You always are, Sevy.” Avery shook her head then returned to watching the duo. “... I think you should try to find out.”

“Av-”

“Or at least try to find something, so you can help them more. I know you and want to help, Sev. You should let yourself do something more.” Avery moved her gaze to her friend with an unwavering look. “It is okay to do that.”

Avery heard Severa let out a shaky breath then slowly respond. “...I’ll think about it…”

Avery smiled softly. “That is all I want, Sevy.”

Severa stared down at the table for some time before pushing off to stand up. "I'm... gonna make some hot chocolate for us."

"I still think she could do more.” Severa took a sip from her mug. The hot liquid warmed her throat as it went down smoothly. 

“Yeah? You always speak highly about Corrie. Is there a reason or just because?”

“She’s going to be taking over my position at the aquarium once I graduate from the university and get transferred.” Severa explained as she set down her mug. 

Avery gained a shocked expression. “Really?! Does she know that?”  

“Nope.”

“Did you decide it?”

“I had a choice between the trainees and I decided on Corrie a while ago. Boss was going to announce it near the end of the year; probably during the annual holiday party.” Severa shrugged, before taking another drink. This was good cocoa.

“Oh my god.” Avery laughed. “You gotta tell me what happens then, okay?”

“I think Josh and Marice want to stream it.”

“They are seriously getting into streaming everything, are they not?”

“Oh yeah. They’ve pitched a ‘behind the scenes’ series for the aquarium already to the boss.”

“Oh really? I would love to see that!” Avery let out a laugh.

“Why? It’s not like anything interesting happens back ther-” The young woman shook her head, looking at her friend trying to respond.

“That is bullshit, Sevy. You all are always doing something back there- even those pranks of yours are fun!” Avery disagreed, laughing. “What about the time you switched the soundtracks to polka music and it took days for Velma to even notice?!”

Severa blinked then snickered to herself. “Oh yeah… it took a while for me to get Chad and his team on board for it. Velma chased me down the halls when she figured it out.”

“How did you get them to agree with their plans again?”

“50 bucks a piece.”

“Your pranks are expensive.” Avery laughed again. She set down her own mug, having finished the contents a moment ago. She pushed it back a little as she placed her arms on the island before her.

Severa shrugged. “It was worth it. It was annoying, but harmless which is the best kind of prank.”

“True.”

Severa and Avery began to talk about other pranks Severa pulled off from ones in the aquarium to the ones from their childhood. The warmth of the conversation wrapped itself around Severa’s very soul and she couldn’t hold back the pure emotion coming up in response. She was so lucky. The hot chocolate seemed cold by comparison.

Time slipped away until an alarm rang through the apartment seizing all the conversations going on. Avery pulled out her phone from her pocket.

“It has gotten late.” Avery turned off the alarm on her phone as she continued on. “It is nearly 8. The bar opens at 9, so I got to go.”

“No!” Severa whined, reaching for Avery as the older girl stood from her seat. “Someone else can open it. Stay her-”

Avery laughed. “I cannot do that and you know it.”

Severa groaned at the statement and let her hand drop to the table. “Fine. Leave me why don’t you?”

“Ah, always we must part. Your voice always brings me back though, sirena .” The two giggled at the display.

“You belong behind the camera, not in front.”

“I must agree wholeheartedly.” Avery turned to the couch and called for her bitty.

Serafino didn’t pop up when Avery called, so she looked at Severa who shrugged. Avery stood from her seat then moved closer to the fort and called for Serafino again. Once she could see into it, she saw the three staring up at her in surprise.

“It is time to go?” Serafino asked slowly. Avery nodded in answer.

“Yes, I called you twice, Serafino.”

“...Oh. My apologies. I hadn’t heard you then.”

Avery rose her eyebrow but nodded at her bitty’s explanation. “Alright then. Anyway, we need to go, so I can open the bar.”

“It is truly that late already?”

“Yes, Firefly. It is time to leave my hovel once again unless Avery wants to-”

“I’m gonna to stop you right there, sirena.” Avery holds her hand out to Serafino, so he can step up. “You are not allowed to be here without me for the time being. She really might just keep you.”

Serafino glanced toward Severa who was grinning widely and couldn’t help himself. “If it is Severa…”

“Ahhhh- nope! Nope!” Avery cuts off Serafino and Severa erupted into laughter. Even Serafino was letting out some chuckles as Avery went back to grab her things after she set her little teaser on her shoulder. “I will see you later, sirena!” Avery was out the door then, leaving a heaving Severa.

“B-Bye!” Severa managed to get out long after Avery was gone. It took a while more for Severa to calm down and her stomach let out a loud growl. “Oh, dinner time. You guys have any requests?” Severa asked while focused in the skeletons' direction. They moved to the island during the laughter.

“No?”

“Alright. Chicken parmesan, it is.” Severa stood from the chair to see if she had the necessary ingredients around the kitchen. She paused in her search when Blue spoke out.

“Serafino Told Us.”

“Told you what?” Severa asked. She decided to open her fridge. Did she have any chicken unthawed? She checked and gave a silent cheer when she noticed she did. She turned her head though when she heard Pap speak.

“How You Used To Be…” Pap trailed off, beginning to shuffle his feet. It didn’t go unnoticed by Severa. Although, the statement took a few moments to make a connection, when it did Severa looked at the duo.

“Oh, okay.” Severa nodded then went to return to her search for more ingredients. She had the chicken, then what about the sauce and needed spices? 

“Aren’t You Upset?”

“About what?”

“Serafino Telling Us…?”

“Nope. That’s not something I’m gonna be mad about when it’s true.” Severa shrugged.

“...Why?”

“Do you mean why as in ‘why I acted like a complete brat to him’ or why as in ‘why am I not mad’?”

“Both??” Pap spoke for a moment.

Severa stopped. She shut the cabinet door she was checking and turned to the bitties. She crossed her arms and hugged them close to her body. “I answered the second question already. It is true, so I won’t be mad. There is no point in me getting upset about the truth. And to answer the other question…” Severa thought to herself, going silent until she opened her mouth. “Serafino is important,” Severa explained after a long silence. She took a breath and continued on. “He… is the reason- the main reason I was able to take you two in.” They should know after all. That was the right thing..., right?

The bitties were silent during the exchanged(?).

“It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. The truth of what bitties were- truly were. I never thought of your beings as pets, but… you are more than what I thought originally.” Severa sighed openly. “Being around Serafino was definitely the driving force for this current… predicament.”

“Serafino Said You Acted Different To Him On Your First Meeting Than Ours.”

“...Yes.” Severa looked away.

“Why?”

“Jealousy.”

“WHAT?!”

“I was jealous,” Severa repeated. She clutched at her upper arms. “I was jealous of someone new coming in- of him coming in.”

“...”

“I was…” Severa stopped talking. “I don’t like people coming in, okay? In reality, Serafino did nothing. He truly didn’t.”

“But He ‘Came In’, right?” Blue reiterated.

“Yes, but I knew that. Avery was going there for a while, and I went with her several times to… make a statement to myself. And yet…” Severa sighed. “I was… my behavior toward Serafino is inexcusable, but it could be worse. That doesn’t matter to me as I can see now how important he is. He is important to me, to Abby, but oh so important to Avery… so very important, loved, and everything to Avery.”

The bitties were silent as they took everything in. The air around them was heavy even when a chime rang out. Severa moved and grabbed after her phone. “... Avery.”

Severa blinked as she read the text. “She wants to come back over soon with the firefly.” Severa’s eyes remained on her phone while having a small smile on her lips. There was more to the message. The smile fell as she read on then let out a small sigh. “You two…” She glanced toward the bitties. “Would you two be okay with them coming back over soon?”

“...Yes.” Pap responded with Blue being quiet, but the baby blue didn’t seem against it.

Severa nodded at the answer and gave a weak smile with matching “Cool”. She locked her phone and put the electronic on the kitchen counter then resumed trying to locate the ingredients. She focused on the breading for the chicken first. It should be somewhere in the cabinets if she recalled correctly. The area around the trio went quiet but filled with the sounds of Severa’s rummaging. For some reason, Severa felt something crawling on her back.

It was after dinner. The young woman was able to locate everything and make the meal in a timely manner, even with Blue and Pap’s sudden helpfulness . The duo shoved it into the mouths and enjoyed it (if the smiles on their faces were any indication). The dishes were left in the sink for Severa to deal with later, the bitties returned to the for,t and currently, Severa sat on the edge of her bed staring down at her phone with a dull expression. The message from Avery was on the screen. The message that asked if the firefly and she could visit again soon and other things.

Severa was going through the conversation she had after she responded.

[Avery] Sirena , today was good! Serafino wanted to know if we could come by again soon. He seemed to enjoy having other bitties around. And there is something else.

[Severa] They are okay with that

[Avery] Wonderful!

[Avery] Oh and the other thing, you need to get them checked out.

[Severa] ?

[Avery] The bitties. Serafino said they were low on magic? That’s my assumption. He just said ‘they were low’.

[Severa] Oh. that’s weird, but okay.

[Avery] Soon, Sev and take your meds! You were kind of spacey today.

[Severa] okay, mom

[Avery] :)

Severa let out a heavy sigh as she thought over the message. The bitties were low? On magic? What did that mean? She guessed the trip to Mama Cry’s was going to be sooner than she thought, whether they (and she) liked it or not. Today was... too much. She would deal with it later.

Chapter Text

Severa refused to move. It was Sunday, meaning tomorrow was a Monday and Mondays sucked . She pulled the covers over her head and remained there. She didn’t know how long she stayed under there until familiar voices came through the fabric.

“HUMAN SEVERA, YOU SHOULD GET UP. YOUR NOISE MAKER HAS BEEN MAKING NOISES FOR SOMETIME.” Pap’s voice rang from nearby. The movement on the sheets reinforced the thought. Pap(at least) was on the bed… Severa groaned weakly.

“Don’t care.” She responded trying to disappear into the mattress. She pleaded with any higher being to grant mercy on her and just let her be lazy. They had other ideas apparently.

Pap’s voice came out once more. “HUMAN SEVERA, PLEASE GET UP.”

Severa whined. “Noooo.”

“YES.”

“No.”

“YES.”

“Nope.”

“HUMAN!” Blue interjected, his voice echoing in the room. Oh, he must be near the door?

With that, Severa let out a groan and finally gave in. Somewhat. “Fine, fine.” She agreed weakly, although making no motion to move from her position. She felt movement next to her side that slowly moved upwards. It must be one or both of the bitties. It didn’t take long until the answer rang clear.

“HUMAN AUGUST WAS HERE EARLIER. HE ASKED IF YOU WERE AWAKE YET.” Pap explained. His volume was loud, so he must be the one closest to her head. Severa only felt a single pair of feet pressing on her side, so Blue must have remained near the door.

“YES, THE OTHER HUMAN SAID HE WOULD RETURN LATER!” Ah, that proved it. Blue was outside the doorway, but stayed close. If his voice level was anything to go by;  perhaps, he was waiting just outside the doorway earlier then moved farther away? It didn't matter, if August came by he had a reason and Severa should get up.

It was still a bit before Severa actually moved. When she did, she brought up her head to stare to the side, connecting gazes with the familiar set of dark sockets. “Pap.”

“HUMAN SEVERA.” Pap was seated down on the bed. He was more than likely waiting for Severa to move and get up.

“What’s Blue doing?”

“HE RETURNED TO RESTING ON THE FUZZY THING.”

“The… fuzzy thing?”

“YES.”

Severa was quiet for a bit trying to figure out what the ‘fuzzy thing’ was. It didn't take long. “You mean my plush shark?”

“IF THAT IS THE FUZZY THING, THEN YES.”

“The thing you have in the fort with you two.”

“OH! YES, THAT IS THE FUZZY THING!”

“Yeah, that's my plush shark.” Severa sighed then questioned something else. “What do you mean by resting ? You two are always full of energy. What happened that you need to rest?”

“...NOTHING? THE FUZZY SHARK MAKES US FEEL BETTER AFTER LAYING ON IT! IF IT IS YOURS THEN THAT MUST BE WHY IT FEELS SO GREAT!”

“I'll be honest and say I don't understand that line of thought, but how is it ‘nothing’?” Severa stated honestly before plopping her head back onto her pillow. She let out a groan then turn onto her back to sit up. When she did this, the tiny tall skeleton bitty clapped loudly catching the woman's attention.

“WELL DONE, HUMAN SEVERA!! YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS!! JUST A BIT MORE AND YOU WILL BE UP!!” Pap shouted in excitement. Severa could hear his bones rattling. Besides that, was he… cheering her on? Severa chose to ignore that thought and quickly got up. She threw the covers off, making sure not to cover the bitty on her bed, then made her way to the bathroom to do her morning routine.

She emerged from the bathroom after a bit and returned to her bedroom. She saw Pap nowhere in the area, so she called out. He had returned to check on Blue. She took the opportunity to get dressed for the day. While the idea of staying in her pajamas all day was enticing, she had a feeling she would be leaving. She checked her phone for today’s temperature, or tried, when she couldn’t find it. It wasn’t on her nightstand. Did she leave it in the living room again? She must’ve left it out somewhere. The boys were complaining that her alarm was going off anyway. It was fair to guess it had to be out there. Severa sighed to herself. She really needed to get her head together. One of these days she was going to leave it somewhere and it’d be lost for good. Her phone was an essential part of her life, so she had to take care of it. How many times has she told herself that same line? Enough that it sounded rehearsed. Damn. She… needed to work on that. She was returning to the doorway when she heard the alarm on her phone going off. It sounded far off, but now that she was closer to the door, she could hear it decently. Severa quickly made her way to the sound.

Severa discovered her phone on the coffee table in the living room. It was blaring when she found it like Pap had said it was. She quickly turned off the alarm off and checked her phone’s battery life. If she left it out all night then she will have to- Her thought is cut off as her phone showed a nearly full charge. … It spent most of the night out here, right? How is it still at full- Severa realized she did have it with her earlier. She was reviewing the text messages from Avery before bed. With that thought, she unlocked her phone; lo and behold, Avery’s conversation was already up.

Severa stared at her phone for several moments. She fled back to her bedroom. Her phone was in the living room. She hadn’t left it in there. She knew she hadn’t. That only meant- Her thought cut off. She refused to finish the thought. No. There were other possibilities. One she just wasn’t aware of. She shifted her attention back on her phone. She looked up today’s weather and it was supposed to be warm and sunny, with a nice breeze to accompany it. So it was going to be a pleasant summer day, huh?

Severa checked the day’s humidity level as well and took note of the decent percentage. That meant it was going to be pleasant outside without the feeling of melting. Perhaps she should go outside for once? Walk around, enjoy the sunshine and- oh, screw that. She’d rather stay inside and play videos games. That was an idea. Severa grinned. She knew exactly what she wanted to do today.

“The breeze is nice though…” Severa mumbled as she sat on the wooden bench, holding her black tote on her lap. “It would be a good day for Aves to take photos.”  The bench was warm under her; although understandable(being in direct sunlight), it was uncomfortable. She shifted a bit.

“Human?”

Severa stared upward with a blank expression. When was the bus coming? If it took any longer then she was just gonna walk to the park. The day was nice enough, but she didn’t wish to become tired before getting started. After all, she couldn’t return until August gave her the all clear. It is not his fault Prince chewed through the electrical cords. That was… news to hear, but it was what he wanted to tell her about.

“Human Severa?”

When Severa decided to play video games all day, she texted August to join her(and hopefully distract her), but he never replied. Instead, he came up to her apartment rather pissed. He went earlier to tell her Prince had escaped (again), but this time Adams was the one who brought it up. The problem was she blamed everyone else besides herself. That wasn’t unusual for her though. Severa didn’t see the problem until August explained it further. The problem was Prince had been missing for hours before Adams told Joyce about it. The worst part was, it was discovered that Prince had chewed through wires in the electrical system on Adams’ floor. They now had to have an emergency technician come to review the entire building to see the damage. The power to the building was going to be turned off during the search/examination and they had no idea how long it would take. August suggested Sev leave for the day and he would text her when she could return if it was before dark.

And that’s how Severa was forced to go outside for the day. All thanks to the ferret. Thank you, Prince. Severa held back a grimace from the thought. She really didn’t want to leave, yet here she was outside, on a bench, thanks to a ferret. Did she mention it was all the ferret’s fault?

“SEVERA!”

Severa slightly jumped at the voice and looked down at her tote. Oh right, she also had the bitties. She couldn’t leave them alone in the apartment(for many reasons), but she had no idea what to do now. What could she do…? “...Yes?” she responded after that thought.

Pap and Blue had their skulls out of the tote bag, looking up with two very different expressions. Pap was obviously concerned while Blue looked annoyed more than anything. “We Have Called You Multiple Times. What Is On Your Mind?” Blue expressed to the human with a loud huff.

Severa shrugged. “Prince.”

“Why Are You Thinking About The Ferret?” Blue was sounding more annoyed by the minute. Why?

Severa raised her eyebrow at the Baby Blue. “He is the reason I had to leave my apartment.”

Blue didn’t seem to like that answer and he went back into the tote. Pap looked between Severa and his fellow bitty’s former place before excusing himself into the tote. Severa heard talking within the fabric but ignored it in favor of the approaching bus. Finally, Severa thought to herself as she stood up from the bench as the bus got closer.

The bus commute was quiet since all Severa did was stare out the window lost in her thoughts. She was vaguely aware of the voice in her tote, sometimes trying to get her attention, but it fell on deaf ears. She remained silent the entire time, only speaking to thank the bus driver when they got off. The stop was one just outside the park entrance with its giant arch and signature sight of ‘Ebott Central Park’. Severa went through the arch along with several other people chattering away with their own companions. She paid no real mind, deciding to focus on walking. Besides, she had other things on her mind. Some involved a fuzzy nuisance and his owner, a certain friend of hers, and of course, the small monsters in her tote.

Severa let out a resigned sigh. She did a quick scan of her surroundings, the road she trod at the moment was common cobblestone. It was spread all over the park, marking the acceptable paths to take. The breeze brushed passed her, swaying her black locks in the process. It caused her to adjust her head a bit. While her hair was up at the moment, the loose strains could get annoying. It was at times like these that she vaguely wished for bangs once again. Perhaps one day she would get bangs, but today is not that day. It will not be anytime soon either.

Severa took a look at her surroundings after some time walking. The park was filled with other people; all sorts of monsters and humans doing their own thing visiting the park. She watched as monster and human children played together in a large open space with some adults in the distance (hopefully supervising them). She turned her head away and carried onward along the path. She would just continue on until she decided to stop. When would that be? Who the hell knew. All she knew was she wanted to stop thinking.

After some more silent walking, Severa made it to the park’s several resting areas equipped with many stone table and connected seats, one of its many fountains and basic pretty scenery. With how often Severa came to the park, she knew surprisingly very little about it. There were places she knew were there, yeah, but the park was huge . Acres of the land she had yet to explore, but if she really wanted to know then she would just ask Parker. Parker was the forest enthusiast of her (strange) circle of friends. If there was anything interesting about it (besides what knowledge she already held) then Parker would be the one to know. With that thought, Severa took over one of the tables and set her tote on it. She opened the tote and quietly warned the bitties.

“Hey, I’m laying the tote down on the table.” then she did just that. Severa let her hands fall into her lap as she waited for the bitties to come out. She turned her gaze upward and stared at the blue sky. It was a beautiful day outside, the birds were chirping, the flowers blooming and she… really wished to be inside and playing video games. She had an urge to finish the current game she was working on. It would take her some time to finish it given its a survival game that’s in development. It needed updating, tweaking, etc- since it’s in development, but my stars was Severa excited for the final product. She was pushed from her thoughts when a loud gasp rang out. Severa looked down to see a familiar tall skeleton bitty.

Pap was standing tall staring outward to the view in front of them. His skeletal hands cover his entire teeth, his eye sockets were wide. Severa could see something gathering in their corners as well. The rattling his bones were making grew louder by the second until he just seemed to snap out of his trance and spun back to the bag.

“BLUE! BLUE!” he called for the other bitty. “YOU MUST COME OUT HERE! IT’S TRUE! IT WAS ALL TRUE!”

Severa blinked as she watched movement from the tote and Blue was dragging himself out of the bag sluggishly. For every time she was him running around being loud, energized and just rather… alive , this was alarming to her.  Blue was leaning forward slightly with a sort of dazed look. He looked horrible, to say the least. Was he really just low on magic as the firefly said? Could he even be sick? Wait, could bitties get sick? Severa was pulled from her thoughts when said bitty finally got to the rattling Pap.

“OH…” it was a soft noise from the boisterous bitty.

“SEE?! IT IS TRUE! THEY SPOKE THE TRUTH!” Pap blurted staring starry-eyed at the scenery. It didn’t take long for Blue’s eye lights to become actual stars, but he remained quiet for the most part. Pap spun to Severa abruptly and spoke out. “ARE WE STILL IN THE LOUDNESS?”

“The city? Yes, we are just at the central park.”

“TRULY?!”

“Yes. This goes on for several hundred acres.”

Pap looked confused. “IS THAT A LOT?”

“Yes,” Severa replied, nodding.

Pap’s bone-rattling got loude- No, it was Blue’s. Blue began rattling and Severa watched as straight up tears began to fall from his sockets. Severa blinked once. Twice. Three times. What? “Why are you crying?”

“I’M NOT CRYING!”

“Then what’s coming out of your sockets?”

“TEARS!”

Severa went silent, questions began to spring around in her mind. Questions she would never dare whisper out and yet, what comes out her mouth is none of those. It was something she would normally never let out. “...D...Do you want to see more?”

The bitties snapped their attention toward the human, matching expressions of pure disbelief. “WE CAN?!”

Severa looked around then nodded. “Sure. The place is meant to walk in after all.” Severa went silent for a moment looking over the bitties then over at the park. “Although maybe… the bag wouldn’t be the best place to be.”

A moment later, a weight appeared on Severa’s shoulder. Pap let out a gasp. “BLUE!” Blue was on her shoulder. Severa froze and suppressed the strong urge to jump in her seat and to shake off the sudden pressure against her body. She hadn’t expected the bitty to teleport onto her shoulder . She’d barely touched the bitties for the past few days they’d been with her and it took over a year for Serafino to do that. Yet, here this skeleton decided to go for it. Bold one.

“WHAT? SHE SAID THE BAG WOULDN’T WORK! THE MOST LOGICAL MOVE TO SEE WOULD BE TO GO UP!” Blue retorted out.

“THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM! YOU STARTLED HUMAN SEVERA!” Pap chastised the other bitty with his hands on his hip bones.

“APOLOGIES, HUMAN!” He didn’t sound sincere.

Severa let it go and made a noise, just listening as the bitties bickered back and forth. It occurred to her after a bit that this was the most… bizarre thing. When was the last time she had another on her shoulder like this? Several years. The last time was with Chester. It felt like an eternity since then… Severa’s hand that rested on her lap clenched together at the thought.

[It is okay.]

The voice… Severa sighed internally, then felt her hand uncurl.

[You will be fine.]

She forced herself to relax as those lines repeated through her head. They were right. They were true. “... The other shoulder is free, Pap.” That halted their banter and soon her other shoulder was weighed down by a new occupant.

[It is okay. ][ You will be fine.] The lines repeated and after a few moments, Severa stood up, taking her tote with her. “Have a preference?”

“A WHAT?”

“Which way would you like to go?”

“OH, UH…” Blue didn’t know.

Pap was quick to join in. “HUMAN SEVERA, YOU CHOOSE!”

If they let her choose, then she’d go there of course. “Then let’s go find the A.E. Trees that are here.” Severa took the first steps away from the stone table as she spoke.

“A.E. TREES?” Pap asked.

“Yes, fruit trees that have been genetically altered.”  Severa noticed out of the corner of her eye that Blue was watching her.

“...WHAT?”

“Fruit trees that were changed.”

“THAT’S POSSIBLE?”

“Yeah.”

“ARE THE TREES OKAY WITH THAT?” Blue interjected.

Severa tried to shrug in response since the bitties were on her shoulders. “Well, the trees don't have… a substance like that, so not really, but I don’t believe they would mind?” Severa strolled down the stone path as the three spoke on the topic.

“SO THEY ARE OKAY?”

“Yes? I mean they’ve been around for over 50 years and the trees have yet to have problems. The whole idea of them was to make more… nourishment. These trees would be more beneficial than normal ones. It was the end goal.” Severa explained, then warning Blue she was adjusting her tote. “Easier access, less trouble, more environmental durability- basically they could grow anywhere and people in need could always have good food.”

“ANYWHERE?”

“Yes, they were placed in the park as a test run and left here for people to use. There is a small grove of A.E. fruit trees somewhere here.”

“AND THIS IS WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO?”

Severa nodded. She kept walking. “Is that a problem?”

“NOT AT ALL.”

The trio fell silent as the human just strolled pretty aimlessly. Honestly, she didn’t care for the trees- she’s seen them before many times and their novelty just wore off. It was just another unnecessary genetic alteration done on their planet. It frustrated her to no end, but she wouldn’t voice it. It didn’t matter about her thoughts or feelings on such a wide, complicated topic of interest. She could get into a long argument about affecting the ecosystem and screwing up the natural order, but there were always people who would argue back for many reasons. Instead, she would just hold her tongue and suffer in silence. At least with the trees, they were getting put to use and not mass produced. Then again, Severa was sure she would’ve never let that happen in the first place. The whole idea behind them was to help after all. Although that does still irritate Severa to no end. Stars, it does get tiring.

The scenery around them was slowly engulfed by large trees, they towered so high the sky was waning from view. If one looked down, the shadows from the leaves stretched in just about every direction. There were pockets of sunlight that let its rays reach the path below. The breeze gave way to a nice atmosphere- it was peaceful.

It was pretty still until screaming is heard- not horrid screams, but one of laughter. She glanced back to see a group of young people coming up behind her. Her hair is moved by a passing breeze, shaking the leaves above her and the shadows below. She examined the group behind her from the corner of her eye. It was a mixture of humans and monsters- probably in high school going by their atmosphere. It was a strange thing, but after her long hours at the aquarium, Severa can just tell a group of peoples’ age range by the atmosphere they give off. Most teen groups are loud, rambunctious, but are pretty easy going half the time. The younger ones are very loud, childish, and it's hard to keep their attention. Older ones are very proper, loud, and often self-entitled. Now that she thought about how most groups were, the ‘loud’ trait is common. Severa focused her attention forward, going at a steady pace. She tried her best to ignore the voices behind her and focus on her surroundings.

The birds chirping; leaves rustlings by the breeze and her steps on the cobble below. She even tried to soak in the pressures of the small skeletons on her shoulders. They had both been quiet this entire time, but Severa could make out the soft sound of clicking and cracking bones. It must be from the boys looking around at everything. Obviously, this was all new to them even if it should’ve been crystal clear to Severa, it never clicked. Even with her, they went out once and that was because she was forced to.

She had a sharp, familiar urge to vomit.

They wouldn’t stay still. The bitties kept moving around on her shoulders, even moving across her head to view all around them. Why they decided to begin now- Severa couldn’t know, but it was getting unbearable. The noises, pressures, and just constant proof that the duo were there was starting to get to her- good thing they were close to the objective. As she thought so, a sign appeared and the path before them forks. Severa heard the boys gasp and began talking to each other about which way to go.

“Uh…” Severa’s voice jolted the bitties on her shoulders. “Don’t get too excited. We are going right since that’s where the trees are…”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” Blue asked with curiosity and a hint of disappointment. Severa chose to ignore that small emotion. She could’ve just imagined it.

“The sign said so.” She pointed to the long wooden pole with two matching wooden arrows pointing in opposite directions. They each held writings and the right arrow held the A.E. Trees.

“IS THAT WHAT THOSE DRAWINGS SAY?” Pap inquired, he inched closer to the edge of the woman’s shoulder from the movement she caught and the shift on her body.

“Writing- basically words you speak on paper. It is another form of communication.” Severa explained as she stepped toward the right. The bitties went quiet after Pap acknowledged her clarification. Blue was just resting on her shoulder but was gripping her shirt. Severa could feel his phalanges digging into her shoulder’s skin.

As she made her way down the new path, Severa was able to hear more voices than before. All the time she was here, there had been very few people or groups around her(which she was grateful for), but it was odd. This place should’ve been packed for the summer months. The park was barren and quiet and Severa couldn’t help but question why? Maybe they were all just gathered in different places or was it some sort of holiday? Nothing came to mind. The idea of a serene walk should've been a miracle to Severa, and yet here she was fretting about it. She didn’t know why though. Something just bugged her. Her thoughts were cut when the noise level skyrockets. Severa had to retreat when the noise registered in her head.

Holy shit, it was loud. There was no other word than loud to describe the noise level. Severa stopped a few feet away just barely exiting the noise range and she bent down with her hands against her legs for support. She stared at the gravel below her trying to focus on anything other than the steadily growing buzzing in her head. The buzzing. The buzzing. The buzzing. Severa wanted to scream, but she didn’t. Screaming never helped as the buzzing got worse. She was afraid it would morph into a throbbing pain, but her fears seemed to be meaningless as she kept steadily breathing and centering herself, the buzzing slowly faded.

After a few moments, Severa was able to straighten her back and exhaled a heavy sigh.

“SEVERA…?”

The human disregarded the worried looks of the bitties on her shoulder after mumbling a quick apology. She turned around and headed back to the grove and racket. Much more prepared this time, hopefully.

Surprise, surprise- she wasn’t. She wasn’t ready. Severa loathed the amount of noise surrounding her. The levels of sounds were such a difference, it caused the girl to feel like she received whiplash. She wanted to go home and curl back into bed. The soft, plush warmth of her apartment. Her quiet apartment.

Even with her current desires, she moved forward through the racket. She shook her thoughts away and tried to center on anything else. The sounds of her steps on the path, the giggling of small children nearby, the whipping sounds of the leaves above or the pressure of the bitties on her shoulders. Oh, right. The bitties… - Perhaps “There are ten types of trees available in the grove.”

“Ten?” Pap replied, softly. He pulled close to Severa’s neck as if he was trying to appear hidden. He moved his head around to look at everything. There was so much to see!

Blue, on the other hand, kept silent and stayed visible. He was sitting on Severa’s shoulder gazing ahead of him with a far off look in his eyelights.

“Yes. We can take a few, but not many. There is a rule that requires only a few fruits are taken at a time.”

“Why Is That?”

“Like any tree, it takes time to grow fruit and they only appear in certain seasons. They are meant to be shared, so people cannot be greedy. Although that doesn’t stop people.”

“Don’t They Get In Trouble?”

“Not really. When I say ‘rule’, it is more of a request by the original creator of the A.E. fruits.”

“Why?”

“It is limited. You can’t just go to the store and buy these- the only trees available are here in this area; people cannot just grow their own either.”

Pap made a confused sound to which Severa quickly explained what trees did with fruit from the seeds to saplings, etc. Afterward- Pap seemed much more cleared up on the topic.

“So Why Cannot They Grow Their Own? They Have The Fruit Already.”

“That’s because A.E. fruit don’t have seeds.”

“How?!”

“They were designed that way.”

“Why?!”

“I don’t know.”

“Weren’t They Supposed To Be Better?”

“Yes, quite contradictory.”

“It Makes No Sense!” Blue suddenly spat out. “Then What Was The Point?!”

“You are very blunt today, Blue,” the bitty looked away from the female human. “But the reasons behind it are all rumors. No one really knows, but the most popular are: she changed her mind at the last minute, she was bluffing the entire time, or… she died before anything could happen.”

Pap stared at Severa with widen eye sockets then responded after a bout of silence. “What Do You Think…?”

“She died.”

The pair didn’t comment further, although Severa was almost certain they stiffened at her answer. She felt one of them grip at the fabric of her shirt. Which one- she didn’t care to figure out. Her main goal was to keep the conversation going no matter how one-sided it turned. It appeared talking to the bitties was a good distraction from all the noise around her (and the small throb in the back of her head). “Why did the skeleton get caught lying?”

“Because They Could See Right Through Him!” Pap responded with ease.

That caused Severa to raise her eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? You know that one?”

“I’ve Heard It Many Times!”

“Me As Well!” Blue agreed.

“Aw, there goes some cards then. Do you know-”

“Skeleton Jokes And Puns!” Pap interrupted Severa, with a rise in his voice, but she couldn’t say it was a bad thing. “That Was All He Ever Did!”

“Both Of Them! That Was What Both Of Them Always Did!” Blue added and went on to complain about the never-ending puns from these two mysterious people. Pap and Blue spoke to one another with uncontainable excitement, but it left Severa at a loss. The conversation went on without her, turning down a way she had no way to join in. She couldn’t think of any way to insert herself into it either. She also didn’t wish to interrupt the bitties conversation, internally enjoying their unreserved back and forth. Blue had been acting strangely after all, so this was a good thing, right? It had to be.

Severa centered to the scenery before her to figure her whereabouts. To her surprise, she was well into the grove. When did that happen? “Oh, we’re here.” The human halted in her tracks looking around at the matured trees around her; bearing fruit of all sorts just right for the picking. From where Severa stood she could tell some of the trees were very bare-boned. Most of their fruit has already been taken by other hands or animals since it wasn’t only humans or monsters that could take the fruit when they wanted.

Her comment from earlier had knocked the bitties from their ramblings and they, once more, made audible gasps. “OH MY....” Which one, let it go, Severa didn’t know and didn’t care. She focused on getting to one of the trees. “I wonder what fruit we should get…” She said, but she chose a bit ago. She craved pomegranates more than anything. She would be getting some of those for certain.  Anything else was up in the air.

Severa stepped forward to the nearest tree and looked upward at it. The tree had to be over 20 feet tall and the young woman had to crane her neck just to see the fruit hanging from their many branches. It was an apple tree. One of many types of apple trees that populated the grove.

“What Are Those Things?” Pap asked, gesturing his skeletal hand to the fruit.

“Those are apples.”

“Apples?” Blue parroted.

“A type of fruit and one of the main ones of the A.E. Trees. In the world, there many varieties of apple trees, and so it became one of the focal points of the grove. There are multiple mutations of the apple A.E. tre-” Severa stopped mid-sentence when she realized she was ranting. She refused to finish her explanation after that, even as the bitties tried to get her to continue. A bit later they gave up and Pap turned the conversation.

“Can We Get Some Of The Apples?”

“Sure.” The girl agreed with ease and that was the beginning of the trio’s fruit hunt. Severa was able to find a bag to use for the fruit from the many baskets full of them scattered around. The grove was known to be a free fruit picking sight so it had been decided that reusable bags should be placed around for convince. The bags were all the same: expandable fabric that sealed by pulling the strings at the top.

Severa lost track of time as she just walked around with the duo on her shoulders pointing in random directions to fruit they wished to see closer or point out things they see. The birds eating the fruit off the ground (Is That Okay To Do?)(No, don’t do that.) , the rotting fruit on the ground as well (Can We Take That?)(No, we can’t.), and all the people around (They Are Very Loud!)(Yes, they are.). The bag was slowly getting filled until Severa decided she needed her pomegranates.

“Pomegranates. I need pomegranates.”

“What Do Those Look Like?” Pap’s question rushed in the girl’s ear and she responded with a swift, “Purple and round.” He didn’t like that answer from the annoyed look he sent her. Severa sent him a grin in response. She went to find those purple fruit trees.

It took a bit for Severa to find the correct trees, but when she did- there were several others there (not like they haven’t been everywhere around the grove.) A strange urge to run washed over the human. She didn’t want to go there anymore. Why? She ignored the thought and strolled to the nearest tree. Examining the tree quickly, the girl discovered the current tree was bare.

To the next one.  Another bare. Next. Bare. Another. Bare. Again and again; each was bare. Severa was getting annoyed Why? Why were they bare? Given, there were fruit in the trees, but they were too far for her to get without equipment that wasn’t just around like some were (similar cases to the bags).

“CAN WE GET BLUEBERRIES?” Pap requested. The unexpected voice made the human jolt and glanced to the skeleton.

“W-What?”

“BLUE-(“NO!”)-BERRIES! CAN WE GET SOME?” Pap repeated his question as Blue cried from the other side. Severa snorted at it but shook her head in response.

“MUST YOU?!” Blue retaliated.

“WHAT? IT IS A SIMPLE QUESTION!”

“NO, IT IS NOT!” The baby blue was annoyed.

“YES, IT IS! WHY CAN’T WE GET BLUEBERRIES?”

“PAP!” Blue shouted at the opposite bitty, but Pap chose to ignore him and Severa decided it was a good time to step in.

“Sorry, Pap. As good an idea as that is, blueberries grow on bushes, not trees. There is no such thing as an A.E. bush… I’m pretty sure at least.” Severa looked off, thinking on it for a bit. There was no bush, right?

“What Is There Then?”

“Fruit trees.” Severa’s answer was automatic.

“SEVERA!” Blue fired out. Oh, it was her turn to get yelled at?

“Apple trees, orange trees, etc. while we’re here I still wanna find pomegranates. I want them dammit.”

“Language.” The bitties scolded her at the same time. Severa rolled her eyes at it, but a gentle smile overcame her features. The bitties will never let that go, will they?

“Do You Need Them?” Blue asked afterward. Severa made a noise and explained she just wanted them and not necessarily needed them. She wanted to eat them more than anything, but it was then that a question came up. ”Hey, can you guys even eat these?”

“WE DON’T KNOW.”

“Wonderful.”

Severa ended up leaving the grove without the pomegranates after scouring around and coming up with nothing. Someone wiped out all the trees. To say she was pissed would be an understatement, but she didn’t dwell on it. When the trio was leaving from the grove a certain human’s stomach growled. This caused Blue to point out that she needed to eat if her stomach was making demands.

This was how they ended up at a cafe that was located near the park. It was a cute, lolita theme cafe run by a spider monster named Muffet. Severa had come in several times before and was never disappointed by the pastries of the monster. The monster was pretty too, but that was just a bonus to Severa.  

The trio was currently sitting at a table in the cafe. Severa’s bag was resting beside her seat with the bag of assorted fruits leaning against it. They would be fine for the time being, so it was alright for them to stay a bit. The bitties were sitting on the table itself with a single plate in front of them with an assortment of cookies Severa let them pick out from the front. Severa, herself, was drinking coffee that was recently delivered by Muffet’s small, adorable spiders and honestly, she would order the entire menu just to watch the little critters roam everywhere around the place. It was so interesting to observe. She swore she saw Muffet giggle at times- perhaps she figured out what Severa was doing and thought it was cute? She hoped so.

Severa took a sip of the beverage and let the hot liquid roll down her throat. A hot beverage might not be the best idea to drink in the middle of summer, but what could you do? Old habits die hard, plus Severa couldn’t care less. She let the bitties eat their cookies, noticing them swap between the sweets from time to time and getting the other to try one. It was cute, but it didn’t stop thoughts from springing up in Severa’s mind. They were seated and stationary at the moment. What better time than now? Of course, it involved the bitties.

What was she going to do? She let the bitties on her shoulders and it wasn’t… bad…? Severa took another drink, pondering. The message from Avery was also worrisome. ‘They were low.’ Low on what? Magic? That’s what Avery said and Severa couldn’t think of anything else, so that had to be it. ‘Being low on magic’ what did that even mean? Was it dangerous? What would happen if the bitties lost their magic? How did they manage to lose so much then? The firefly never had problems like this. Was this a normal thing for these types of bitties or was it fro- Severa cut off her thoughts. She didn’t need to go down there. There was no reason to think about it. No reason. Severa brought her cup back to her lips to drink more.

Severa turned her attention toward the window. The day was beautiful without a cloud in the sky. The air-conditioning of the cafe was a good relief from the rising heat outside even with the breeze that was blowing today. She gazed outward, watching people pass by until she caught the bitties’ reflections in the window. Blue and Pap were talking to one another animatedly. Blue’s eyelights were constant stars at the moment. That Severa thought was utter adorable . Pap was being the same, but he was swaying back and forth as he sat on the table. Something she discovered recently was that Blue showed more with his face and Pap expressed with his body language. They were such good boys. How could anyone hurt them?

The marks on their bones and their states when she first met them presented themselves in her head. The human couldn’t stop herself from comparing them then , to them now . There was a difference, but maybe… she cou- Severa stopped her thoughts again. She shouldn’t. She couldn’t. Severa brought her cup back to her lips once again.

‘ I know you and want to help, Sev. You should let yourself do something more… it is okay to do that. ’ Severa stopped sipping her coffee as Avery’s words came to the forefront of her mind. The words repeated several times before Severa set down the ceramic cup. They repeated like a broken record.

It’s okay to do that.

It’s okay to do that.

It’s okay to do that.

It’s okay to do that.

It’s okay.

It’s okay.

It’s okay.

It’s okay .

It’s okay… to help?

Avery… was right. Severa’s eyes narrowed at the beverage before her and her grip tightened around the cup.

This caught the bitties’ attention, stopping from their own antics to gaze at the female human. “Severa?” Severa heard her name- it was Blue. She couldn’t respond as she was too engrossed in her thoughts. She wanted to help them. Avery was right. So very right… And it was okay for her to do so, so then…

“Let’s go to Mama Cry’s in a few days,” Severa said. It was unexpected, as manifested when Pap and Blue both stared at her with widened sockets. A similar expression to when she first discovered them in her kitchen in the morning hours. The atmosphere around the trio went stagnate as her suggestion settled in.

“NO!” Blue responded first. His eye lights were gone and he clutched at his cookie. Crumbs began to break and fall onto the table.

“I am not saying we are going now but in a few days. You two need to get checked out by someone who knows about bitties.” Severa tried to reason with the small, opposing monster.  She kept most of her focus on the baby blue but shot glances at Pap who was still wrestling an answer for himself. She would give him time. “So why not?”

“WE ARE FINE!”

“No, you are not.”

“AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?!” Blue shot back, his eye lights reappeared but they were slits like a cat’s.

“Blue, I am not having this discussion right now.” Severa declared before continuing. “Mama Cry’s is where the firefly is from, remember?” That made Blue fall silent as he tossed around that piece of information. Severa watched the two bitties while she took another sip of her drink, so silence engulfed the already stalled air with the boys trying to come to an answer.

The bitties went back to snacking and keeping to themselves until Pap broke it. “I… WILL GO.” Blue dropped his current cookie when he heard those words and Severa smiled softly at the taller bitty.

“Thank you, Pap.” The female human watched as Pap’s skull flushed with color. It was cute and it made her giggle softly. Next thing Severa knew, she was jerking in her seat when Blue stomped his foot on the table(when had he stood up?) and loudly declared- “ALRIGHT, I WILL GO WILLINGLY AS WELL!” A smile spread over Severa’s features, directed at the small, pouty bitty. “Thank you, Blue!” She watched as his skull also flushed with color. Yeah, it was definitely adorable when that happened. She would admit that.

Chapter Text

A tune chimed from Severa’s pocket, cutting off her current sentence. She pulled the device from her pocket then took a glance to see who sent her a text. It was August. “Oh, they must have found Prince.”

“GREAT!” Pap bellowed in earnest with a wide smile on his teeth.

“I guess,” Severa replied as she opened the text.

[August] We found the fuzzy bastard but we have a problem

[August] Come back now

An unsettling feeling rose in Severa’s stomach, but August said she needed to come back. She grabbed at her tote. “Boys, we gotta go.”

“WHY?” Blue huffed, bitterly. Ever since their earlier discussion, Blue’s mood has not improved or worsened. The human had no clue what his problem could be either. The small bitty seemed keen on staying seated even while his counterpart was already standing up.

“Blue, I have no idea why you are upset, but August asked me to come back. We need to go back. Come along- you can take the cookies.”

That seemed to get his attention as the small monster finally stood up. He held onto his current cookie and disappeared. A weight materialized on her shoulder, signaling just where the bitty went.

Severa held back a shiver from his action and slowly reached down to lay her hand flat on the table. This allowed Pap to climb onto her unoccupied shoulder. She noticed Pap grabbed his own cookie at some point. She was going to have crumbs all over her shirt. The human shoved the thought back as she stood up from her chair and began to gather the leftover sweets. Severa was so absorbed in her task she failed to catch a shadow moving closer.

“Leaving already, dearie?”

The human’s focus snapped at the new voice and she glanced over her shoulder with a smile across her features. “Muffet!”

The spider monster smiled in response, her fangs glistened in the fluorescent lights. “Well~?”

“Yeah, I gotta go. A friend of mine texted me.”

Muffet was a spider monster Severa had befriended after multiple visits to the cafe that Muffet ran herself. The spider woman was a tad bit taller than Severa, but that could be from the fact that the monster wore heels constantly. They went with her usual outfit of a maroon blouse with matching ribbon and puffy, shorts with long black stockings. Her boots were a maroon color too. Even though, Severa knew Abby would be all over Muffet’s outfit, the girl couldn’t say much. It fit the monster very well and it was perfect against her periwinkle skin. For being a spider, Muffet had the six arms and five eyes that were currently directed at Severa’s face. From the look the monster held, she wasn’t happy with Severa’s answer. “A friend of yours?”

“Mhm.” Severa nodded, then turn her head to try and gather the sweets once more. She went on to explain that something came up and while she wished to stay longer she really should head back. The bitties were silent during their short exchange.

Severa wasn’t looking at the spider, but had to glance back when Pap pressed against her neck. She caught Muffet staring intently at the duo on her shoulders. “Muffet?” Her voice seemed to break the monster’s thoughts as said monster turned her stare back to the human.

“I didn’t know you had bitties,” Muffet said with a pair of her arms moving behind her.

“DON’T YOU HAVE OTHERS TO BE HELPING?!” Blue suddenly shouted surprising the two females. It was Muffet that recovered first and responded that her spiders had everything under control. She always had time for her favorite human. The comment made Severa’s face flush and she avoided eye contact with the monster in front of her.

“Ahuhu~” Muffet’s signature laugh made Severa’s flush worsen and she waved her hand in front of her face. “Very much my favorite human.”

“Muffet- Was there anything you needed?” Severa asked as she finished boxing the sweets and putting them in her tote. She turned around to face the other and gave the monster her full attention.

The human’s question caused a smile to spread over the monster’s face. “Nothing that cannot wait until next time when you, hopefully, have more time, dearie. Instead, can you hold for a few moments and I will be right back?”

Severa blinked, but nodded at her friend. “I guess..?”

“Ahuhu~” The monster laughed then made her way to the back of the cafe. Severa watched her go then glanced up to Blue.

“What was that about?”

The bitty didn’t respond other than shoving a piece of cookie in his mouth.

Severa let it drop.

It was a bit, but soon enough, Muffet was returning with a small box that she handed to Severa. “Here you are, dearie.”

“That is it?”

“Ahuhu~ Something on the house for your boys. This should help.” Muffet pushed the box closer until the human took the cardboard then walked off before she could respond. “Come again soon, dearie!”

Severa just stared after the spider in confusion and slowly, made her way out of the cafe, lost from the interaction. What just happened? She hadn’t made it very far before a certain tall skeleton bitty was asking about the box contents. Severa obliged his curiosity and opened the container. It was filled with bone shaped cookies.

Severa couldn’t hold back her laughter.

It took a good length of time for Severa to calm down. The human’s face was red from her laughter and tears were gathered in the corners of her eyes. She proceeded to grab two cookies from the box and held out one to each of the bitties. They took them and Severa closed the box and returned to walking home. The reason for doing so sprang forth in her mind along with the unsettling feeling. She no longer wished to return home.

Alas, August asked her to return. It had to be important. He was the direct type. He wouldn’t ask Severa to do something unless absolutely necessary. She sighed, resigning to her fate and tried to think of reasons she could be called back. There was something that came to the forefront of her mind, but she pushed it back. A small bit of hope peaked that it wasn’t what she thought. The only way to find out. To the bus stop, it was.

A bus ride later, Severa was walking up to her apartment building’s door. The bus ride was filled with answering the bitties’ neverending questions, constant chatter, banter and all around a good source of distraction. A too good distraction as when Severa got the doors to open, she felt like her head was ringing due to the noise coming from the lobby. She quickly covered her ears, managing to keep her shoulders straight and not let the bitties slip off. Her bag, though, slipped itself into the wedge of her inner arm. Her eyes shut on reflex, but she forced them open to see the scene in front of her.

An old woman, presumably in her mid-60s, was scre- no, shrieking about something. The older woman had faded, colored hair with a short cut to it that didn’t shape her round face very well and her height was much shorter than the person she was currently aiming her rage at. Severa took a glance at the person and instantly recognized what was happening. The old woman was Adams. The other was August. They were arguing, but why? She took a quick look about to notice something on the desk. A trap. One of those common traps you see in the woods when hunters want to catch rabbits and other small animals alive. Currently, in the metal contraption, a familiar frazzled ferret was frozen stiff in it. For once, Severa felt bad for the animal. Wait, why was Prince in a trap?

“How dare you!” Adams shrieked louder than before. Severa felt like her eardrums were going to burst from the old woman’s noise pollution.

“It’s for the damn fuzzball’s safety! It’s not getting out of it!” August spat back, not even trying to defuse the situation. His apathetic attitude was making it worse.

“ You have no say in what happens to my baby! If he-”

“Your baby ?! If he’s such a precious thing to you then why do you constantly let him out and in danger?! We have told you innumerable times that he needs to stay inside your apartment! Not running amuck around the whole building! You are lucky he got caught in the trap, alive!” August argued, shooting a strong glare to the elderly lady.

Adams didn’t back down. She stomped her foot. “That shouldn’t matter! If this place is as safe as you pride yourself then what is the problem for him to be enjoying himself?!”

“Because it is too dangerous! What part of it do you not understand you crazy old bat?!”

“Why you-”

“Okay,” Joyce suddenly appeared, stepping between the duo holding up a hand in front of each person. “I’m gonna have to stop you right there. August,” She gave at her nephew a disapproving look. “Don’t.”

The man shrugged his shoulder then looked away, nonchalantly. “Hmph.”

“Joyce! You need to control your nephew better!” Adams told the ‘younger’ woman who slowly turned to gaze at her with disbelief. It was short lived.

“You need to control your ferret better. I warned you before about Prince getting out.”

Adams crossed her arms. “I wasn’t aware my darling got out. Why do you think I went to tell you about it?”

“Wasn’t that still hours afterward?!” August retorted swiftly. Joyce tried to hush him which he ignored, glaring at the other woman.

“I went looking for him myself before I went to you of course !”

“ Of course !” August parroted after the old crone. To say she was insulted would be an understatement.

“Oh! Why you- You are just as bad as that insufferable child!”

“Insufferable child?”

“The one with that- that monstrosity !”

“... Are you referring to Chester ?”

Adams let out some sort of strange hybrid of a laugh/huff. “It doesn’t deserve a name.”

“ He has a name and you will use it,” Severa spoke out with a hard expression.

Her words caused the trio to look her way and it seemed Adams believed it safe to continue on. “I refuse! Not after what he did to my darling baby!”

Severa exhaled heavily still staring at the old woman, then turned her gaze to her friend. “Speaking of the ferret, why is he in a trap?”

“We don’t know,” Joyce announced.

“Yes, you do-”

“For the last time, we do not !” August interjected to Adams. He was obviously(and rightfully) pissed off and it was worsening by each passing second. His once nonchalant attitude nowhere to be seen and replaced with one of hostility. “Quit making shit up!”

“AUGUST!” The owner of the compound warned her family member with a raise of her voice.

“No! I am done with her shit, auntie! It was bound to happen anyway with how many people she’s pissed off with the animal. We should’ve called animal control a long time ago or at least the cops about such blatant animal cruelty.”

“ Cruelty ?!” The elderly woman was in complete disbelief. “The only one you should call the police on is the one who put my dear in the trap in the first place!”

“And who the fuck would that be ya old bat?!”

“Her!” Adams pointed straight at Severa who in response stared down at the wrinkly finger with widened eyes and an agape mouth.

“W-What?”

“You set out the trap for my darling! It is clear as day that it’s you! You hate me and hate him after all! There is no one else!”

“T...There is no way I could’ve. This is the first time I’ve heard about a trap being in the compound. I don’t know where to even get one and I have been busy this whole week. When could I have had the time to do so?!”

“Busy with what exactly?” Adams spat, clearly not believing the young woman.

Severa looked to the side then returned to gaze at Adams. “That is none of your concern.”

“So you have no proof.”

“Oh my god! She’s telling the truth, hag!” August growled, moving to insert himself in front of Severa. He managed to block his friend from the elder’s view. “Auntie and I both know what’s kept her busy. Quit trying to blame Severa for shit she hasn’t done!”

The tension in the air was so thick- it could be cut with a butter knife, yet it laid heavy around the group.

“Two peas in a pod.” Adams spat under her breath, but it was still loud enough to hear from the silence that overcame everyone. A bit after that, Prince decided to make his presence known by hissing .

“My baby!” Adams tried to scurry over to the ferret, but Joyce got in the way. “Move! My bab-”

“-Stays in there for the time being. I explained this to you not that long ago. He is to stay in the trap until the police arriv-”

“You called the cops?!” August called out. “When did you do that?”

“Yes. A bit ago, August.”

“I don’t want to be here when they show up,” Severa stated bluntly. She tugged on August’s shirt who glanced over his shoulder at her and nodded.

“Oka-”

“Oh no, you are not going anywhere! You are going to stay down here and receive the punishment you deserve for all the horrible things you have done to me and my baby!” Adams erupted and lunged for Severa, but she was stopped by August.

“Oh, hell no- Leave her alone!” August growled once again and proceeded to be a blockade between the two females. “Back off, Adams.” The college student warned, giving her a death glare. The action did not phase the woman. She opened her mouth to argue when Joyce’s thunderous voice halted everyone.

“Enough! August, take Severa upstairs and make sure she stays there.” August nodded then Joyce turned to Adams. “ You and I are to remain here and wait for the police. The person most likely to come is the police chief and let me tell you something-” Joyce levels with Adams. “He doesn’t take someone harming Severa well.”

Adams appeared to have lost her will to do anything other than glare at Severa as the young woman was guided to the stairs. August tried to block her view with his body as much as possible.

Severa laid on her bed, dressed in a pair of black shorts and a loose tank top, staring upward at the white ceiling with a lost look.  Why…? Why did she have to bring that up? Thoughts swirled around her head, trying to make sense of the situation that had occurred prior.

Just before Severa could get through the door to the stairs, it seemed Adams had one last shot left and gave it a go. It made a direct hit.

“Where was he when the monstrosity “harmed” her then?”

Severa couldn’t control it. She snapped . “He was a bird !” She spun around August who tried to stop her, but she marched right up to Adams who took a step back, shocked. What? Had she really expected for Severa not to react? “What the hell?! Quit bringing up my deceased companion! He only did that because he got confused! It was an accident and it wasn’t the first time it happened in my lifetime. Lay off, Adams. I’m sick of your shit.”

“So-o you admit you c-couldn’t handle that beast?!” How the hell did this woman still manage to talk when it was clear she was frightened by Severa?

“He was a bird,” Severa spoke very slowly to the old woman. “They are comparable to handling a toddler. What do you expect?”

“It is an animal!”

“He was my family!” Severa snapped at the woman. “He was one of the most important people to me in this whole, miserable world! You can’t seem to understand that! Quit pissing on my bird with your self-righteous shit! Drop whatever you have against me and just leave me the fuck alone!” Severa couldn’t recall what expression she had on, but whatever it was sure shut Adams up real quick. It shut the whole lobby down.

Severa didn’t stay around. She left the area without a second thought which led her to where she was now. She wouldn’t escape her thoughts. They were overcome by her lost companion. She grabbed at her shirt in response. With each thought, it felt like her body was being split in two. It hurt. It hurt so bad. The only way to describe the sort of pain she had was: it felt like her SOUL was being split in two.

The human just laid there in agony, completely unaware of the two small skeletons left stranded in the living room who were both in similar positions.

The pain eventually subsided. How long was she lying there? Severa didn’t know and honestly, didn’t care. She felt drained. Tired. Exhausted, but sleep was far from her. She uncurled from her tight ball and let go of her shirt. She looked down at it. Great, another one stretched out. Oh well. She shrugged it off and stood up from the bed. She took a quick glance out the window to see darkness. Nothing, but darkness.

There was only one thing to do then. Bake. After all, it’s what she always did when her episodes hit. Do the only thing that could make her feel something before the numbness made its scheduled appearance.

Severa made her way into the kitchen and began to take ingredients out of place with meticulous precision. The human pulled out all sorts of things that didn’t make any sense to anyone other than herself. She didn’t even halt in her robotic actions when a weakened voice spoke out.

“S-Severa…?”

“Yes?”

“A-Are...Y-Yo…” The bitty couldn’t finish his sentence and that caused the female to halt her preparations. She glanced over her shoulder then without a second thought quickly made her way over to the duo who were sitting on the table. They looked like wrecks, but Severa knew she looked a similar way. She sure felt like it. The girl picked up each small monster and placed them on her shoulders then returned to her actions.

She felt each bitty practically deflate against her neck and press themselves into her as if they wanted to disappear. She tried not to think too much on it. “Would you guys like an explanation?”

“For?” No stuttering? Severa glanced to her right shoulder where Blue was sunk into. He barely could speak before and now he could? The fuck? Did she just get tricked?

“My reaction.”

“If You Feel Up To It. It Is Obvious It Made You Upset Though!”

“Obviously…” Severa mumbled as she continued her practiced measurements of all the strange ingredients.

“What Are You Doing Anyway?” Pap asked, gazing around. Severa noticed him doing so for a bit after he had relaxed.

“I’m making chocolate stout pretzel toffee bars.”

“What Is That?”

“My comfort,” Severa responded, monotone then continued on. “And for my behavior… I can get that way when Chester’s involved. He was important. I loved him with my entire being. When he died it felt like a part of me died along with him.” She felt Blue had moved his head a bit when she spoke out, but she spoke again. “It was difficult for me to move on when he passed. It hurt when he died. It still hurts and I still… don’t like it.”

The bitties fell quiet and so the girl. The trio let a calm atmosphere drip over them as Severa continued on making her self-declared comfort.

“What Was That Yellow Stuff You Put In These?” Pap asked from his seat on the table. In front of him was a plate full of the completed bars. He and Blue were eating a shared one with a conflicted expression on each skull.

“Mustard,” Severa spoke while taking a sip of coffee. While the bars were baking, she decided to make some coffee. She wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon anyhow. She sat at the small island in front of the settled bitties. She didn’t want any more crumbs on her body, so she moved them onto the table. They didn’t protest much.

“Why Would You Put That In There? It Is Gross!” Blue retorted.

“I didn’t tell you guys to exactly taste it.” Severa said, shoving a bar in her mouth. Even though the trio were focused on the bars, there were some of the cookies from Muffet’s spread on the plates as well. Severa had put the rest up for a later date.

“Yes, You Did!” Blue stated in return.

“I told you to try the batter- not mustard.”

“Same Thing!”

“No!” Severa playfully argued back. She grinned at them which caused color to flush on the skeleton’s skull. Blue took a bite of the bar to try and hide. It failed. The human watched the duo for a bit until she spoke again.

“Are you two really okay with going to Mama Cry’s in a few days?”

“Yes.” The duo responded with ease.

“Really?” Severa didn’t believe them. She eyed a certain small bitty in particular. He must have felt it since he rose his eyelights to meet her’s. “Or are you just saying that?”

Blue shook his head. “No, I Am Perfectly Alright Going With You.”

“That’s a real switch. What’s up with your mood swings?”

“I’m Not Too Sure! Maybe Mama Cry Can Explain?” Blue inquired to Severa who looked surprised.

“Wait. You don’t know? For real?”

“Yes! I Am Not Understanding Either! I Just Felt Anger And Not Very Magnificent Lately!”

“You Have Been Quite Mean, Blue!” Pap pointed out to the bitty.

“I Apologize For That!” Blue apologized, his tone was oozing with sincerity this time around. What the hell? Severa was completely lost for words. What was going on?

“Oh, Right! If We Are Going Then Perhaps She Could Also Explain Something Else!” Pap placed his treat down and walked over to Severa.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Oh!,” Blue appeared to understand where Pap was going and he was soon following his actions. “That Is True, Pap! Serafino Did Mention It Was Odd And No One Else Had Them!” The two bitties came to stop in front of Severa and… pulled up their shirts.

“Geez- What the he-”

“What Are These?”

“And Why Didn’t Serafino Have One?”

“What are you talk-” Severa blinked and gazed at the bitties. What was she supposed to see? The washed white bones were looking better than before. The boys, while looking like a mess, were better somewhat. A bit of happiness swelled within the human girl, but the bitties just motioned to their ribs. This made Severa lean closer to the small creatures to finally get a better look. Her blood ran cold. No. No. No way. There in plain sight on their floating ribs were serial numbers . Severa could even make out the serial itself.

BS.K-U7-BB028 was on Blue.

BS.K-U5-PY019 was on Pap.

What the fuck?! She slammed her hands onto the table, pushing herself upward in the process. She stared at the duo- more precisely at the etchings in their bones . She wanted to puke.

“SEVERA? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Blue asked the human before him, his voice coated with concern. He lowered his shirt from her actions.

His words went over the young woman’s head as she backed away slightly with her mind racing in different directions. “I… I need to go talk to August.” Before the two could respond, Severa was out the door practically sprinting down to the lobby. Severa was greeted by the bright lights of the lobby, eyes scanning for the young man in question from her spot at the doorway leading to the stairwell. She goes over to August once she spotted him at the desk. The trap that had Prince in it was long gone.

August was typing away on the lobby computer, probably about Adams or something, but he halted when he noticed Sever standing in front of the desk with her arms hugging herself tightly with a very worrisome expression. He instantly stopped and pushed himself up in response. “Sev?! What’s wrong?!”

“... ers…” Severa murmured softly as she stared down at the wood of the desk, her grip tightened around her arms.

“What?” August was growing confused and worried. Severa looked absolutely alarmed and even somewhat… terrified. That wasn't good. “Sev, what is wrong?”

The seconds it took Severa to respond seemed to stretch on, causing the worry to grip at August. It only worsens when Severa finally found herself able. “... The bitties have serial numbers…!”

The room fell silent and Severa stared at the lobby desk, even the words seemed far from reality and they came from her own mouth. It made no sense, but it petrified her very soul. Why? Why? ... Why ? She searched for answers to the questions she had in the lobby desk, but it held none. It wouldn’t.

“... they… what ?” August was speechless and he fell back into the chair. Worry still gripped at his being for his friend, but something else was stirring. It couldn’t focus long enough to figure out what it was.

“August…” Severa spoke after a heavy silence fell over the duo, catching her friend’s attention. She took a deep breath for courage. “Can you… look up serial numbers on bitties?” Severa gripped her arms, staring straight at her friend with a hard expression.

There was no hesitation when August spun in his leather chair and fulfilled his friend’s request. While he did so, Severa walked around the desk and stood behind him gazing hard at the screen. Her expression turned mixed as August typed.

The search results made a cold sensation creep up Severa’s spine just reading the google links. Her mixed expression quickly took a plummet into one of complete distress.

[Monster Bitties Found With Serial Numbers]
[Underground Trader Caught With Illegal Bitties]
[The Black Market of Monster Bitties]

“What the hell…” August whispered out, reading some of the results in disbelief. He rolled the mouse wheel down and showed more results that get worse as they go down.

Severa pointed to one over his shoulder. “Click on that one…” It was a news article published over a year ago on a bitty fighting ring bust by the police force. There were many things, but the one thing that stuck out was about some bitties having carved serial numbers on their bodies. It was very similar ones that meant they were bought from the same “dealer”. There were links to explain what a ‘holder’ was and Severa encouraged August to click one. She kind of wished she hadn’t.

A holder was someone specialized in dealing with the exchanged of bitties in the underground bitty exchange. When Severa read that, there was one thing - one thing she understood.

“... They weren’t abandoned. They’re runaways .”

“What the fuck is today?” August suddenly spat out and Severa was still much too shocked to think of a response, although… she wanted to laugh. She couldn’t give herself the effort to though.

Chapter Text

“... It has to be a mistake.” Severa’s voice finally rang through the heavy silence. After the shocking discovery, the duo went quiet with each trying to comprehend the news in their own ways.

August shot a glance to his friend from his spot in the leather chair. He kept quiet. He didn’t know what to say- much less think. His mind was racing as it was.

Severa’s own mind was an utter mess. There was no probable way they were fighting bitties. No possible way. They couldn’t be. They were too sweet. Too soft. Too… inexperienced . Severa pressed her lips in a thin line. “August, can you see if any articles say what they… eat?”

“...Sure.” August brought his attention to the computer once more and began searching for a bit while Severa stared down at the wooden desk again, searching for her own answers. They couldn’t be…

“From this article about bitty holders, most have their own formulas that they feed the bitties. It’s kind of all over the place.” August scrolled down a large block of text seeing lines and lines of words. He started to drift out of it when Severa told him to stop. He was surprised to see it had pictures- examples of formulas that were possessed by those arrested. “Huh. They look like-”

“White and hard…” Severa mumbled, her grip around herself tightening. Her nails were digging into her skin by now, definitely going to leave marks. The image showed a plastic tupperware bowl filled with small, white pellets in an oval shape. It looked similar to generic pet food. 

August looked up at her with concern etched in his expression. “Did they speak about it before, Sev?”

“... A bit.” The human woman let out a shaky breath as the reality slowly seeped in. “They were… comparing my food with their former… ‘meals’.” Severa’s gaze slowly dropped to the floor with every syllable spoke.

“Sev?”

Silence engulfed the duo, August growing more worried with each passing tick of the clock located on the wall above him. He couldn’t help Severa unless she said something. 

“August.”

The young man sucked in a breath at the mention of his name. His dear friend’s voice sounded so defeated and weak. It was a heavy blow to his SOUL. “Y-Yes?” He couldn’t hold back the stutter.

Severa brought her gaze up to his and another blow struck him. She looked so broken and so defeated . “What do I do?”

August spent the next minute gaping like a fish until he finally found his words. "Help them." 

Wrong thing to say.

That flipped a switch in Severa causing her to grit her teeth as her knuckles were draining of color. "H-help them…?"

August sucked in a breath. Shit shit shit. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Severa’s muffled screaming. She shut her eyes tightly and let out screams behind her closed mouth. August watched his friend, dumbstruck. 

"Help them?!" Severa's eyes opened with tears developing in the corners. "How am I supposed to do that?!"

"I-"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM, AUGUST?! THIS IS OUT OF MY AREA!"

"Wait-"

"HOW CAN I HELP THEM WHEN I CAN Barely help myself…" Severa's volume lowered as she finally let the tears roll down her face. The reality catching up to her. "August… I…"

August let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He gave a quick look around to see if anyone was nearby. He sighed to himself, stood up from his seat, and quickly wrapped Severa up in his arms, holding her close. He felt the tears soaking into his shirt. "Sev. You don't give yourself enough credit."

Severa responded with something, but it was muffled by cloth.

"I don't see what you mean when you handle yourself just fine. It's not like you have to do everything by yourself." August felt Severa move a bit in his arms, but he just placed his chin on top of her head. She needed to remain still as he spoke or he wouldn't get anything else out. This was a trick he learned from when he was getting close to Sev, Drew taught it to him. Who knew he would actually end up using it? … It shouldn't be that surprising though, all things considering. "Sev, I need you to calm down."

Severa hit him in the back in response.

"No, you're not. Please. And don't hit me. You're stronger than ya look."

She hit him again.

"Ow."

Again.

"Ow."

Again. 

"Ow."

Severa hit him again and it finally clicked.

"Who's there?"

Severa moved a bit, then spoke. “Hit.”

“Hit who?”

“ Hit you.” She hit him again.

August was confused for a bit until he felt Severa wrap her arms around his torso and push her face against his shoulder. Oh, ‘hit you’ - ‘hate you’. “That one was kind of a stretch.”

“I thought it was the perfect punchline .”

August shut his mouth and shook his head, ruffling Sev's hair in the process. He let out a sigh of resignation. "Are you done? I thought we were having a moment."

Severa didn't answer. 

"No puns."

"Damn…" after a bit, Severa pushed back from August a bit to look at him with a questioning look.

"What?"

"He told you that, didn't he?"

"About how to deal with you when you get like this?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, he told me several years ago..."

Severa turned her gaze downward in response with new tears welling up in her eyes.

"Ah-" August pulled her head to his shoulder again. "We weren't talking about him, Sev. Focus. We were talking about you helping the bitties."

A muffled response.

"Yeah, you can."

Another muffled answer.

"Yeah."

Another.

"Yeah."

Again.

"Yes, you can. Calm down again and we will discuss what you can do. And yeah, there are still options. You don't have to do this alone, Sev. You aren't alone." August felt Severa tense under his grip to relax a bit afterward. His shoulder was getting sobbing wet.

Severa sat on top of the lobby desk, swinging her legs side to side as August typed away on the computer in an open document. After more puns and groaning, Severa finally calmed down and the two were able to settle themselves into a better atmosphere. 

August was the first to break the silence when he began to speak. "My first thought would be to go to the cops with this, but I know how you feel about them and who knows what they would do to the little dudes."

Severa snorted. "Little dudes? Really?"

"What? I'll admit, I like 'em." August proclaimed with ease and a shrug. He typed some more on the document. 

Severa didn't comment on the confession, but her feelings were a mixture. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what she felt about the statement and ultimately filed it for a later date. She turned her attention to the document on the computer screen. "What have you jotted down already?"

"Things we know of regarding the bitties, whether it was what they told you or me, and things we assume," August explained then added he put an asterisk against the assumptions. Those had the possibility of being wrong after all. 

"That is… quite a bit." The list stretched to the bottom of the page which surprised Severa. Most of them didn't even have a mark next to them. "We know some things about them, huh?"

"Yeah? Nearly all of these are from you though since they really like you, Sev."

Severa shook her head. "No, they don't."

"Just keep telling yourself that. Perhaps it'll become a reality." August responded and finished off one more sentence on the document. 

Severa snorted when she saw it. 

Pap and Blue like Severa.

"You forgot the asterisk."

"Don't need one when it's true."

Severa opened her mouth to retort but got cut off when August spoke again.

"Actually, you're right. It needs one." He added one and when it added, Severa felt a pressure in her chest; a mild chill. 

"Just in case it proves that they like you way more than we thought." August grinned up at his friend who wore a surprised expression that contorted into one of irritation. She kicked him in the side. It didn't hurt.

"Or proves that they don't ."

"That is impossible and you know it " August stated with ease, he leaned back in the chair while gazing at his friend.

"How so? People don't always like me, August." 

"I can think of only 2."

"5." Severa retorted with a raised hand, fingers spread to indicate five.

"I wasn't counting the…"

"Cremlin."

August snickered. "Yeah, the cremlin! I wasn't counting her. We got the banshee and the hag are the only two I am aware of. Who are the other three besides the cremlin, that is?"

"Others."

"Cryptic as hell, Sev.”

“I like cryptic things.”

“That is true. Anyway, back to business- the bitties. Be honest with me, what are you worried about?”

“The pollution of the oceans and air? The declining sea life?”

“Regarding the bitties, smartass.”

“Better a smartass than a dumbass.”

“Sev.”

Severa sighed to herself and answered. “Avery mentioned something about them having low magic."

"What the hell does that entail?"

"You ask me like I should know."

"You have bitties."

"I never intended to have them, August."

"Avery has a bitty and now, you do too."

"I do not intend to keep them either."

"Keep telling yourself that girly." August relaxed against the chair. "Anything else?"

Severa thought it over for a bit before responding. "Blue's been having mood swings, bad ones."

"Whaddya mean by that?"

"Mood swings- like one minute he's angry then another he's crying then happy. It's worrisome." Severa swung her hands back and forth as she spoke.

“Is that not normal?”

“As far as I know, no, and Blue himself mentioned he didn’t understand the mood swings either. I believe it is safe to say it is not ‘normal’ behavior for him.”

"Could his low magic be contributing to it?"

Severa shrugged. "I don't know. I guess? I am not a bitty expert here. That would be Mama Cry."

"Who?"

"Mama Cry- she runs a bitty adoption center. It's one of the best ones around and it is where the firefly came from." Severa explained.

"Then why don't you take them there?"

Severa blinked. "... I am…"

"When?"

"Soon…"

August couldn’t hold back his snort. "I think you should take them today; after she opens considering it's like 2 in the morning."

Severa looked over her shoulder to the doors of the lobby. The view of pitch blackness was a ring of truth to August's words. "... Alright. Later today then." She nodded to herself.

"Hey."

Severa's attention snapped to August. She was faced with a confident, yet gentle look from her friend. The weight against her shoulders seemed to lessen as August's next words soaked through. 

"It will be fine. You are okay. You're not alone."

A smile tugged at the ends of Severa's mouth. 

Severa spoke with August a bit more until she felt solid enough to return. She left the apartment so quickly she knew she would have a mess to deal with. As she walked up the stairs thoughts were running through her head. The young woman sighed to herself. She didn’t know what to do honestly. August did make things better- made her feel better-, but it still hadn’t changed the underlying fact. She was limited to what she could do at the present time. 

Severa was a college student- a student . She didn’t expect to get shoved around by problems until she had graduated! Alas, life seemed to have different plans for her because of course it did. Severa gritted her teeth and held back a sneer at the thought. Life was always a mess for her. Would she ever get a break from anything? She paused on the steps and stared upward at the rising levels. What was she doing again? 

The young woman blinked several times before remembering and a wave of remorse accompanied it. Dammit. Avery was right. She resumed her march up the stairs. She should take her meds as soon as possible. Severa sped up just a bit. 

Severa made her way up to the 7th floor and went through the large metal door and zoomed into her own apartment door. She grabbed the handle and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before opening the door. From the view she got, Blue and Pap had remained on the table where she left them. They were both talking to each other, but Severa could hear the rattling of their bones. Guilt was slowly building inside of her. 

The human pushed the door open a bit wider to alert the bitties to her presence. It worked since the duo’s attention zipped right to Severa. She was barely able to close the door when she felt a weight added to her shoulder and saw one less bitty on the table.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!” The smaller bitty asked with another question springing a second afterward. “ARE YOU HURT?!”

Severa opened her mouth to respond, but Pap interjected instead. “WHAT IS WRONG?! DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?!”

“DID SOMEONE HURT YOU?!”

“DID WE HURT YOU?!”

“DID SOMEONE UPSET YOU?!”

“DID WE UPSET YOU?!”

Blue then Pap, Blue and Pap, back and forth. They asked questions that Severa couldn’t answer until she finally interrupted the bitties. “Yo! I am fine!”

“NO YOU ARE NOT!”

“Yes, I am!”

“NO!”

“Yes.”

“IMPOSSIBLE!”

“And how would you know that, Blue?”

“WE FELT IT!”

“You fe-” Severa is cut off when a song began to play from her phone. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Who could be calling her this late at night? She made her way to the phone with its constant ringing and surprise overtook her features. It was Avery. The woman answered the phone just to be greeted by a voice that was certainly not her friend.

“ Severa, you need to get the bitties to Mama Cry’s!”

“...Serafino?”

“ Yes! You need to get Blue and Pap to Mama Cry’s!”

“Um… does Avery know you’re using her phone?”

“ That is not important, you nee- Wait! Avery!” A pause and rummage which Severa assumed was Avery taking her cell back. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself. Why are you calling me this late at night?”

“ Wouldn’t it be more of early in the morning? ”

“Aves.”

Avery chuckled, dryly. “ I’ll get to the point. You need to take those bitties you have to Mama Cry’s.”

“I already planned on that.”

“ No, Sevy. Today.”

“I am taking them today. After I get off wo-”

“ No, call in. Take them as soon as she opens. It is important you do.”

“...Why? What’s wrong with them?”

“....”

“Avery.”

"Serafino said they had…”

“Serial numbers.”

“ARE THOSE WHAT THOSE ARE?”

“Yes, Blue.”

“ You knew!?”

“I just found out. They showed me a bit ago and I…”

“ Ah. I get it, but they really did show you? Serafino said he had to nudge them a bit to get them to show him.”

“He saw them?” Severa glanced at Blue, then at Pap. “You two showed the firefly your serial numbers?”

“WE DID.” Pap admitted with ease.

“WHY DOES THAT MATTER?” Blue added with his boney arms crossed in a huff.

“I thought you didn’t like him.” The comment was meant more toward Blue than Pap. 

“I NEVER SAID THAT!” Blue denied.

“I ENJOY HIS COMPANY!” The tall bitty decided to add his own opinion.

“PAP!”

“WHAT?”

Severa shook her head as the bitties bickered on. She went back to the conversation with Avery. “So you really think I should take them then?”

“ Yes, Sevy. You really should. Serafino is freaked out, if you couldn’t tell. He’d been acting strange for the past few days and I think today he just finally broke. Please take them and give him some peace of mind. Perhaps it’s nothing? Who knows, but please.”

“I can tell you right now. It’s probably not ‘nothing’.” 

“ What do you mean?”

“Look up bitty holders when you can. You might get an idea of what I’m thinking about.”

“ I know you freaked, but you googled it?!”

“August and I did.”

"August calmed you down?”

"Surprisingly. He learned it from Drew.”

“ It’s Drew, so isn’t it more like he just drilled it into August’s head with force?”

“Isn’t that implied?”

Avery laughed on her end. “ True. He... ” The older girl took a breath and turned the conversation to bid Severa good night. Severa didn’t answer, even as the line went dead and the dial tone began.

Severa hung up the phone after a bit. She swallowed a large lump in her throat and tried to ignore the urge to break. After a bit, she let out a large exhale before turning her attention to the ceiling. “... Change of plans, we are going today. I’m calling off work instead.”

“WHY?” Blue asked while clutching the fabric of the shirt on the human's shoulder.

“The firefly is worried about you two and Avery thinks I should do it the earliest possible time… I agree with her.”

“REALLY?” Pap sounded pleased, but Blue just huffed.

“Yeah… My boss is not gonna be happy.”

“THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT?!” Blue exclaimed in response; he threw one of his arms in the air.

“Velma is scary.” Hasn't she explained this before? Her boss was terrifying.

Chapter Text

WARNING: Panic Attacks are in this chapter, so please proceed with caution if you are reading this. Stay safe and please stop reading if it begins to trigger you.

CHAPTER 12 - The Day of ...

 "You are serious.”

“Yeah, boss. I can’t come in today. Sorry.”

Velma was silent on the other side of the phone, which made sweat bead on the back of Severa’s neck. She wasn’t nervous about getting yelled at. Velma, while scary, was not an unreasonable person. You just never knew what she would respond with. 

“ Is there any possible way you could just come in at a later time? ”

“I don’t think so. I really just need to take this day off, boss.”

Velma sighed on the other end of the line. “ I see. Alright then, you will need to have a proper explanation about your absence when you come back Thursday, alright?”

“Of course.”

“See you then.”

“Later, boss.” Severa hung up and let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. Dammit. She took a deep breath before turning her attention to the bitties seated on her dresser. "What?"

"YOU WERE WORRIED," Pap said matter of factly. 

Severa blinked and made a clicking noise with her tongue for the umpteenth time. For some reason, the bitties were able to guess Severa's feelings correctly since the event in the earliest hours of the morning. No, not guess. They knew ; somehow, someway. They just understood what Severa was feeling. 

And oh boy , that unsettled her greatly. She would try to ignore it, but that was deemed impossible with the boys' constant statements. 'YOU'RE TIRED.' or 'YOU'RE WORRIED.' or 'YOU'RE UPSET.' It wasn't even 10 in the morning and she needed off this roller coaster of emotions she was dragged onto. It was utter bullshit. 

“Severa, Do You Not Like Your Boss?”

The young woman in question was snapped from her thoughts as the question registered in her head. “My boss? Velma? No, I like her, but she is my boss first and foremost. She has things to get done and she does not play favorites. Although there are a few who she would love to fire- the banshee being one of them.”

“Banshee?”

“A coworker of mine who likes to screech.”

That explanation did not help since the boys still held their confused expressions, but at this point, Severa couldn’t find the energy to rephrase it. She turned the conversation. 

"Why are you two on my dresser of all things?"

Pap is the one who answered. "AH, WE DECIDED TO STICK NEAR YOU AND AFTER DISCUSSING IT. BLUE AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE PERFECT SPOT TO WATCH YOU MOVE BACK AND FORTH!" 

Blue nodded along but was looking toward Severa's large bedroom windows for some reason. While the human wanted to question it, she, instead, focused on the conversation with the tall bitty. “I wasn’t on the phone that long.”

“THAT IS TRUE, BUT YOU ARE VERY MESSY!” Pap responded as he swung his legs back and forth. Severa watched the action for a bit and mentally compared it to a metronome, then took a glance toward Blue, his attention still directed to the windows. What was up with him? Perhaps he was still mulling over his decision to go to Mama Cry’s? Severa couldn’t call it a decision when, at this point, they and she did not have a choice. The only way to get answers and understand the situation was to go see an expert. The only expert Severa was aware of was Mama Cry. So that meant the monster was the only option.

A nagging feeling began gnawing on Severa’s mind, but she decided to direct her attention toward something else. “Let’s go make breakfast.” The human heard Pap let out a gasp before calling toward his fellow bitty. Severa was making her way to the door when she felt a growing familiar weight appear on her head.

“UM, BLUE?”

“WHAT?”

“THIS IS NOT THE HUMAN’S SHOULDERS?”

“OBVIOUSLY!”

“Head, shoulders, knees and toes…” Severa couldn’t help singing out an old tune. 

“I AM NOT MOVING US TO YOUR TOES!!”

“KNEES?” Pap asked with Blue responding with a solid ‘NO’. 

Severa shrugged, but something did click in her head. Blue was the one moving them around. She suspected as much, but that comment just confirmed it. If Blue was the one moving the duo around all the time, wouldn’t that take a good portion of his magic? She honestly didn’t know. Severa could only compare it to the kind of logic she was familiar with, which was game logic, but still…

Severa made it to the kitchen without delay even if the bitties were arguing... on her head... about being on her head... Why were they arguing on that anyway? She began digging through her fridge being careful about the small beings on her head. 

“IT GOT COLD??”

“SEVERA OPENED THE COLD BOX AGAIN!”

“WHY?”

“SHE MENTIONED BREAKFAST!”

“OH, RIGHT! ANYWAY, WE SHOULD MOVE!”

“WHY?!”

Severa elected to focus on making breakfast, but nothing seemed to catch her interest. She closed the door to move around the kitchen searching for anything to make. She came up with nothing. Eventually deciding on eating leftovers, she got out the bone cookies from Muffet's, the muffins Severa made earlier, and coffee she had brewing.

The nagging feeling still thumped in her mind, but she focused on the duo in front of her. She was seated on the island with the small skeletons sitting in the middle of the island in front of their own plate. Pap and Blue were arguing about where they should and should not be. Her head is a stand-off.

“YOU SHOULD NOT TELEPORT US TO HER HEAD ANYMORE. I AM STANDING BY THAT.”

“YOU ARE SITTING FOR ONE! FOR TWO I AM THE ONE DOING IT, SO I WILL HAVE THE FINAL SAY IN ANYWHERE WE GO!”

“THAT IS NOT FAIR!”

“I DO NOT CARE!”

“YOU ARE BEING VERY RUDE AGAIN!”

“YOU ARE NOT BEING AGREEABLE!”

“I DO NOT SEE HOW THAT IS SIMILAR??”

“MY POINT!”

“YOU ARE MAKING NO SENSE ANYMORE!”

“WE CAN GO ON THE HUMAN’S HEAD!”

“NO, WE CANNOT!”

“You two have been going around and around…” The human’s interjection caused the duo to look over at her. They glanced at one another then back at the human in question. Severa truly should’ve seen this coming.

“WHO DO YOU THINK IS RIGHT?!” The bitties direct the question to the human, who in response just takes a slow drink of her coffee.

“SEVERA!”

“What?”

“WE NEED AN ANSWER PLEASE!”

“Be in the bag.”

The duo fell silent at Severa’s answer, but the human took a glance at her phone. Mama Cry’s opened relatively early for a shop at 9, but from what Severa understood- the monster lived at the center. It was past 8, closer to 9 than anything. Instead of just dropping in perhaps she should call ahead? But she was already on the phone today. Does she really have to do it again?

“WHAT IS WRONG NOW?”

“Okay, the way that came out was rude, Blue.”

“YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS ALL CONFLICTED AGAIN!”

“SAYS THE ONE WHO IS HAVING MOOD SWINGS!”

“I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEM!”

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND?”

“What?”

“WHY BLUE BELIEVES IT TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GET ON YOUR HEAD!”

Severa nearly snickered at the exchange, but stopped. Her chest tightened. It was difficult to breathe for a second and she felt a strong… something. It came and went swiftly. She focused her vision on the small bitties, reacting before comprehending anything . The urge returned.

Protect.

Protect .

Protect Pap.

Severa threw her palm between the bitties, successfully shielding Pap from Blue as the Baby Blue threw himself at the opposite bitty. 

“Holy shit, Blue!!”

The baby blue landed hard against the light-colored laminate of the table as Severa reacted in time by pulling the taller bitty into her grasp. Her focus was on the crashed bitty though. What the hell just happened? The kitchen fell silent, except for the breathing of a certain human. A mere moment passed before the baby blue pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“Blue?”

Rattling. The small bitty vanished.

“What the hell?!”

Blue vanished. 

“I WILL BE HONEST AND SAY I DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO DO THAT! WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR A WHILE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE HAS EVER TRIED TO ATTACK ME!”

“Has he done this before?”

“YES, BUT NOT TO ME!”

“What do you mean ‘but not to you’?!”

The Pappy shook his skull at the human in disbelief, “HUMAN SEVERA, HONESTLY!” Pap moved around on the table a bit before sitting down. “BLUE HAS NEVER ATTACKED ME BEFORE. HE HAS ATTACKED OTHERS LIKE THAT ONE VULGAR RED EYED BITTY BEFORE OR SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS TRYING TO HURT HIM OR HIS BR-” Pap abruptly cut off.

The human rose one of her eyebrows in response. “Or his what?”

“HIS WHAT?” The bitty parroted back. “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?”

Severa could only blink. Multiple times. After a bit, she closed her gaping mouth. When had she opened it? Staring down at the bitty for a bit then glancing over her shoulder, contemplating. 

“HUMAN SEVERA?”

The bitty let out a surprised noise as the human gently proceeded to pick him up. Severa didn’t notice the sound, too focused on her decision. Pap doesn’t struggle, simply content within the human’s grasp as he stared up at her with curiosity and concern.

Severa moved back to her bedroom where she placed the small creature on her dresser, then sat down on her own bed, looking toward the window. “I am going to let him cool down a bit.” Severa finally explained which caused the bitty to straighten. He had sat down when he was set on the piece of furniture with his legs crossed over themselves. His position mirrored Severa’s, only he set his focus on the human while her own was toward the light coming through the closed curtains.

“YOU KNOW WHERE HE WENT?”

“If I had to guess, my bag.” Severa didn’t hesitate, leaning her head to the side a bit before letting out a sigh. “I have this… feeling that is where he went.”

“REALLY?”

“Am I wrong?”

“WELL, NO. WE HAVE SPOKE OF AND ENJOY THE COMFORTABLE DARKNESS OF YOUR BAG!”

“That just raises more questions.”

“QUESTIONS?”

“About you two.”

“...Oh.” The wood of the dresser just became very interesting to the small skeleton. He didn’t continue on and the human didn’t either.

The two sat in silence. The atmosphere stayed eerily calm. Severa’s mind was running a mile a minute. She was unable to comprehend anything. Blue… attacked Pap. Blue. The small bitty who was continuously looking sick as hell somehow leaped at his own friend! She didn’t understand. Couldn’t understand. But perhaps… she glanced toward the bitty on her dresser who had moved forward. Pap let his long legs swing back and forth, seemingly content. How was he not phased that Blue had just nearly hurt him?! She… She needed answers. How long had they sat in this room anyway? Severa decided to break the quiet.

“Pap.”

“Yes?” The bitty replied swaying his body a bit with his legs. It was kind of cute.

“Why are you so… unphased?”

“From What?” The bitty asked, confusion crystal clear in his expression.

Severa sputtered. “B-Blue! Blue freakin’ attacked you! Why are you so okay with that?!”

“He Didn’t Mean To,” Pap stated, flatly. He turned his eyelights to the human. “Besides, You Were There.”

“...What does that have to do with anything?!”

The tiny monster just shrugged in response.

Severa sighed in frustration then turned the conversation. She had a feeling she couldn’t get answers about his attitude out of him anyway. “Fine, let me ask something else.”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you agree?”

“To What?”

“To go to Mama Cry’s. Why did you agree so easily to go to Mama Cry’s when Blue is- was so… blatantly against it?” Severa turned her attention fully to her conversation partner. The bitty was still just swinging his legs, but now staring down at his own lap.

“Ah,” Pap’s jaw moved as he spoke. It still intrigued the human to see their skulls move and be so alive . “Well After Some Thinking, I Thought It Might Be Okay!”

“Care to elaborate on that?”

“Certainly!” Pap puffed out his chest in pride. “You Would Be There!”

“Annnnd we are back to that.” The female grumbled. She flipped her palms upwards on her lap in frustration. “Pap, we barely know each other. Why do you think that?”

“It Is Just A Feeling!”

‘A bad feeling.’ Severa thought but kept it to herself while the bitty seemed to continue on.

“It Is More Than That, Truly…” The confident expression he carried faded away and his sockets seem to sink inward. He gained a look of sadness as he spoke out. Severa fought the urge to comfort the bitty. “You… Are What I Expected. Serafino Said He Came From There Before And You Mentioned It As Well. I Decided It Would Okay. It Might Help Blue Because I Am Worried About Him. He Is Acting Strange! That Is Why I Decided To Go! I Believe In You To Make A Good Choice!” The confidence he had came back at the final sentence. He even sprung up and patted his chest in pride. His eyelights were bright, clear conscious and honesty shining.

Severa felt something crawl down her back at his expression. She didn’t like it.

After speaking to Pap a bit more, she decided it had been enough time. She should go find Blue. The problem she was having was… where did she put the bag? She went around the apartment trying to locate it and eventually found it near the front door on the floor. As she got closer, a chill slowly slipped over her being. Why? She ignored it and moved forward. Blue was in the bag. She needed to talk to him.

Once close enough, she kneeled down and tried to locate any sort of indication that the small creature was in there. It didn’t take long to see something moving around inside it.

Severa let out a heavy sigh as relief washed over her being. The icy chill that inched its way up her spine was beginning to melt away at the sight of the small bitty in her stuffed bag. As she focused on the small being, a new feeling began to appear though. Small sobs, barely audible if one wasn't quiet, were heard. The sound could only be coming from one person - a certain bitty.

"Blue...?" Severa spoke out as she reached to open the bag, seeing a silhouette of the bitty near the back. Her lights weren’t the greatest at illuminating the darkness of the bag.

"I'M SORRY!" Blue burst out, tears audible in his voice. The human felt her chest tighten in response. Shit.

"It'-" Severa cut herself off. It wasn't fine. He attacked Pap. Granted, it was more like tried, but still. That... was not acceptable. The woman couldn't finish the sentence. She took a deep breath and began again. "Blue. Please get out of the bag. We need to talk."

"NO!" The crying continued and the bitty just curled into himself further. Amongst the tears and the chills, a new noise was beginning. The sound of rattling. Pressure appeared in Severa's chest in response. The human opened in her mouth, but no words came out. What was she supposed to do? After a brief thought, an idea appeared.

'Just take one step closer,

Put one foot in front of the other,

You'll get through this,

Just follow the light in the darkness,

You're gonna be okay-'

Blue twitched at the voice, the singing continued. 

Severa eventually looked up to lock gazes with the small bitty that had liquid welling up in his sockets. She began again, putting more energy in her words than before.

' And when the night is closing,

Don't give up and don't give in,

This won't last, it's not the end,

It's not the end,

You're gonna be okay...

You're gonna be... okay...'

A sniffle made Severa snap out of her trance. She focused in on the bitty in front of her.  Blue was looking at her. A jolt rushed down her spine at the sight before her. It took a bit to gather herself.

"... You're gonna be okay..." Severa reiterated once more. 

The bitty and human hold the stare for several moments until Blue inched toward the young woman. Even though she made no indication to move and it took a bit before Blue finally emerged from the bag, he proceeded to sit just outside of it. The bitty glanced at the human and the lights above gave a shine to the tears still in his sockets; the rattling audible. 

"...Can we talk?"

"...Alright..." The baby blue's voice was small.

Silence filled the small area. Blue was obviously expecting something from Severa, yet the human wasn't making any movement.

Severa was lost in her own thoughts trying to figure out what to say until she finally bit the bullet. 

"Blue, you attacked Pap."

The bitty twitched. "I...I didn't mean to-"

"And yet, you did."

"I'm So-"

"Are you really alright?"

Blue froze at the question. His eyelights vanished after a second and he clenched his phalanges. "...What?"

"Are you really alright ?" Severa repeated. "You told me before you were 'fine' and agreed to go to Mama Cry's today. Are you telling the truth? Please tell me."

The Baby Blue did not respond for a bit, seemingly thinking to himself, but also throwing glances to the human from time to time.

Severa waited.

The area, already silent, began to have a heavy atmosphere. The thoughts going through both the beings' heads are close but so distinct. Everything stopped when one decided to break it.

"... Don't Want To Go."

"Go where?"

"Anywhere."

Severa blinked. "... You don't want to leave my apartment?"

"... You."

Severa froze and let the statement sink in. "... Me?" She was confused.

"You Don't Want To Go?"

"..." Severa shook her head. "I meant you, not me, and this new ability to know my feelings."

Blue looked away. "... You Don't Want To Go..."

"Blue."

"Why Should You Force Yourself To Do Something You Do Not Want To Do?"

"Because it is necessary for your guys' health."

"We're Fine."

"Don't lie to me."

Blue snapped his mouth shut with an audible 'click' and continued to stare at the wall behind the female human. There was no comeback for it. It was true. A single phrase hit the mark. No room for arguments or retorts. The bitty was concerned, which visibly began to affect him as the seconds passed.

The human gave out a sigh in defeat. That caused the tiny monster to glance at her. Severa had turned away and shook her head. "Blue-... I don't understand anything that is going on." Severa admitted. "I am just as lost and confused as you are."

"... That Is True."

"So you feel that too?" Severa held back her thoughts on their new ability. She... disliked it. "Then you also get my others feelings- how I feel like this is the only logical option?"

"How So?"

"If anyone would know, it would be Mama Cry and then we can figure out what to do next."

Blue stared at her. "You Won't Leave Me There...?"

"I don't want to make promises I can't keep. Reality is if there is a better, safer place for you to be then I would rather you be there."

"What About What I Want?!" The Baby Blue exploded instantly.

Severa's response is immediate. "Then we would figure out a balance."

Blue's eyelights expanded drastically. "SEVERA, YOU-"

"Don't. Please don't . " Severa interrupted. " I know you felt that, but please don't comment. This isn't about my emotional baggage. I want what's best for you, but we can... put it off until you are ready. I am certain we should go there even if only once. " Severa trailed off a bit, seemingly thinking about something until a look of determination came over her. She returned the strong gaze to the small bitty who held a surprised expression. " I promise to stay with you the entire time."

The words might’ve slipped from her mouth with ease, but the wave of un ease slipped down her spine immediately after. She was such a liar . She was truly no better than her at times, huh? She had to hold down a sudden surge of nausea.

“...MAYBE WE COULD RETURN LATER?” 

Severa sighed at the comment. "We are already here." She motioned toward a door a bit down the street the human currently stood on. The large window next to it displaying a sign with "Mama Cry's Bitty Center" in the center. "It seems silly to go back now…" Severa sighed. "But we can if necessary. I don't want to force you two anymore than I feel like I already am."

"YOU SAY THAT LIKE YOU ARE NOT PART OF THIS," Blue stated, popping his head out of the bag momentarily, scanning the area around him. He appeared to give it a clear since he hoisted himself further out of the bag. 

Severa remained silent. "Do you want to or not?" The human gestured toward the door with her hand, looking at the bitties expectantly.

Blue and Pap shared a prolonged look before turning back to Severa. They each nodded, different levels of hesitation visible. 

The human resumed the last few steps to the door, passing a large window in the process. Glancing into it, she saw some of the small creatures in it staring up at her or toward the street. She made eye contact with one of them- it was one that looked like Blue just a purple color(that reminded her of wine) and sharper looking teeth. She paused to turn her attention to the small creature in the window. They just stared at one another until Pap called her out of the trance she had slipped into. She returned to head into the center, going through the door, putting the strange incident in the back of her mind.

The bell chimed as Severa opened the glass door. A chorus of ‘HELLO’s of various levels followed.  After the initial shock wore off and the girl could breathe, she nodded to the small monsters resting within a pen. 

Severa made her way into the store and surveyed the area- there weren’t many people(not surprising due to the center opening barely half an hour ago), but it was lively. The bitties were chatting with each other and even some of the customers of the store if they managed to get their attention. (Ignoring the hard stare on her back). She failed to see the one person she wanted to see. The female let out a small huff in growing frustration.

The store had only opened a bit ago. Already, there were customers to take care of and even more so, the small mini-monsters running amok needed attention. They are limited to what they can do(more than likely). Severa wished to find the needed monster sooner since there was a strong indication that it would take some time when it came down to the discussion. She began to wander around the store to waste time until she could locate the monster in question. The human glanced down to the bag resting by her side. The small creatures that were previously on the bag were nowhere to be seen. Severa didn’t try to entice them out. They were doing so much already just being there. The girl was so proud of them. (Add more thoughts)

Her thoughts were cut by a sudden voice.

“that’s a face, kiddo.”

The female shot her attention up to wherever the voice came from. She found it from a bitty resting on top of a fake tree on a bookcase. “What face are you talking about?”

“a face.”

“No face?”

The bitty’s permanent grin stretched a bit. “a lot more responsive than before, huh?”

Severa doesn’t reply and simply stared at the bitty.

The bitty in question returned the stare until he continued on. “you’re the human that came with the other human who took that grillbitty- cooker?”

“Serafino.”

“huh?” The bitty made a noise.

“His name is Serafino.”

The ‘sansy’ (that’s what they were called) paused a moment until his grin went wider than before. “hoh?”

Severa stared at the bitty with a stoic expression. She didn’t like the look on his face at all. That knowing, amused look from the small bitty.

“changed your mind, didya?”

“No.”

“coulda fooled me, lady. you are in the bitty center, alone this time,” Severa didn’t miss the action of his eyelights darting toward the girl’s tote. “or not so alone…”

Severa’s eyes narrowed at the nosy bitty and opened her mouth to retort, but halted when she felt something move at her side. She fell quiet only to give a sigh shortly after. She told the bitty she needed to see Mama Cry asap. The bitty in question stared at the female for several heavy moments before simply vanishing from sight.

The young human didn’t flinch at the “trick”; she seemed to have gained resistance to it now. She turned away from the bookshelf. The area around her was loud, but she tried to focus on anything else. Anything else besides the constant chatter around her. Her attention zoned in on the movement against her hip, slowly moving her head to it. Her bag was emitting whispers from the opening. Severa raised her eyebrow in response as she leaned in closer and asked. “What on Earth are you two doing?”

The bag stopped the subtle movement. It remained still and the voices disappeared until eventually a familiar tall bitty popped from the opening. He moved a bit so he could easily vanish back into the back if necessary before answered. “COMPARING.”

“Comparing?”

“YES.”

Severa waited shortly before asking Pap to expand what that meant. What exactly did he mean by ‘comparing’? What was he comparing what to? Thinking about it, she could guess, but she hoped to be wrong. That would be great.

The bitty went quiet with his ‘brows’ pushed together. (She would never get over just how expressive these two skeletons could be). Pap gestured for Severa to come closer after a bit. With Severa bent down, she could easily hear his explanation. The two bitties were comparing the bitty center to their former place. All the bitties around and confined wasn’t new, but the place seemed less… clean? Pap wasn’t able to expand on that part. He wouldn’t elaborate further before disappearing into the bag. 

The whispers returned and Severa tried to zone in on the words, but couldn’t make much of it. She was able to identify combinations of ‘dark place’, ‘the cold, shiny lines,’ and… ‘cold, shiny floor’ which might go with the ‘cold, shiny lines’. What did that mean? She was lost in the statements, but didn’t have time to dwell on it as the monster of the hour finally appeared.

Severa turned her gaze to the rabbit monster in a well-worn apron with black eyes and pink pupils (Blue and Pap’s eyelights were more interesting, she would rather stare at them). The monster’s attention was directed straight on the young woman. There was the sansy from before resting on the monster’s shoulder leisuring away. His sockets were closed and his arms were behind his head. “How can I help you?” The monster asked, disbelief strong in her tone.

Severa gave the monster a look for a bit before shooting a glance at the bag located at her hip.

The monster’s eyes followed her gaze then widened when something clicked. Her gaze connected with Severa's and she began to speak. "... never did I think you would come back, but this isn’t what I had thought about either." Mama Cry moved a bit closer to the human. "You were so... standoff-ish before. I have to ask..."

The human's eyes began to narrow at the monster before her.

"- what did you do?"

The protective gaze the motherly monster sent her way conveyed multiple things to the young woman. The only thing that mattered though was the fact that the monster was insinuating something. Something that Severa didn't like. One bit. "...look at them." She took a step away from the monster, putting some necessary distance between the two. She wasn’t enjoying her tone either. “Whatever you are implying, knock it off. I never had a desire for another companion. Now-” Severa tried to drive the conversation, but the other interrupted her.

“You come here alone with…” the monster took a deep breath. “How do you expect me to respond?”

“Shouldn’t you be focusing more on them than me at the moment? You are the “Mama” after all. You act like I’m going to do something.” Severa responded to the other. The air surrounding the duo was stale and heavy. The human had to resist the urge to slouch from the pressure. She watched Mama Cry’s expression twist into a grimace, obviously not liking her statement. At this point, Severa didn’t care. She was trying to be patient with the monster as much as she could, but (very)familiar emotions were boiling in her gut, threatening to spill over soon.

Mama Cry stared at the human unhappily with her arms pinned to her sides. One of her hands were clenched in a ball at her side, but even so, she seemed to be contemplating something. After a few pregnant moments, she came to a decision as she sighed heavily and gestured to the tote. She told the human to follow her, then began to walk the way she had came before. While doing so, she called out to someone that she would be in the back.

Severa trailed after the monster past the rows of bitty ‘necessities’ as the labels stated. Some bitties were resting here and there on the shelves or running on the floor (she had to sidestep a few times to dodge some stray runners). Most appeared to be sansy types and… red versions of said type. The ones running were a mixture of other Baby Blues, purple versions of Baby Blues(like the one from the window), and Pap and various versions of his type. It never occurred to Severa just how many variations of skeleton bitties there were. How the hell does Mama Cry keep track of them all? She shook her head at the observation. They all had type names for a reason, but it didn’t matter. There were more pressing matters at hand- or rather, in her bag.

It wasn’t long until Mama Cry had taken the human into the back of the store, entering through two different doors before being ushered into a large room that looked to be an examination area. Severa couldn’t stop her curiosity slipping through and looked around. The more she did, the more a chill ran down her spine, causing her to look straight to the expert. “I don’t thin-”

“This is the best place. I give you my word it is best to stay in here to check them out.” Mama Cry tried to reassure the human. It fell flat. The monster simply asked to see the bitties now.

The human went rigid, returning to checking out everything around her. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like it. The sentence cycled on repeat in her head as she removed the bag from her shoulder and placed it on a nearby counter table. Severa didn’t feel safe in the room, which was a contrast to the room itself. The room was warm and inviting- vastly different from a normal hospital room. It had not made the woman feel any better. If anything, it made the feelings worsen.

“...n.” Why here? Why did they have to be in here? “..man..” Severa didn’t want to be in here. “Human!” Severa visibly flinched at the volume and her attention shot toward the perpetrator of the sound- Mama Cry. Her arms were crossed and she didn’t look happy. Which is not any different than the past... however long she had been in this stupid center.

“what.” Severa spat out. Wrong move. That sharpened Mama Cry’s facial expression.

“I was going to ask you to get the bitty out, but rather now-” The monster moved in front of Severa’s bag, blocking the human from it. Wait, when had Severa moved away? “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing.”

“You are lying.” Mama Cry pressured. Severa watched as the monster took a more protective stance which caused Severa’s own body to tighten. No no no nononono- “What did you do, human?”

“I didn-”

“Do not lie to me. It is written all over your face- I have witnessed enough different humans to know.”

Back off. “I am trying to ex-” The air around the duo was growing heavy, but the energy was flowing around.

“I do not want excuses. I want an explanation.”

“You aren-”

“Explain.” 

Severa went quiet as she stared at the monster. Something snapped . She… shouldn’t have come in. This is a horrible idea after all. Just not in the way she would’ve thought. She hadn’t done anything. Why? Why was she being pinned with more shit she didn’t do? Why? Why? WHY?! The human focused her attention on the female monster, finally seeing something new. The monster had spread her arms out as if to block something… It just made irritation boil in Severa’s gut (along with all the other stirring emotions in here). Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth. “Why are you already treating me like the bad guy?” Her tone was so… cold. Too bad Severa couldn’t bring herself to care. She was sick of being blamed.

The monster took a bit to respond, carefully observing the human. “Because you are act-”

“You started that shit.” Severa took a step toward the monster. The human did not miss that flash of emotion in the monster’s eyes. It just made her more irritated. “ I came for your help .”

“Then why are you being so-” The monster was cut off as large blue bones shot up from the floor creating a barrier between the two women. It caused both to step back, the energy around the duo was electrifying, but for an entirely different reason now. Mama Cry looked shocked with her mouth agape, looking at the bones in front of her.

Severa, on the other hand, felt a chill run down her spine as an increasing familiar weight appeared on her head. “...Blue.”

“WHAT IS WRONG?!”

At the sound of a new voice, the monster’s attention snapped to the human. Her eyes widened at the sight of a small bitty resting on Severa’s head. “Oh- wait, little one you need to come over here!”

Severa couldn’t stop the flinch and a new wave of anger wash over her. She didn’t say anything since Blue seemed to be ready for it.

“ARE YOU THE ONE WHO UPSET MY HUMAN?!” Blue’s complete attention snapped to the monster on the other side of the barrier. Severa was shocked. There were bones- a barrier of bones- between her and Mama Cry. Where did they come from? The only explanation was… She let out a shaky breath at the realization - Blue had to have made those. The bones that were three times his size . How could he do that? How was that possible for a bitty?! Severa was so lost in her thoughts, she only came to when she felt Blue move from her head to her shoulder. Blue was still shouting at Mama Cry who was trying to respond, but it seemed Blue wouldn’t give her a chance.

“YOU ARE A DANGER!” The small bitty shouted.

“think ya might be the only danger here, kiddo.” a new voice appeared along with a new guest. It was the sansy from before, now perched on top of one of the several large bones. “ya should calm down.”

“NO.” Blue’s response was swift and direct, glaring at the other two. Severa felt the bitty move closer to her ear. “...are you alright?” From the angle, Severa could guess he was still facing the others, watching them to make sure they didn’t do anything.

Severa remained silent just staring at the large bones until she had to know. “... Are you doing that, Blue?”

“Yes. I need to keep her away from you.”

“Why?”

“She is upsetting you.”

“... how do you know that?”

“I already told you.”

Severa exhaled, finally looking toward the bitty who only turned his gaze to her when he noticed she was looking at him. His left eye socket was leaking something red. His face was stoic, but she could tell from the beads of sweat on him that he was pushing it. He needed to stop. He was exhausting himself- all because of her. All of the boiling emotions of Severa’s sank away as she stared at the bitty on her shoulder until, finally, she couldn’t feel anything except a chill. A chill of something. Something she rather not dwell on again. “Blue.” Severa tried to get his attention softly.

From his look, he knew what she was going to ask. “... are you sure?”

“Please. We need her help.”

“But-”

“I’m worried about you.”

Blue’s jaw snapped shut from her admission and after a few long seconds, the barrier slowly started to sink away. His eyelights were gone from his sockets, making them nothing but pits of black, except for the strange red substance coming from his left socket. He didn’t react when the human reached up to wipe it away.

“What is this?” Severa asked looking at the liquid on her index finger. She turned toward Mama Cry with a concerned look to connect with the monster’s look of utter horror. “... from your look, it is not anything good.”

Mama Cry was frozen in place, the bitty from before had moved to her shoulder at some point and went back to relaxing. Although something nagged at Severa that he wasn’t as relaxed as he looked. When she finally regained her composure, she glared at Severa. “What did you do to him?!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Severa snapped back. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Impossible! A bitty should not be able to do that!”

“Well, obviously he can!”

“For the last time, what did you do?!”

Severa opened her mouth when the bones were shot back up once again. “Blue!”

“STOP!”

Severa looked in the direction of Pap’s voice, but Mama Cry blocked her view of the bitty.  Mama Cry had the same idea when she turned to look behind her. That gave Severa a view of the other bitty who had been quiet this entire time. Pap had emerged from the tote and had thrown his arms up in the air. Severa could hear a faint rattling though- he still must be nervous.

“WILL YOU PLEASE STOP?! BLUE YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN! REMEMBER WHAT THE POINT OF COMING HERE WAS!”

“WHY SHOULD THAT MATTER?! SEVERA IS UPSET!”

“YOU ARE JUST UPSETTING HER AS WELL! YOU CAN TELL, YOU ARE JUST IGNORING IT! YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN BEFORE YOU MAKE HER MORE WORRIED!” Pap argued back before looking to Mama Cry. “SEVERA ISN’T BAD! SHE’S A GOOD HUMAN WHO ONLY CAME HERE TO GET US HELP! YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO HER, PLEASE!”

Cry looked back and forth between both bitties and Severa before finally resting on Severa with a look of realization. “... You have no idea.”

“No shit. What is this?” Severa gestured to the substance on her fingers and on Blue’s cheekbone. “He’s never had this crap come from his sockets before. Why now? What is this?”

“It is DT.”

“DT?” Severa gave the monster a frustrated look. “What the hell is that?”

Cry’s expression fell from Severa’s own expression and she sighed heavily. “You…” She looked at the baby blue in defeat. “Can you please lower the barrier… Blue? I promise not to hurt her. I just want to talk. I get it. She won’t do anything.”

The Baby Blue contemplated the monster’s request, then looked toward his fellow friend and his human for their inputs and ultimately let the barrier fall once more. He moved a bit moved to a sitting position on Severa’s shoulder, keeping a close eye on Cry. He didn’t trust her.

The monster knew she was walking a fine line as she took one step at a time to get closer to Severa until she was close enough. “... You honestly don’t know anything, do you?”

“I am as clueless as a butcher in a pottery shop.”

“I… do not know what that means.”

“I do not have any idea what is going on anymore. He’s never done that before. The teleporting-”

“Teleporting?”

“Yes, teleporting. That isn’t new, I have seen that. The levitating things is something I was aware of, but never seen. The… DT coming from his sockets is also new. I have no idea why that’s happening.”

“Well I can tell you-”

“Wait.” Severa puts up her hand to pause Mama Cry who looked confused. She needed to tell her before she lost her chance. “The main reason why I came- they have serial numbers.”

One. Two. Three-

“They WHAT?!”

Currently, Severa sat near the table where her bag rested, with Blue and Pap in her lap. After everyone had calmed down enough from the apparent bombshell Severa decided to drop on the bitty caretaker, Severa and Cry finally spoke to one another about the bitties- what she knew and what she didn’t. How they came to be with her and various other things and with Cry’s constant apologies. There were several humans coming in, more than usual, trying to get bitties from her to be used for less than desirable reasons. She was on edge all day and Severa was acting… strangely enough for her to distrust. Her actions from when she visited with Avery didn’t help her case. When Cry explained it, Severa could only snort at the excuse. She understood Cry’s stance, but it still irritated her. Cry was pacing back and forth with the sansy(his name was Joker) still on her shoulder and the human watching her from her seat.

The monster was mumbling to herself about things Severa didn’t care to catch. She turned her attention to the two small creatures nested in her lap. While the voices in her head were screaming at her, she elected to ignore them for the time being. She was more at peace with the bitties nearby. The pressure in her chest was pushing against that feeling(where did it come from?). Blue was currently pressing himself into the human’s stomach with Pap close by, but more leaning on Severa’s arm.

Severa had her arms circling her lap with her hands connected. She focused on the bitties, a glance at the burrowing one and asking Pap how he was.

“I’M FINE…”

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

Pap looked up to the human with a conflicted expression. “THEN I DON’T KNOW.”

Severa raised her eyebrow in response.

The tall bitty turned his eyelights down to stare at his phalanges before casting a glance toward the monster. “... I AM UNSURE HOW I FEEL…”

Severa let the sentence sink in before simply nodding. “Alright then. Take your time to figure it out.” She had looked away, but she felt the strong gaze of the tall bitty as she turned toward the other. She moved her hand and slowly, gently nudged the bitty trying to become part of her shirt. “Hey Blue.”

“Yes?” The small bitty mumbled back after a bit, yet made no motion to move.

“You cannot become a burrowing bitty.”

“Why Not?”

“Wouldn’t it be a pain to get those threads out of your bones or did you not learn your lesson from the first time?” Severa watched Blue stiffen from her view and he slowly moved back a bit. When he did, she was able to see his face and her own expression fell. “Are you okay?”

Blue blinked then looked up at the human in confusion. “I AM RIGHT HERE?”

“What?”

“I AM RIGHT HERE?!”

“No, are you alright?”

Blue pointed to Pap. “HE’S RIGHT THERE!”

Now Pap looked over concerned. “I DON’T THINK HE IS, HUMAN SEVERA…”

“Hey... Cry?”

The monster continued to pace, either ignoring the human or stuck in her own world.

Severa trained her gaze on Blue and leaned in closer. He had a faint color to his cheekbones and his white-ish bones looked pale. The woman did not like that, comparing it to human sickness. She reached down to gently raise his face to view better. The Baby Blue’s eyelights were fuzzy and expanded in his sockets. Even though he didn’t need to breathe, Severa felt the slight release of air from his naval cavity and noticed the expand of his ribs. All in all, he looked terrible- that's to say something. 

It got Pap’s attention since he had moved closer, visibly concerned. “Blue?”

Sever was about to get Cry’s attention when a sharp pain speared her chest and Blue’s eyelights vanished. The bitty collapsed then. 

“CRY!”

That got the monster’s attention as she sped over to the human and quickly noticed the unresponsive bitty and the human clutching her shirt. “What happened?!”

Severa couldn’t respond as the pain became unbearable with each passing second. Pap took the reins and explained his fellow bitty collapsed and Severa was in pain. 

Severa tried to gaze at the monster, but got cut off as sharp pain spiked in her chest causing her to clench her shirt. What? Wh-

“What’s wrong!?” The monster directed toward the human with growing distress.

Before Severa could respond to Cry, Pap let out a sharp cry as the weight in her lap began to shift. Blue . Out of the corner of her eye, she could only slowly watch as the bitty slipped down from her lap. No. No. No. No. Nono nono-  Blue stopped for a split second just to fall straight into Pap’s waiting arms in mid-air. She wanted to feel relief, but the pain in her chest had other ideas. It increased and Severa gritted her teeth in response.

“mama i think ya might need to check the baby blue out.”

“But-...”

That was all Severa heard as the next minute, everything went black.

Severa tried to push the paramedic's hand away from her head for the umptheethn time, but got the same order to ‘hold still, almost done’. The ointment being spread on her wound burned and she wanted it to stop. Why couldn’t they just put the same gauze on and go away?!

The human grumbled angrily to herself as the medic finally placed a large piece of gauze over the injury. Severa would be relieved if it wasn’t for the fact the medic then proceeded to put medical tape over the gauze to keep it in place while they instructed Severa on how to take care of the wound. She barely listened, knowing full well she would forget it anyway. Instead, she focused her attention to the door to the side of her. The door led to the hall in the back of the store- Severa was currently stationed in the so-called office of Mama Cry’s. The monster had instructed the medical professionals to move her here after their arrival. What Severa got told was after blacking out from the pain, she had fallen from her chair in the examination room and knocked her head against the corner of the table. It gave her a nice gash on the side of her face that instantly began bleeding. It freaked the monster out so bad she had reacted like any sane person and dialed the emergency number. Why did that surprise Severa though?

At the present, Severa’s attention was split between the pain in her head and the annoying medic in front of her just doing their job, but managing to irritate her more than anything. The professional was just explaining her injury and other important information, but the woman wouldn’t remember anything. She never did. She, instead, recalled what the monster was doing at the moment. Right- Mama Cry was in the main store waiting for someone to call. After she had called an ambulance for Severa, she had to react to the other hurt individual. A cold sensation engulfed the woman’s chest causing a heavy sigh to release. She barely registered the medic pausing then continuing on. How much longer was this person gonna talk?

Mama Cry had to place the Baby Blue on a… what did she call it? Ah, a magic infusion system or MIS. The monster was rushing around so much that Severa couldn’t recall much else, but apparently Blue had dangerously low magic reserves and was wasting energy he did not have. Blue was in the examination room unconscious and would no doubt be out for a while. At least he wasn’t alone though, Severa thought to herself. The baby blue was being watched over by Pap and the sansy named Joker was there as well under request of Cry.

The news had worry gnawing at the human nonetheless. She was already breaking her promise to the small monster (like that was unusual though). Under the heavy concern was another emotion forming. One that caused  a thought to thrust straight to the forefront of the girl’s mind. Her eyes slightly widened at it.

The medic was giving a final look over of Severa’s wound as she was currently occupied by her new stream of thoughts. Mama Cry had called the emergency line. That was a smart response- a responsible response of her to do. That still meant she called the hotline for emergency departments- that included the police . There was no way the force wasn’t aware of the incident, which implied- the heavy emotion began to bubble in her belly stronger than before. Maybe she was wrong… she had to be wrong. She just had to be. There was no damn way. She hoped to be wrong.

Sounds flooded the room causing Severa to jump in her seat. She turned to the door seeing it wide open. She looked in front of her in shock. When had the medic left? The sound became louder and soon registered in the human’s head. Those were sirens. Police car sirens to be more precise. The cops were here. She gritted her teeth together in response. The emotion was getting stronger. What was this emotion anyway? Severa was too spun around to dwell on it for long.

Her gaze went straight to her lap with her hands clenched together. There was still a chance. They had an entire force- While yes, incidents involving monsters and humans normally required higher ranking ones there were still high ranking officers on that force. Ones besides him. It was out of the question that no one would come, but it didn’ t have to be him.

Maybe… just maybe he wouldn’t come…? There are always more cases. Perhaps he got stuck with something else much bigger than just a human in a bitty center. Who knows? (She did.) This wasn’t that big of a deal after all. (Lies.) Severa tried to reason with herself, but it shattered when a voice rang out in the room. One she really, really didn’t like. The emotion spiked.

“Why am I not surprised it’s you?”

Severa’s head snapped to the voice, gaze connecting with an older man who was standing in the open door way. He had his faded brown locks brushed back(more than likely keeping it down with gel) while holding his official police cap under his arm. His navy blue uniform was in pristine condition like always. It gave him a respectful look, one that matched how he carried himself even while he stood in the doorway. Severa stared straight into his grey eyes with apathy. The same eye color that- she felt her mouth move before anything of her thoughts caught up to her.

“You can fuck off, Michael.”

The officer just raised his eyebrow in response, but made no motion to do anything else. Someone else, though, had other ideas.

“That is no way to speak with the captain, young human.”

“You can piss off too.” Severa bit back at the new arrival. She moved her gaze a bit behind Michael to see a large purple elemental. She had never seen them before, but was too heated to care. Manners be damned.

“Leave it, Plecrites. Anyway, this is Severa Tucker, Severa this is Plecrites a new monster recruit,” The chief introduced the two. Severa just glared at the monster while the elemental nodded at the seated human in acknowledgement. “He is a smog elemental, correct?”

The monster looked over to the older human, giving a brief nod in response. “Correct, sir.”

Michael turned his attention back to Severa and walked closer to her which earned him a harsher glare from the girl the closer he got. He stopped right in front of her. Severa instantly knew what he was going to do.

“Touch me and I will fucking bite you.” Her warning had the officer freeze his hand mid-rise and his eyes narrowed. Severa didn’t care as she continued to hold her glare. “Whatever you came here to do, get it done so you can go away.”

Michael scanned the girl’s face for a bit before sighing heavily and letting his hand fall back to his side and gesturing to his partner. “Alright- Plecrites, please write down her statement while I go talk to Ms. Cry.”

“Of course, sir.” the smog monster responded with ease as they produced a pad of paper and a pen from the bag at their side. Michael then proceeded to leave the room, but not before requesting Severa to try to behave. It just caused Severa to tell him to piss off.

Once the officer left Severa’s sight, she couldn’t stop the relief that overcame her and she slouched in the chair before turning her gaze to the other in the room. The smog monster was currently writing something on the paper pad, but it’s not like she cared at this point. Michael was out of the room which was great. She didn’t want to deal with him for long. She gazed over at the monster, finally getting a good look.

Plecrites was a purple elemental with a humanoid form that stood about 6ft or so dressed in the normal blue officer uniform minus the cap. Their eyes were just these blackened circles and she couldn’t make out a mouth. That seemed to be a running thing with elementals. The fire elemental that ran a downtown bar didn’t have one either. She moved her gaze up and connected with the monster’s own.

“Let us make this quick. Can you tell me what happened?” Plecrites ask Severa in a quiet manner, awaiting her answer.

“I fell and hit my head apparently.” She answered simply.

“...Apparently?”

“That’s what I got told.”

“What?”

“I blacked out from the pain.”

“The pain in your head?”

“No, the pain in my chest.”

“I thought you hit your head?”

“I didn’t.” Severa pointed at the mended wound on her head to clarify.

“I’m lost. Start from the beginning- what led you to… well this?” The monster gestured to the area around them and Severa knew what he meant.

The human sighed heavily in response and crossed her arms. “I came to the center to ask Mama Cry something and when we were talking a heavy pressure just began to appear in my chest. It slowly got worse until it just… hurt. I don’t know anything besides that. The pain got so bad that I just blacked out. I want to clarify. Cry did not do anything. It was an accident, a strange accident.”

As Severa spoke, Plecrites wrote and once they were finished they gave it a once over before nodding. They gave Severa one last look and said simply. “Your statement makes no sense.”

“This day makes no sense.” Severa simply shrugged and the two let silence engulf them before the human directed a question toward the monster. “How long have you been with the force?”

Plecrites jumped slightly at the unexpected attention and answered after settling themself down. “Only a few months.”

Severa nodded. A new recruit indeed. The monster had only gotten out of the academy then.. “How long have you worked one on one with Michael?”

“This would be my second time working with the chief. Why the sudden questions?”

“Because you need to know you’re in good hands with him. You can trust him to treat you right and not like a lot of idiots you might meet while on the force. He will teach you what he knows no matter who or what you are, so pay attention. He is a great man and officer to learn from.” Severa responded with ease and dropped the conversation at that as she crossed her legs and gazed off to the side thinking to herself. Maybe she should go check on Blue…?

The monster, on the other hand, had grown confused. They prepared to ask something, but got stopped when the person of interest returned to the room with Mama Cry in tow. He quickly instructed the two monsters to get seated so they could all discuss. They did as asked while the female human raised her eyebrow in response. What was going on?

The chief began the discussion with his hat resting in his lap. “So what were you saying before, Mama Cry?”

Severa quickly realized what was going on and sneered in retaliation. “No.”

“There is no choice.” Cry spoke to Severa looking straight at the human. The human’s anger and various emotions were shown on her face. 

“Of course there is! Not to involve them!”

“We have to! We always have to because I cannot do this alone!” Cry explained to Severa, shaking her head and releasing a heavy sigh. “Why are you so difficult? I never expected you to be this heated.”

“She has her reasons, Cry.” Michael interrupts the duo in defense of Severa, surprising the two monsters while causing Severa to rest her back against the chair she sat in and go quiet. Michael took the opportunity to encourage Cry to continue.

Cry glanced at Severa for a split second before starting in on her story. “Severa brought in a pair of bitties just earlier today that have serial numbers on them. I saw one with my own eyes on the Baby Blue and they are in horrible condition.”

Michael nodded at the information. “Serial numbers, huh?”

“Doesn’t that mean they are from the bitty underground?” The smog monster asked toward the chief.

“More than likely, yes.” Michael answered before looking toward Severa who refused to look at him. “Where did you get them, Severa?”

“No where. They were stowed away in my bag. I just discovered them eating my oreos at like two in the morning a few days ago. They told me they were in my bag, so they probably jumped in there at some point that day. I don’t know where they came from though.”

“Why not ask them?” The question was innocent enough. Plecrites obviously meant nothing by it, but it caused Severa to direct a glare toward the smog monster.

“No. That will just cause them to spiral downwards into either a panic or an anxiety attack. Who knows what they’ll do if that happens.”

“How do you know for certain?” Plecrites asked Severa who snorted.

“Because last time they began to cry and rattling their bones together. It took me a bit to calm them down and that was from a simple ‘where did you come from?’ question. Just think what would happen if you try prodding them for details. 

Plecrites took the new information under consideration if the look on their face meant anything. Who knew an elemental could be so expressive? Severa noticed Mama Cry nod to something.

“That sounds about right. The others reacted in the same way after.”

“Others?”

“Yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with bitties with serial numbers appearing in my center… although with a human is new.” 

“Don’t.”

Mama Cry rose her hands in a weak surrender. She wasn’t trying to start anything. 

Severa watched as the monster’s expression dropped as she sunk into her thoughts and Cry’s words began to slip through.

“The others that came along were in horrible shape. Anytime I or any other bitties tried to get them to open up… well, it never ended up going well for anyone. We never got answers from them.” Cry looked away, but Severa didn’t miss the glisten of liquid from the corner of the monster’s eyes. Her voice was breaking with every word as well. It must be difficult for her. Severa’s hand clenched into fists as her brain processed the information. No wonder she had to involve the police. This was a big deal after all(even if Severa didn’t want it to be). Severa deflated at the thought and gazed at Michael with a dull look that Michael didn’t miss.

“So what can we do?” Plecrites questioned the room.They moved their gaze from one face to the next waiting for a response.

“The past times we’ve kept them under watch at the center in their own space.” Cry responded recalling the past incidents with bitties with serial numbers. “It never ended well.”

“So they are to stay here then?”

Severa felt a chill run down her spine at the sentence. She stared down at the floor trying to ignore it, but it was hard to ignore the way she was grabbing at her own arms. Her nails were digging into the skin.

Michael sighed heavily, shrugging. “That seems to be the case. That is the only way to do it anyway.”

“About that…” Cry interjects while taking a deep breath. “Them staying here isn’t an option.”

“What?” Three voices answered in unison, then exchanging looks.

“They can’t stay here.” Cry repeated herself.

“Why not?” Michael asked, puzzled. He crossed his legs while gazing at the monster in question. He was obviously confused, but interested in where she was going with this.

“Because there is somewhere else they would rather be.”

“... Cry, please elaborate more.” The chief sighed heavily at the monster. He was too old for mind games.

The monster in question turned her gaze to the side for a bit trying to gather her thoughts before looking toward Severa who looked at her. Cry held a serious expression and heavy weight to her gaze. For some reason, Severa really didn’t like that look. “They want to be with you, Severa.”

“Fuck you.” Severa couldn’t stop the words before they slipped out. No. No. Nononono.

“I’m telling you the truth, Severa. They want to be with you.”

Shut up . Severa’s eyes widened as the monster spoke and she wished for her to stop. 

“How do you know that for certain?” Michael quickly asked, shooting a look at the other human before focusing on Cry.

“You know how monsters have SOULs and everything we do involves it?”

“Kind of. I’ve had the talk, but it is still hard to grasp.” Michael admitted, but doesn’t brush Cry off.

“Well, bitties are small monsters. They are their SOULs. And basically, their SOULs chose Severa’s. They are already bonded to Severa’s. If we were to take them from her, it would be a death sentence for them.”

Shut. up. With every word that entered the human’s ear the more she really wanted the monster to shut up. 

“I have never seen one this… strong in such a short time, but it is there.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because Severa felt Blue’s pain.”

Plecrites straightened suddenly. “That’s why she blacked out.”

Cry looked at her fellow monster and nodded. “Exactly!”

No. No Nonononono. Shut up.

“Liar.”

The room’s atmosphere dropped instantly. 

Severa didn’t know what face she was making. She couldn’t. The only thing she knew was she needed Cry to shut up . “Why the hell are you lying?”

Cry turned her gaze to Severa and sucked in her breath at Severa’s expression. “I am not lying, Severa.”

“Bullshit.”

“Severa.” Michael spoke out.

“Shut up, Michael.”

“No. You need to calm down, Severa.” Michael stood up from his chair and made his way to block Cry from Severa’s view causing her to gaze up at him. “You are getting too angry.”

“So?” Severa watched the officer’s eyes narrow at the girl in response.

“So? You are acting just like-”

“Like my mother ? Is that what you were going to say?”

Michael doesn’t say anything for a bit. “You need to calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Quit acting like a brat.”

“Fuck off.”

“Telling me to fuck off isn’t helping anyone, Severa.”

“Obviously. You’re still here.”

Michael finally had enough and he glared down at the girl. “I am trying to help, Severa!”

“Help who? Yourself?! Great job at that you heartless jackass!”

“Dammit! Why won’t you jus-”

“Use your words, Michael!” Severa taunted the older man who just seemed to snap as his next words sent a strike of pain straight through Severa’s SOUL.

“Cease your squawking, Severa!”

Silence engulfed the room before a loud crash broke through it. A lone chair laid on the ground from where Severa hastily stood up causing the furniture to tumble to the floor. She glared at the officer with a new rage burning in her stomach. “What. the. hell.”

“Don’t think you’re above this.” The older man bit back, returning the younger one’s glare. The harshness matched perfectly, along with certain underlying emotions hidden behind their shared fury.

“You just used his damn words against me.”

“Like you just didn’t do the fucking same.” Michael lets out a heavy breath, staring down into a heated gaze. “ Listen .” It wasn’t a request.

“No.” The response was immediate. Her fury was growing, but so was another feeling- a feeling she wanted to hide at all costs. 

“Dammit, Severa!” Michael was getting more heated and he clenched his hands together. The atmosphere in the room was growing heavier by the minute. Something was going to happen. Soon. “Why the hell are you being so difficult?! Even for you ! Is listening to me too much to ask?!”

“YES!” Severa exploded. She stomped her foot. Her emotional dam broke as she felt tears roll down her face. “How the hell do you even know that line anyway?!”

“He told me for fucks sake! Can you calm down and listen, if not for me, for Drew?!”

“Don’t.”

“You’ll do anything for my son! You’ve always had a soft spot for him , right?! Do it for him! Behave for him! ”

Each sentence felt like a pin being pushed in Severa’s SOUL. She didn’t like it. It hurt.

“Listen for him ! Do It for Him !”

Shut up.

“Would he really want you to be so difficult?! Do you think he would be proud of you for acting like your damn mother ?!”

“SHUT UP !” Severa screamed while clutching her chest. “ IT HURTS. ” Tears streamed down the young woman’s cheeks as she stared wide eyed at the floor, clutching her chest and huffing. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It h u r t .

Michael fell silent at the display before him.

Severa couldn’t stop the tears or the pain that grew. Everything just hurt. The words just bounced around the girl’s head over and over. It was too much. Too much at once. She felt like she was being stabbed twice. Is this what it felt like to be betrayed ? She tightened the grip on her chest beginning to lose feeling in her fingers as her chest itself tightened. The air… What was going on? Was the air thinning? Or was it her imagination? No, it’s hard to breath. She couldn’t breath. I t H u r t s .

“Shi… to… far. ...ving ….nic att....”

Who was talking? Severa couldn’t tell. The voices around her were fuzzy. Everything still hurt. What was going on? Someone… Someone… Help. Please. H e l p . …

Drew. 

… Drew. Drew. Drew. Help. Drew. Please help, Drew.

“Drew… help…”

Warmth. Suddenly, there was warmth wrapping around Severa’s body. Where? Why? Who cares. It felt safe . The girl just dove straight into the warmth, not caring where it was from. When she did, it tightened around her. 

“...eath…”

What? 

“...breath…”

Breath? Oh, right. Severa inhaled. 1. 2. 3. 4. Then exhaled. 5. 6. 7. 8. She repeated it several times before realizing what the warmth was. Well, more like who .

Tears were still streaming down her face and she threw her arms around Michael’s chest and just finally let herself go. The officer just pulled her closer as she did so. She barely heard his whispered apologies in her hair. All she could do was cry harder. Everything still hurt.

Time passed, but Severa didn't know how much. All she knew was she needed to ask something. “... Why?”

“I’m sorry. I went too far…”

“No.. why… did.. He..”

Severa heard Micheal make a noise of distress and just pulled her closer to him. “I don’t know, but I am so sorry.”

That just started the waterworks all over.

During the incident between Michael and Severa, Mama Cry and Plecrites were sent outside to check on the store. Cry went to check on Blue, Pap and Joker while Plecrites kept the peace in the main store. Whatever happened, it had Cry coming back and telling Michael to do whatever possible to get Severa to calm down. It was causing immense pain to Pap and Blue. 

At the present time, they moved to the examination room with Pap immediately clinging to Severa’s neck, questioning her well being. All she could do was stare weakly at the bitty in response. She looked over to Blue who, somehow, looked even worse than before. Pap patted Severa’s cheek to try to get her attention. She turned her attention to Cry who was wringing her hands together.

“Please Severa.... You are the only one. They felt it. They felt your pain. You have to believe me.”

“... I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Cry smiled sadly at the girl. “Oh, Severa. Don’t you understand? You made a choice. You chose them just like they chose you .”

That didn’t make Severa feel better. It still hurt.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 - Warmth Pt. 1

Incoming Call - Michael

“Chief?” Plecrites tried to gain his commanding officer’s attention. The chief replied with a weak grunt, writing down on a paper pad on a desk. He and his fellow officer had retreated back to Mama Cry’s office. Micheal had thought it best, so Severa could just rest with the bitties. Cry wanted to stay, but the chief quickly shut it down telling her it would be best to leave the girl alone for now. Severa couldn’t be doing anything for a while. His confident look must’ve won since the caretaker backed down and left the room taking Joker with her when Michael mentioned the small bitty. The additional glare probably helped. 

“Ma… May I ask… what happened back there?” 

The question made the man pause the stroke of his pen before resuming. “Severa had a panic attack. She’s known to have them periodically.”

“With all due respect, that’s not what I was referring to.” The new recruit pushed a bit. “You were…”

Michael let out a heavy sigh, cutting off his subordinate in the process. He turned his gaze to the monster revealing a somber look. “Cruel? Harsh? Out of line? Because yes, I was. I just threw the final metaphorical ball in the net for Severa and caused her to have a breakdown. I can practically feel my son’s anger on me right now.”

“Drew?” The name made the chief stop his writing and tighten the grip on his pen. 

“... Yes, that’s my son.”

“You’ve never mentioned him before?” The smog monster tried to recall that name being spoken. He wasn’t aware the chief had any children.

“I don’t.”

“Why not?” Why wouldn’t he speak of his own child?

Michael fell eerily quiet staring down at the wood of Mama Cry’s desk with a saddened expression. 

“Sir?”

The human closed his eyes and took a deep breath before resuming his writing. “When we get back to the station I want you to go through the files we have about ongoing bitty cases. See if any bitties were reported missing that fit Blue and Pap’s appearances.”

The smog monster remained silent at the order, causing Michael to turn his attention back to him. The human looked tired.

“What is it? Did you not hear me?”

“No sir, I heard you… but, I won’t let you drop it like that. I’ve noticed you have the tendency to do that.”

Michael sighed heavily for the umpteenth time that hour. He finally sat down in the cushioned chair before gazing at the monster fully. “What could you possibly want me to tell you?”

The smog monster held the chief’s gaze, contemplating something. They came to a decision and spoke out. “‘He is a great man and officer to learn from. You need to know you’re in good hands…’”

“Wha-”

“The young female human told me that when I was getting her statement. She was talking about you, sir. You obviously are looked upon highly by her, so I have to ask. Why did you say such cruel things to a person you obviously care so deeply for and vice versa?” Plecrites pressed forward, keeping his gaze connected with his superior. His earlier behavior had the monster worried for their commander’s wellbeing. In their academy days, Captain Michael Smythe was well respected and, more often than not, used as an example of the ‘perfect’ officer. Plecrites would be lying if they were anything but excited to be working with such a good man- so for him to act like… that was confusing! Especially since the young human praised him so confidently; just to have it thrown back in her face. It was concerning and perplexing. The monster knew they were missing pieces.

The chief stared at his subordinate and for a brief second, a flash of that fury appeared before it melted away again, leaving only a heavy sadness. The man looked broken and tired. The room was silent until Michael broke it. “My son was named Drew Smythe. He was extremely close with Severa and they did a lot of things together in high school. The two were nearly inseparable- they were the greatest of friends. Due to their closeness, Drew knew how to handle Severa very well and of course, understood her. There were times he even gave me pointers on how to deal with her when shit happened. Not just me actually, but others went to him.”

“I see- what about others?”

“Well of course, Severa has parents: a mom, dad, and a younger sister in her family, plus her close friends Avery and Abigail. That’s about it though. The girl didn’t have many in her age range to call friends besides my son. Don’t get me wrong Avery and Abigail were close in age, but they were each a good year older than her. My son was only a few months older than Severa. The phrase I used- ‘cease your squawking’ was something Drew often said to her for many different situations. It was never meant to cause harm to her though. Not like I just…” The chief slammed a clenched fist against the wood. “It just occurred to me that I really fucked up. Severa was more than likely my son’s only friend. The only person he considered a friend.”

“He seems like a wonderful kid though? Why would he only have one?”

“He… was. The greatest son I could ask for, but something happened and it caused Drew and Severa to become close in a short amount of time.” Michael looked away reminiscing. “They became extremely close.”

The monster opened his mouth after turning over this new information before flinching as a thought emerged. “... Your son is no longer here, is he?” The monster spoke slowly and could only watch as the officer dropped the pen and held his head in his hands.

“Yeah, he died about two years ago,” Michael said, biting back tears that wanted to appear. He missed his son so much. He could only fight back the tears as he sat in the chair waiting for the pain to subside.

Severa sat in the chair watching over the small Baby Blue in silence. How long had it been? How much time had passed since Michael had just shoved her in the seat? The young woman didn’t have the answers to her own questions but didn’t bother finding out either. She was just so… drained at this point. Everything seemed like a drag. She glanced to the side to view Pap, who was resting on her bag on the table Blue laid on. Speaking of the small bitty, Severa turned her attention to his current form. Her eyes narrowed at the sight before her; a heavy feeling resided in the pit of her stomach. She hated this. There was a nagging sense of Deja Vu going on and… she knew why. The girl pushed the thought down. She already broke down. If she did again; she stopped that train of thought. No, it was too tiring. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why did living have to be so difficult sometimes? Severa blinked when she felt a soft touch on her cheek. She glanced over to the side to see Pap resting on her shoulder with a concerned look. “...Yes?”

“Please Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“I Don’t Know- My SOUL Just Feels Cold.”

Severa gave a heavy sigh. “Easier said than done, Pap.”

“... Are You Going To Be Alright?”

“Probably.” Severa’s answer was weak and she had turned her attention back to the ill bitty. Her eyes narrowed at the scene before her, stirring memories in her mind. She tried to push them back but failed immediately. All she could do was stare at the small monster in a daze.

Blue was attached to a MIS machine close to the table he was resting on. It had several tubes sprung from a large lopsided contraption behind the bitty. The tubes were connected to the bitty entering under his shirt and meeting somewhere? There was a clear tube, two that had some blue-ish colors and another with a dark green color to it. What were they? Severa noted a tray off to the side that had medical instruments on it- one that greatly unsettled her was a syringe. It held the same red liquid that came from Blue’s socket before… before he passed out. 

If it was so dangerous… Why the hell did Mama Cry have it? She hadn’t injected the bitty with more of it, had she?! She wouldn’t have done that, right?! … Right? Severa asked questions, but couldn’t find the answers. She detested not having answers. The more she thought, the more questions she got. She… She needed to stop. She glanced at the tall bitty near her, making eye contact fairly quickly. The bitty cocked his head to the side. She just stared for a bit before the bitty asked what the matter was. Severa shook her head then turned her gaze away.

“Human Severa?”

Severa took a deep breath before locking gazes with Pap. “I don’t understand anything…”

“Oh? Well Maybe-”

“And I don’t want to, Pap. I just… want to stop thinking.”

“What Do You Mean?” Pap responded in confusion. Why would she want to stop thinking? His eye sockets were wide and stared into his human’s tired ones. There was a heavy sensation in the bitty’s SOUL that matched the one in the young woman’s chest; she tried to ignore it. 

When the feeling presents itself for a reason, Severa cannot think of it as… her’s. Mama Cry’s words echoed in her head. [They can feel you- Understand you-] The thought made heat rise in her chest. “Tch.” Severa turned her head away. “I just want to stop thinking…” Maybe then the pain would finally go away…

[Never.]

The pain could final-

[It will never go away.] 
[You are broken.]
[You are unwanted.]
[You deserve the pain.]
[It is your fault.]

“Human Severa!”

Severa snapped out of the trance and turned her wide eyes to the bitty once again. “...Sorry. You felt that, right?”

Pap nodded immediately. “Yes! Why Are You So... Sad?”

“Why did you say that with such hesitation?”

“I Feel Like That Is Not The Right Word For It.”

Severa leaned her head to the side. “Word?”

“Yes. ‘Sad’ Doesn’t… Fit.” The bitty gazed at the table that held his companion. He didn’t know what to do to make the human feel better and Severa didn’t know either. She was just so… tired. Drained. Done. Could she go to sleep? Sleep sounded good. Severa mumbled to herself as she felt her head lean toward the metal table. She wanted to sleep. Anything to make her stop thinking even for just a moment.

The next thing Severa was aware of was the gentle shaking of her body by a warm hand and strong voice calling out to her. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking multiple times trying to get rid of the blur in her sight. 

“Severa, wake up.”

She blinked several more times before Michael’s profile became visible. What was he doing here? It took her a few moments before it occurred to her. She probably fell asleep. “... Did I…?”

Michael nodded to the young woman then motioned to the table in front of her. “Seems like you weren’t the only one who exhausted themselves.”

Severa looked up and was surprised to see Pap resting next to Blue, who had been taken off the magic infuser machine and placed on something else. That machine was smaller but still seemed like overkill compared to such a small bitty. The human could only stare before being pulled away by Michael speaking again. 

“I just came to tell you your parents are coming to get you.”

“What?” Severa couldn’t stop the surprise in her tone and shock spread over her expression.

“I called your dad to come get you since you shouldn’t be alone right now. I won’t let you argue with me on this one. You broke down, Severa.” The officer emphasized his point when Severa opened her mouth with a rebuttal. “I am worried about you, so please…”

The girl could only stare at the man before her. The feelings of shock and surprise faded and numbness began replacing them. She turned her gaze away, unable to handle his attention anymore. She nodded while trying to focus on the bitties instead. She missed the relieved look on the chief’s face in the process.

Michael spoke out after a brief moment. “So, I’m going to give you the rundown of how this is going to proceed.” He knew Severa was listening even without her indicating it. “Due to the nature of this situation, we will be getting it all down in writing. I’ll need you to sign some papers at a later time, but for now, an oral agreement will suffice.”

Was it too late to run off? Severa thought as she just stared at the pair of bitties on the table before her. She was listening to the officer speak, but the one-sided conversation made a mixture of emotions swirl within her; ones she didn’t care to figure out. She blinked once, then let out a sigh. Yeah, it was too late. She closed her eyes as Michael’s plan slowly connected in her head. It was pretty straightforward. The bitties were to stay with Severa as they recovered and, in the meantime, Severa was to figure out anything she could from the bitties about where they came from. With this information, Michael might be able to track down a bitty holder. See? Straight forward, but not very solid of a plan. When did her life turn into one of those boring tv dramas that Drew liked to watch so much?

“Do you understand how this will proceed?”

“Basically, I’m stuck in a stupid tv drama.”

“Pretty much. I’m winging it as we go, honestly.”

“Don’t you have protocols for these?”

“Yeah, but when have I ever followed those?”

“...” Severa shot Michael a glare to which he just gave her a flat look. “What is the other thing you want to ask?”

“Are you alright?”

“Define ‘alright’?”

“Are you getting enough sleep? Did you take your medication today? How’s your mental health? Is work stressing you out?”

“Straight into dad mode, huh?”

“Sev.”

Severa sighed then shook her head. “... I’ll be fine. I have to be.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“That’s the only answer you’re going to get, Michael.”

“You’ll tell your dad though, right?”

“... Of course,” Severa responded softly. She didn’t flinch when she felt Michael’s warm hand pat her head in a familiar, nostalgic manner. It took every ounce of her being to not let tears spill over once again, whether from happiness or anguish she hadn’t any clue. 

After that conversation died, the surrounding air was calm which positively affected Severa. While she was still drained, the quiet environment helped her fried nerves. It wasn’t long before noise outside the door caught the duo’s attention. It was Severa who responded first and stood from the chair as Michael moved to open the door. He didn’t get very far as the door swung open. A large built man with dark blonde hair and dark green eyes scanned the room until they landed on the young girl standing in front of the chair. He strolled over to the girl and held her gaze for a few moments before spreading his arm open.

Severa didn’t think twice before rushing into the man’s spread arms and quickly feeling engulfed by his warm embrace. She shoved her face into his shoulder as much as she could and took a deep breath. She took in a huge sugary aroma from the man. It further calmed her, allowing a small smile to slip on her expression. It was warm.

“You will be alright now, Sevy.” The man spoke confidently while softly petting his daughter’s hair. He kept his gaze toward his child for a moment before moving it toward the other person in the room. “So, mind explaining just how the hell Severa had a breakdown, Michael?”

Michael shook his head in response while he ran his fingers through his hair. “It would be best to ask Severa rather than me. I do not have all the details, Abraham.”

The man, Abraham, snorted at the officer’s response and narrowed his eyes. “It’s going to be something that I’m going to hit you for, isn’t it?”

“Quite possibly.”

“You can still be an idiot, Michael.” Abe sighed heavily, “Sometimes I have to wonder if that boy was really yours.”

“...And what do you mean b-”

“That boy was better than you.” Abe spoke bluntly before gently moving one of his arms from around his daughter to grasp her tote bag that Michael had held out to him. “So who else am I taking with her?”

“Two bitties.”

“Bitties?” One of Abe’s eyebrows rose as the answer sank in. “You mean… those little monster things?”

“Yes.”

“How did…” Abe glanced down at his daughter who just shoved her face further into his shoulder in a poor attempt to hide away, which made him drop the question. He’d find out eventually. “Alright then. I’ll come get them when I get Severa to the car.”

Michael nodded at the baker’s response. “Of course.”

It was easy for Abe to get Severa from the bitty center to the familiar, blue truck waiting outside next to the curb. She went along silently which worried Abe, but he understood just how drained his child was. He didn’t wish to push her through more than she already has been. While he wasn’t there for her breakdown, he was aware of how likely another one could come about. His wife was known to have them as well. Like mom, like daughter in that regard, unfortunately. Her dad gently urged Severa to climb into the passenger side and waited until she was settled before handing her the bag. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get those bitties for you.”

Severa held her dad’s stare for a few moments before nodding weakly. “... Be careful with them please.” She requested softly as she sank into the seat and sent her gaze toward the windshield. Abe nodded to his daughter before making his way back to the center. Thoughts and questions were bouncing around his mind as he returned to the back room where Michael was, but also another monster with bright pink eyes. Ah, that must be Mama Cry. 

“Hello.” He greeted the bitty center’s Mama who gave him a quick once over with her ears flattened against her head. Guess she wasn’t too keen on the situation, either. “So how do I go about taking the bitties?”

Michael began to open his mouth, but Mama Cry was quicker. “Blue and Pap will need to be around Severa nearly 24/7 for now until they can grow their bond stronger. I have prepared instructions and other things in a bag that you can take and give to Severa when you arrive home. In there should be everything she will need for them, and her, while they are in the beginning stage-”

“Whoa, whoa- slow down there.” Abe stopped Mama Cry as she began rambling. “I have no idea what half of that meant, but I get it. What I mean is how can I get them to the car without causing too much pain for them?”

Mama Cry’s ears shot up at the question. “Oh, I will help with that.”

Abe nodded. “Good. Severa asked me to be careful with them, but I know nothing.” Abe didn’t miss the hopeful look that spread across the monster’s face as he spoke, but chose to ignore it. He asked where the bag was and requested Mama Cry to get the bitties quickly. He wanted to get his daughter home sooner rather than later and he did just that.

No more than 10 minutes later, Severa was resting against the leather seat of the truck with two skeleton bitties in her lap and her dad next to her, currently stopped at a red light. She gazed at her dad with a tired look, not afraid to show off her feelings. The man chose her after all. Both of his hands were on the steering wheel, but one of his fingers was tapping to the beat of the jazz coming from the radio. 

“...Hey, dad.”

“Hm?”

“Why are rich people bad at running a bakery?”

Abe’s finger paused for a split second while he thought about it. A grin split across his face as he chuckled and answered. “Because they don’t knead the dough.”

Severa felt a smile slip on her own expression as well. 

“What do you call a redheaded baker?”

“A gingerbread man.” Severa’s response was instant and so was Abe’s laughter. So began their back and forth joke banter for the whole car ride toward home. The warmth Severa felt in her chest remained the whole time.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14 - Warmth Pt. 2

“Who do I need to ban from the store?”

“I haven’t even opened the door, Emery.” Abe was looking over to his beloved wife who was right up at the passenger’s window staring at their daughter with a worried look. Emery’s black hair was in a messy bun with a familiar scent that made Severa look at her mom with a relaxed expression.

“That doesn’t answer my question, Abe.”

“Unless you want to ban Ebott’s police chief, then there is no one.”

“Okay.”

“You cannot ban Michael.”

“And why not?”

“It never stopped him before, why would it work now?”

Emery and Abe continued their back and forth as Abe made his way out of the car and Emery moved away to let Severa out of her side. Severa was careful as she got out of the car to not jostle the small monsters she was carrying in her arms. Before Severa and her dad left the center, Abe had returned with the bitties and a soft blanket Mama Cry had given to them. The blanket was very soft, dark blue in color, and light in weight. When Severa received the blanket she had a strange feeling, but like always, pushed the feeling down to focus on the bitties. 

The bitties were wrapped securely in the blanket to protect them while traveling as both were still unconscious from the day’s earlier events. Severa was quite tired herself and wished to be wrapped in a blanket as well. She made her way out of the car in the direction her parents were headed. They were heading into an open garage door that was covered in boxes and crates full of bakery-related items. Severa knew they never parked in the garage due to the clutter. The young woman made her way to the open door which led to an area that had stairs going up, a laundry room, and a small closet. Severa went up to the next floor without stopping. 

“Lucia isn’t here for the record, Sev! She’s spending the night at a friend’s house!” Severa heard her mom call after her as she stepped into the living room on the second floor. The young woman took the information as a sign she would be getting some quiet time. She adored her little sister of course, but right now, she couldn’t handle her energy or constant questions. Severa could barely manage to keep standing. She sat down on the large leather couch and gently set the bitties down next to her.

Severa looked down at the bundle with a tired expression. She had so many questions, very few answers, and absolutely no energy to think. And yet, here she was. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She could hear her parents downstairs still and they would probably remain there for some time. All she needed was to get enough energy to move to her room and it would be better. She also just wanted another nap. Why? Who cares? She sure didn’t.

The human girl laid back against the sofa, opening her eyes to stare up at the popcorn ceiling of her home. How many times over the years had she just stared at the ceiling? Probably more than she remembered. She reminisced the last time she stared at the ceiling was a few years ago with her little sister. Lucia decided to play ‘corpse’; they just laid on the ground and stared at the ceiling. Where did she learn that game again? Right, from school- it was a popular game. There were two forms where one played dead or played like a piece of trash. Lucia liked the dead version better apparently. Severa went along with her sister’s wishes either way. It was a good way to take a break. … A break?

Severa blinked. Once. twice, then sat up straighter. She turned her gaze to the carpet beneath her. Next thing she moved herself to the floor and stared blankly at the ceiling with her parents’ voices softly coming from below.

“Hey, Lex. Play ‘Game of Corpse’ playlist.”

“Playing ‘Game of Corpse’ playlist by Lucia. Enjoy.”

Silence for a bit before a song rang through the speakers of the living space. Severa closed her eyes slowly drifting into the music. After some time, she mumbled out some of the lyrics. 

“ Don't you love it

Don't you love it

No, I ain't happy yet

But I'm way less sad… “

She let herself be immersed in the music until she was snapped out of it by a voice calling to her. A very fragile voice. She opened her eyes while turning to gaze at the bitty who had been a growing worry for her. Blue was staring ahead, but definitely toward her.

“ Well I can't fall asleep

And I'm losing my mind

Cause it's half past three

And my brain's on fire ….”

The human watched as the tiny monster moved his head around, listening to her until he vanished from the blanket and landed on her stomach. He must have been trying to pinpoint her location. It didn’t stop her from singing though.

“ I been counting sheep

But the sheep all died

And I'm trying too hard

But I can't not try .... ”

The small bitty scrambled further up until he was right up in her face and just stared at her. His eyelights were fuzzy, so he more than likely couldn’t see properly or at all.

“ Well I can't fall asleep

And I'm losing my mind

Cause it's half past three

And my brain's on fire

I been counting sheep

But the sheep all died

And I'm not dead yet

So I guess I'll be alright ….”

The bitty moved his face closer until his skull took up a majority of her view.

“ I may be wrong

It's stupid but it's all I have

Don't you love it

Don't you love it

No, I ain't happy yet

But I'm way less sad …”

Severa finished the song off and couldn’t help, but ask. “Is bating my face helpful?”

“YES,” Blue responded easily, as he kept patting various parts of his human’s face.

“Alright then.” Severa didn’t fight his actions, letting him continue as he thought fit. That was all Severa asked on the matter as Blue continued until he seemed content with whatever he was doing.

“ARE YOU OKAY?”

“No.” the human answered honestly. “But I will be in a bit. This place will help me with that.”

“This Place? So We Are Somewhere Else?”

“We are currently on the floor in the living room of my parents’ house. If you go quiet, you can hear them downstairs.” Severa told the bitty and watched as he nodded and went very quiet to test the statement. It was true when she heard her mom yell ‘Abe!’ in a laugh and something dropped.

“... There Are…”

“I promise you are safe here.”

Blue moved downward and curled on Severa’s chest with Severa making no motion to move him. She closed her eyes and let herself slip back into the music that echoed around the room. A feeling settled in her chest. A… warm feeling she thought before shoving it to the side. She didn’t care to figure it out and who it came from.

Several songs passed when Severa felt the floor moving. Someone was coming up the stairs and from the softness- it was her mom. The young lady opened her eyes while moving her head to see her mom come into view. The older woman’s black hair was still tied up in a messy bun, rocking her pink apron with blue jeans and a white undershirt.

“Hey, mom.”

“Hi, sweetie.” Emery chimed back, giving her daughter a wide smile and making her way closer. She stopped close enough that Severa just had to look upward to keep eye contact.

“Are you playing ‘corpse’?”

“Yep.”

“Nice choice, although Lucia will be upset when she comes home.”

Severa shrugged it off, waiting for her mom to continue.

“On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to move within the next hour or two?”

“.... Probably six.”

“Oh, that’s better than I thought. Any requests for dinner?”

Severa thought for a bit, racking her brain until she shrugged and spat something out. “Soup?”

Emery gave her child a thoughtful look then nodded. “Alright, soup it is. Now, what type of soup is up to your dad. If that man says anything about seafood, I’m gonna shove one of the pies in his face.”

Severa cracked a smile at her mom’s threat as she proceeded to the kitchen area of the floor. She closed her eyes again, focusing on the music and her mom’s accompanying sounds. Her mom started a conversation after a bit of silence.

“I have a question, sweetie.” Severa made a noise in response for her mom to continue.

“Your dad gave me the rundown on what happened and what’s going on currently.” Emery’s daughter remained quiet as she continued. “Are you going to want me to help with a meal plan or anything like that?”

“.. Huh?”

“Well just like when you first moved to your apartment, we made a meal plan so it's less stress on you, remember? Would you like to do that again?” Emery reiterated toward her child and watched as a confused expression morphed on Severa’s face making her laugh.

“That… would probably help. Lemme think about it.” 

“Okay, I’m going to rearrange some of the cabinets in the kitchen. Is that going to be okay or will it be too much noise?”

Severa thought about it and opened her mouth, “I can move to my room if that wa-”

“Nope. No, do not finish that sentence.” Emery sternly told her oldest. She marched back to the living room, to her child, and hovered above her with a matching expression. “This is your house as well, Severa. You do not have to move. I asked because of that. Now would it be too much noise?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I’m going back to the bakery to finalize the design for the surprise cookie boxes. If you want to join, you are more than welcome to. I always enjoy having you around whether you help or not.” Emery smiled brightly at her daughter before leaving Severa to her own devices and returning to the lower level.

The warming feeling expanded in Severa’s chest and she couldn’t stop the smile on her face from spreading. As usual, her mom knew what she needed to hear even if she didn’t. The thought brought up a distant memory for Severa. 

Abby used to tell Severa stories of her birth mother and was always so happy when she did so. Abigail’s mom always made her happy. Abby spoke about a ‘mom power’. Was that a mom power that Abby was referring to before? The current memory was from a conversation that happened several weeks ago. It was a day Severa had off of work. Severa was going to go fish window shopping, but Abby had called begging to borrow her body for some clothes that were custom ordered, and of course the, ‘the mannequins only do so much’ excuse came up. There went her plans for the day as she ended up at the boutique Abby worked at to help her inspect the clothing or model- whatever she needed. Either way, she went there and was instantly in the back with a mint green dress and her friend measuring, poking, etc. It was the usual stuff in the beginning with Abigail complaining and working while Severa listened. At some point, they got on the topic of family and Abby complained that while she loved her family, her stepmother was overstepping boundaries again. Abby never got along well with her stepmother, saying the woman was too overbearing and a narcissist or just very self-centered depending on who you asked. Abby always stated the woman was her stepmother, but will never be her mother and the woman refused to understand. Always getting into Abby’s business where she wasn’t welcomed or wanted.

Severa could somewhat relate, but let her friend complain nonetheless. Abby went on about her stepmother and how her father needed to grow a backbone and Parker, her stepsister, was in a new rebel phase. It made sense why Abby moved out when she did and continued to be by herself. She was a lot happier now than before, but it was during these conversations that made Severa think of how different all their parents are and the relationships between each girl and her respective parents.

The young woman is snapped out of her reminiscing by movements on her lower stomach region. The scene before her was of two bitties staring straight at her. “Hi there.”

“Hello.” The duo replied in unison, but Blue’s voice was somewhat softer unsurprisingly. “Where Are We?” Pap added on.

“My parents’ house where we’ll be staying for a few days. They are both downstairs doing whatever.”

“I Hear Them…” Pap said, gazing in the direction of the stairs, then returning to Severa. Blue’s gaze, on the other hand, never left his human.

Severa exhaled heavily, figuring out how to address his gaze before just shrugging. “I’m not ready to talk about anything yet, Blue. In a bit. Let’s just… be here okay?” The human gave the bitty a tired smile that pleaded to him.

The smaller bitty kept up the eye contact until he was satisfied then nodded.

“Where Is That Music Coming From?” Pap asked, getting the others’ attention.

“The music? It would be Lex, a small device that responds to voice commands. Right now, it's playing music, more specifically a playlist my sister made years ago that we still add to.”

“Sister?”

“Yeah, my little sister. Her name is Lucia. Those books you guys read in my apartment,” The bitties nodded. “Are technically her’s. I bought them for her when she came over.” Severa felt pressure around her stomach after she said so, then added. “She’s not here currently. She’s over at her friend’s house.” A sense of relief spread over her SOUL and Severa understood swiftly that it was not hers. She clicked her tongue and asked the bitties if they had any more questions.

“Are We Going Home Anytime Soon?”

Severa took a deep breath. She already told them and gave the duo a flat look. “We are staying here for a few days, then we will go back to my apartment.”

“Why Can’t We Go Back Now?”

“Because.”

“Because Why?”

“Blue.”

“What?”

“Please stop. Stop doing that.”

Blue stopped talking and then turned his eyelights downward in shame and realization.

Severa sighed and spoke with frustration. “I just…. Need to be around my parents, okay? I need to be… safe.” Severa couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of restlessness at the admission. She needed to get up. She needed to move. She needed her parents. So she did, moving the bitties from her stomach and putting them on her shoulders instead. The girl went down the stairs into the garage to find it empty. Her parents had moved, and she easily knew where to. As they didn’t go upstairs, they had to go through the side door. The side door was located in the back of the garage, hidden away, and through it, was an alleyway. She went across the alleyway to an adjacent door and entered it, being hit by the overpowering smell of baked goods. She was in the family bakery.

“Oh, hi Sevy!”

Severa’s mom called out happily, noticing her child walking through the door. “Your dad mentioned seafood when I asked him what type of soup he wanted to have, so I’m making a pie to smack him with.”

“What flavor?”

“Pie flavor!” Abe’s response came from somewhere that Severa couldn’t pinpoint, but she cracked a grin.

“Shut up, honey!”

“No!”

“You never listen to me!”

“I like hearing my own voice too much!”

The banter between her parents carried on for a bit and the smile on the girl’s face just got wider and wider until she couldn’t take it anymore and laughed out loud. The banter made a warming feeling swell up in her chest. There was something else, but it disappeared quickly before Severa thought of it too much. She watched her mom run around the kitchen for a bit before coming over with her arms spread open. Severa didn’t think twice before diving into the embrace and pulling the older woman in close, breathing in the honey scent she knew her mom for.

“How was your nap, sweetie?”

“Restless.”

“Understandable.”

Severa felt fingers running through her hair which made her body relax. They stayed in the embrace for a few moments before Emery pulled away against Severa’s wishes. The younger woman made a disgruntled noise causing her mom to laugh. 

Emery took a step back and placed her arms on her hips, leaning over a bit and looking at Severa’s shoulders. “It’s nice to see you two awake and moving around! My name is Emery and I’m Sevy’s mom!”

“Hi/Hello!”  The duo of bitties call back to the greeting from their place on their human’s shoulders. Blue had moved closer to Severa’s neck, while Pap sat down with his legs swinging back and forth. The woman had been careful not to hurt the small creatures when she asked her daughter for her hug, not wanting to upset her child even more than Severa already was. 

“Lemme guess, the tall one is Pap and the smaller one is Blue?” Emery guessed while taking a closer look at the bitties who each shared a surprised look, making Severa’s mom smile. “From your looks, I got it.” She nodded at herself, causing some of her black hair to fall out of her bun.

“Your bun is coming undone, mom.”

“Oh?” Emery felt around her neck to check then proceeded to undo the rest of her bun and quickly put it back up. While doing so, she asked her daughter what flavor of pie she should throw at her dad’s face.

“... Blueberries.”

“MWEH!”

“Blue, you reacting like that just encourages her, I promise you. She’s always like this.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You like attention from the people you love, Sevy.” Emery explained. “There are a lot of things that took time to learn about you, but that was a thing I understood very quickly. You always wanted our attention, but didn’t seem to know how to get it so you would just stare at us and try to copy us when you were very small. Then it morphed into teasing and being playful with others.”

Severa blinked several times from her mom’s answer. “... I did that?”

“Oh yes, all the time. You copied us a lot until you eventually just picked up some stuff and dropped the others as if you decided you like this, but not that. It was very interesting and wonderful to see you find yourself!” Emery smiled widely, reminiscing about the past. She pulled open the oven and checked on the current goods that were baking. Since she closed it, they weren’t done enough for her mom’s liking. 

“Really?” Severa looked surprised at her mom’s answer. She tried to think back on it, but couldn’t come up with anything instantly. Maybe something later would come up? While thinking on it, she glanced around the bakery kitchen, seeing several pies setting out to cool, some even decorated with toppings of all sorts. Was there some sort of pie event going on or was this just one of her mom’s moods?

Emery giggled at her daughter’s face, affectionately shaking her head before turning a bit and calling out to her husband. “Can you think of anything that Sev liked when she was little?”

“Fish!” Abe answered without missing a beat from the store end of the building.

“I’m studying to be a marine biologist. What do you expect?” Their child threw her arms out in response and then instantly moved her hands up to brace the bitties from the sudden movements.

“No, Sevy.” Abe spoke out emerging into the kitchen. He was wearing a black apron that was stained with different colors like a toddler’s first finger painting. He strolled in with his hands shoved into the apron and a knowing look. “You were obsessed. There is no other word for it. If there was another thing we understood about you easily, it was you were obsessed with fish. Videos, pictures, anything as long as it had a fish, would have your undivided attention. You would get upset if you got interrupted.”

“Upset? Like I cried a lot?” Severa asked. She couldn’t remember much about her childhood, but only bits and pieces like the fact that Chester was always around and she felt safe with him, just like how she felt with her parents and even Drew and Michael.

“Around that time, no. Rather, you would get this… look on your face.” Abe explained as he stood in front of his child, dark green eyes meeting teal. “The look was faint and took us a while to figure out, but once we did, we noticed you did it all the time.”

“Which is why we fought with your former counselor one time about you not expressing yourself. You did, just not a lot. Plus, it was more like… you didn’t know how.” Emery added on, pulling something from the oven and placing it on the counter. It was another pie.

Severa looked over for a split second before looking at her dad. “Do you remember anything else?”

Abe looked downwards, thinking a bit then nodded. “You wouldn’t go anywhere without Chester. Even to the bathroom; and he followed you.”

“Honestly, you didn’t need to vocalize your dislike of not having Chester around. He did it for you. He would just scream if you weren’t around or in his eyesight. We got so many complaints from the neighbors about the noise when we lived in the apartments, but there wasn’t anything we could do.” Emery spoke up again with Abe nodding along with every word. Severa clicked her tongue. “... He wasn’t that bad.”

“Yes, he was.” Her parents both declared with Severa looking away as her mother added on. “There was a reason he was referred to as your feathered guard dog, Sevy. He was attached and protective of you and showed it.”

“Who Is Chester?” Pap spoke up suddenly, making Severa and her parents look toward her right shoulder. Pap was still relaxed on his human’s shoulder kicking his legs back and forth. He and Blue, who was on Severa’s left shoulder, were just quietly listening the entire time.

“My cockatoo,” Severa answered with a gentle smile, thinking of her old companion.

“What Is A Cockatoo?”

“A cockatoo is a type of bird that some have as companions, but they have the intelligence of a small child. Chester was a blue-eyed cockatoo that has been with Severa since she was born hence why they were so attached to each other.” Abe explained then glanced at his wife. “What are you doing?”

“Pulling out pies?”

“When did you make pies?”

“A while ago.”

“What flavor?”

“Pie flavor.”

Abe grinned at his wife. “Admit it, you enjoy my humor.”

“No, Sevy enjoys your humor. I tolerate it because I love you.”

“If you two kiss, I’m leaving the room.”

“But Sevyyy.” Emery whined. “I need you around!”

“For what?”

“For a witness!”

“Come again?” Severa and her dad asked in unison, only to have Emery grab one of the cooled pies and smash it into her husband’s face.

“I told you if he said seafood he was getting a pie to the face.”

The whole room was silent except for the ding of one of the ovens going off. The bitties and Severa shared a look of shock. Severa watched as the pie pan fell onto the dark vinyl flooring and she bit her lip as she slowly looked back up at her dad’s face. It was covered in the blueberry filling, whipped cream, and pie crust.

Abe licked some of the pie off his mouth “... Blueberries. Delicious!” He spoke out and his daughter just erupted into laughter, grabbing her stomach and trying not to lean over too much for the bitties. She loved her parents. She truly, wholeheartedly loved her parents. A sense of immense warmth spread over her SOUL; one that she hoped would never leave.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 - A Childish Perspective

Severa tossed a look at the small bitty currently trying to bury himself into her mountain of stuffed animals. Blue was very persistent in trying to find “that grey animal” so who knew what he was referring to? Pap was sitting on top of Severa’s stomach watching Blue. The trio had moved to Severa’s room after spending some more time with her parents. 

Pap and Blue were formally introduced to Abraham. Severa had a feeling the bitties liked her parents. The warmth in her expanded at the thought. Severa swallowed the lump in her throat thinking about it. The group talked about who was the most annoying, humor wise and Pap kept Emery's side about the terrible puns. Severa and her dad were on the other side with Blue being neutral surprisingly. Didn't he hate her puns? or puns in general? Before Severa could think more about it, Emery commented on how Severa should show the bitties her room since it's one of her favorite places to be. Severa agreed with her mom, leading to where they were now. 

The young woman turned her gaze to stare up at the ceiling of her room while the duo continued whatever they were doing. Pap hadn’t moved from her stomach but was encouraging Blue's behavior while Blue was making noises and exploring the mountain plush. Severa was quiet as she just laid on her back listening to the duo in serene stillness.

“I Found It!” Blue announced as he dug himself out of the mountain, gaining Severa’s attention. 

“Wonderful!!” Pap responded; then hopped off his human’s stomach to go help his companion to bring out his finding.

Severa blinked when she noticed it was her whale plush, it was part of a group of marine animals plushies. The shark plush she had at her apartment was part of the set. Why did Blue pull that out? And how did he know about it? She doesn’t recall telling them about the set. “... My whale plush?”

“Whale??”

“Yes, whale.”

“It Is Not A Shark?”

“No, Blue. A shark is not a whale and vice versa. Were you trying to find another shark plush to cuddle?”

“I Wanted To Find The Grey Animal!”

“Well, you’re not wrong. It is grey, but sharks are not the only marine mammals that are grey. Dolphins, Whales, and others can also be grey. Orcas aren’t normal though, they are black and white usually.”

“Orcas?” The bitties parroted, making Severa smile before explaining the well-known black and white marine animal, the Orca. 

“It is a marine animal that is part of the dolphin family and even though many refer to them as ‘killer whales’ they have no relation to whales in the slightest. Many people think they are either a shark or a very carnivorous whale when it is a dolphin.” Severa laughed a bit. She goes on to explain their wide diet and how they are very dangerous and how they are one of her favorite animals. The entire time the small monsters are staring at their human listening to her with an awed expression that slowly grew.

“...You Are Happy.”

Severa paused in her rambling, looking squarely at the short bitty who spoke out. “What?”

“You Are Happy.”  Blue repeated with confidence and something else Severa couldn’t pinpoint. “We Can Feel It. You Are Happy.”

Pap decided to join in the conversation. “Remember? We Can Feel Your Feelings! You Get Very Warm When You Talk About The Orcas!”

Severa blinked and let her hands fall in her lap while digesting the information. Yes… yes, they did mention that. It was mentioned several times. The bitties were bonded with her now, so they could feel her emotions, good or bad. If there was a way to block it, she didn’t know, but she understood the boys wouldn’t agree with that idea. She felt something crawl down her spine for a brief second before she shook it off and focused on the bitties. She could only nod, agreeing with their comment.

“Yes. I am happy when I talk about marine animals. Dad said it downstairs. I really like fish.” Severa smiled widely. She always had this warmth spread around her chest when she could proudly announce her interest. It didn’t matter to her if they only nodded along, but they were interested nonetheless which excited her. Severa watched the boys’ expressions for a bit. Did their bones look more colorful? Hopefully, Mama Cry did give them medicine while they were there. That reminded her, she needed to go talk to her dad about their care since she doesn’t remember well after passing out. She should also get her head rebandaged by her mom while she's at it. 

The boys were quiet until Pap asked a question on the orcas of what kind of puzzles would they like. Severa was surprised by the somewhat strange question and thought of it for a minute. “... Ones with food…? They spend most of their lives looking for food.” The human went deep into thought and the bitties became quiet. Pap’s shoulders slouched, but he quickly shook it off giving himself some pep talk. This was all lost on Severa.

Blue brought his human back to reality by asking her what her favorite animal was. Without missing a beat Severa answered, “Platypus.”

“A What?”

“A platypus.”

“What Kind Of Fish Is That?”

“It’s not a fish. A platypus is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal that has the bill and feet of a duck, the tail of a beaver, and the body of an otter. It is basically a weird animal. A very weird animal.” She was very excited when she started explaining it similar to what happened with the orcas. 

The bitties were making their way over to Severa’s lap as she spoke on. They didn’t care what she said, they just wanted the warm feeling to stay around. There were still dark feelings, but for whatever reason, Severa was ignoring them. The bitties could feel her ignoring it, but they couldn’t understand what the feeling was… they didn’t like it either.

Time ticked away as Severa kept her rambling; giggling periodically as the bitties would comment or interject in her explanations. Most sent her into giggles or got her into a different topic. “Seahorses are very fragile creatures. We don’t recommend having them as pets for beginners since even the most experienced owners have trouble caring for them. Even at the aquarium, we have trouble doing what we need for them and we have the space and funds to house them. Everything needs to be exact and one thing going off even just a bit can make the seahorse die.” The human explained while looking down at the duo who were relaxed in her lap. Severa herself was resting against her mountain of plushness, playing with a random stuffed animal from her mountain. The plush was a sky blue octopus that Severa kept twirling the tentacles while talking. 

“You Have Many Plushies.” Blue started pushing on the stuffed animal in his human’s hold. “Do You Like Them Like Fish?”

Severa nodded, halting her rambling. “Yes, I love stuffed animals. They are soft and comforting. I collect them and people have given them to me as gifts over the years. My parents, little sister, and friends have always given them to me since it was a ‘safe’ option as they state.” Severa shrugged at the wording but understood what they meant.

“Who Gave You Your Grey One?”

“Hm? The grey one? Which one?”

“The One From Your Home!”

“Oh, that one? My parents gave it to me when I was very young.” The human replied nonchalantly. 

“What About This One?”

“Drew did,” Severa replied automatically.

“Who Is Drew?”

It took a solid moment for the question to sink in, but once it did, the bitties noticed how the warmth disappeared and was replaced with a strong cold feeling. It wasn't a bitter cold like before, but a… cloudy? gloomy? cold. It was a new cold. It didn’t seem to be a dark feeling. Pap placed his phalanges over his soul while Blue grasped the blanket that rested on him as he stared at his human. He watched as Severa’s eyes went to the stuffed animal in her hand and her actions became distant from one another. She would open her mouth and then close it while trying to find words. The feeling was settling, but not so overpowering as it was before. He sees something glimmer in the corners of her eyes, but she takes a deep breath.

“... He was my friend. One of my greatest friends and I… can’t see him anymore.” Severa tugged at the octopus’ head briefly before swallowing. There was a heavy lump in her throat and she wanted to cry. She knew why, but she was still so drained. How much more could emotions drag her down? Was there a way to shut them down? “He… was so great. He… He is gone …” 

The bitties each got closer to their human, pressing themselves into her oversized shirt. She took a shaky breath, feeling the pressure in her stomach, and was able to keep herself grounded. It felt like her heart was being stabbed nonetheless. “Drew was a really good friend of mine from high school. He was someone who I could rely on and he just understood me. He never judged me or anything I did or said much like Avery and Abby. He… died a few years ago from an illness. He got me the plush you have when we were in high school. It is actually part of a whole group and I have 8 out of 11, I believe. He was working on getting me the whole collection actually.” She let out a dry laugh, knowing the collection wouldn’t be completed now. She dropped the octopus, not able to hold it any longer. Her arms curled around her chest and she tried to curl into herself, but two small creatures were in her way. They refused to move and she couldn't bring herself to fight with them as the tears fell over her face once again. A feeling she knew all too well sprung back up as she did so. It always came up when she cried. Stars, when would this stop… ? She was so sick and tired of being… broken. At least the comments were quiet this time, even if the terrible feeling remained a heavy presence.

Severa made the elective decision of taking a nap and refused to take the opposition of her bitties. She was tired and wanted to take a voluntary nap for the first time today. Not one from passing out of pain and panic if she has any choice. The bitties made their protests known, but they fell on deaf ears once Severa was too comfortable in her blanket. The bitties made their way to her pillows to get a good napping spot since their human wasn’t listening to reason again. If there was something else they were learning about their human, it was that she could be stubborn when she wanted to be. Is this going to be a normal thing?

The small 45-minute nap Severa intended turned into a 3-hour dead nap. The type of nap you slept so deeply, you bolt up not knowing what year you are in. Severa had to check her phone to see the time and noticed some missing text messages - one from her dad telling her dinner was ready whenever she wanted. It was soup - seafood soup and pie for dessert and not the one that was shoved in his face he promised. She announced to the bitties about the food and it was agreed upon to go eat dinner. Severa somehow managed to roll out of her cocoon and made her way down a flight of stairs to the living area with the family kitchen. The bitties were on her shoulders, much to Blue’s protests about riding on her head. Pap followed Severa’s example from before and ignored the small monster and kept him on her shoulder with him.

When the trio arrived, they were warmly welcomed by the older adults. Abe was sitting at the small table that was in the kitchen, eating his supper while Emery was moving around the kitchen grabbing some bowls for the newcomers. The opposite seat at the table was pushed out, so it was safe to assume that Emery had gotten up once she heard her daughter coming down the stairs.

“Mom, I can get my ow-”

“Shh.” Emery cut off her daughter and pointed to the island bar that separated the living room and kitchen. She watched Severa put her arms up in surrender and make her way to sit at the island which made the older woman smile. Emery enjoyed feeding her family.

Severa took a seat where her mom had pointed. The bitties moved down to the island but hung around their human’s arms that rested on the countertop. Pap sat closer to her hands while Blue kept toward Severa’s main body. The young woman watched her mom move back and forth in the kitchen with smooth motions. She was truly at home in the kitchen. Soon, there were bowls resting in front of the trio. It was a seafood soup and the smell emanating from it was making the college student salivate.

“I'm lucky we still have some of the smaller bowls and other silverware from Lucy’s younger days,” Emery spoke as she made her way back to the table where her husband sat.

“You say it like our younger one is a teenager or something. She’s ten and obsessed with small things.” Abe responded and then took a bite of his soup. He had been waiting for his daughter to get her portion before starting on his.

“Like Sev and her fish?” Emery joked.

“Hmm- no, it is different.” Abraham confidently said after thinking for a bit.

Emery didn’t expect that answer and had to ask him to elaborate on his response. "Wait, how is it different?"

"It just is."

Emery huffed at her husband's lack of explanation. 

Severa shook her head at her parents and watched the bitties use the small utensils to eat the soup with only some difficulty. It took Severa a minute, but then- ”Wait, how are they eating this? I thought Mama Cry said they shouldn’t eat any more human food?” The girl was understandably worried and looked toward her parents and the bitties. Should she take away the food- no. no. no. Severa’s mind started to race. Maybe get them something else? They wouldn’t get bad again, would they? Did she need to go get something different for them? What did bitties eat anyway? Could they eat monster food? She could go to Mu-

“No, it’s fine,” Abe told his daughter, cutting off her thoughts and he had her undivided attention. He took another bite before continuing on. “That bitty caretaker told me you can continue to have them eat human food as long as you put this powder thing in that they invented for bitties. It makes them capable of eating human food regardless of how much.”

Severa slowly sat back down in her seat. When did she get up…? She was confused as she thought on her dad’s words. They would eat human food basically… but as long as they had powder medicine shit. Muffet had given them bone cookies before. Were those to help with their magic and digestion from eating human food? Could monsters notice that type of thing? She wouldn’t be surprised, as like with bitties, Severa’s knowledge of monsters was very limited. She never paid attention to that type of thing as it held no interest to her. Looked like she was going to be researching for a while. The very thought caused a wave of exhaustion over the woman. No– she was on break. Why did she have to research stuff she wasn’t interested in?

“The monster gave me some stuff for you- actually what is her name?” Severa’s dad asked, placing his spoon on his napkin. His wife took a glance at the action while stirring her own soup. 

“Yes, the monster who gave my daughter a panic attack.” Emery bit out. She hated that her child felt so overwhelmed and someone who was supposed to be caring caused such a reaction.

“Em. No, it was the situation, not the monster. Do not fix the blame on her.”

“Who cares? She still obviously made it worse!” Emery defended herself, getting worked up. She would fight anyone about her children, even the love of her life.

“Cry is her name, but she goes by Mama Cry. She is the bitty center’s caretaker.”

“Then she should know better!” Emery huffed out, crossing her arms. She focused on her soup, ignoring the look she was getting from her husband. She couldn’t blame Michael and now, she couldn’t blame Mama Cry. Someone was-

“Stop with that train of thought, dearest. No committing federal offenses.” Abe warned his wife as he picked up her spoon again. He was always the voice of reason within the small family. It was a good thing the youngest wasn't here since Lucia would just jump on her mom's and sister's sides and stir the pot. The youngest was always a great hype man, even if the situation didn’t call for it.

“So-” Severa started to speak, but was cut off by her dad telling her to focus on eating her dinner now and that they would go through the instructions and other stuff afterward. He actually wanted to hear about the new exhibit the aquarium was going to host soon. Severa jumped on the new topic smoothly. She also missed the grin her dad’s face held as she spun her tale of the banshee’s current havoc.

“How has that woman not been fired yet?”

Severa blinked, getting a sense of deja vu. Didn’t she already have that question thrown at her? “She’s untouchable, that’s why.” The young woman continued to eat her soup, watching the bitties in front of her drink their soup. They had given up on the spoons quickly and resorted to drinking it from the bowl. Severa didn’t care so long as they were eating, she had no complaints.

“She is a Bateson, honey. The Bateson family has been around for generations and is decently influential around these parts. I think there are only 4 or 5 other families that have more power in a sense compared to the Batesons.” The older man continued on his daughter’s point.

“I can figure one - The Ackers. They have their hands in everything I swear.” Emery chimed in, confident in her answer.

Abe nodded at his wife, “Yeah, and another would be the Hatheways.” 

Severa nodded at her parents’ conversation. There were some pretty powerful families - 7 to be exact, but they were all on different levels. The two closer to the top were the Ackers and Hatheways since they had their names spread everywhere and their long history. If only someone from one of those families could knock Bateson down a peg or two. She took a bite of her food and made eye contact with Pap. He was looking at his human with worry and got a weak smile in return. She returned to the conversation. 

“Who would be at the top?”

Abe thought about it for a moment then continued, “The Hatheways. More so since they have been on the front page and no one has seen the Ackers for years. The last time anyone heard from the Ackers was when they made that public grove in the park.” 

“Is That Where We Went?” Pap asked his human, taking a pause from his eating and not realising he interjected into the conversation. His human’s parents looked at him, then their child, and asked their own question of Severa going to the grove with astonishment oozing out of Emery’s voice.

“Yeah, that’s where we went. Good memory, Pap, those trees were the genetically altered trees by the Ackers family.” Severa tried to ignore the tone of her mom’s voice, but she could feel the sheer pride in the woman’s gaze that was burning into her head. She could easily guess a similar expression was on her dad’s face. Her parents were very supportive of her to an… extreme amount. “Could you two not…?” Severa softly pleaded, her gaze not leaving her bitties.

Her pleading worked as her mom changed the subject, but the strong, supportive gaze was still burnt on Severa’s skin. She loved her parents, but sometimes they were too much. Not that she has much wiggle room to complain.

“Karma will come to her one way or another. I strongly believe in that.” Emery stated, finishing her meal. She was gathering up Abe’s empty bowl and her own, then moved over to her child’s. Severa handed her bowl in response as she had finished and thanked her mom. The usual routine was happening - her mom would gather the dishes and her dad would wash them and put them away in a little bit. It was one of those things they did that Severa thought was interesting. Emery asked if anyone wanted dessert which the others agreed to. The young woman glanced at the bitties who were still eating at their own pace. They could share a piece of the pie together. Severa focused her attention on a more pressing matter. Now was as good a time as any.

“Dad, what did Mama Cry tell you?”

Abe made a noise at his daughter’s question. Emery came back over to place a plate in front of each of her family members. Abe proceeded to get up from the table to ‘go grab something’ as Emery had finished and was sitting down. He came back with a bag that he handed over to Severa. “Cry told me to give you this first.”

Severa received the bag and took a look inside. There was an array of things for sure, more than likely all for the bitties in some way shape, or form.

“There should be instructions about how to take care of bitties in there somewhere with some starter home kits to help along the way. She said there should be extra clothes, toys, and supplements for them to take along with the powder from before.”

“... Not sure about the powder since they were eating the food I made just fine,” Severa mumbled out loud with a nagging feeling scratching in her head. She felt kind of insulted. Her dad just shrugged and told her he was just repeating what he was told.

“Maybe they are more resilient than the normal ones since they obviously have been through the trenches.”

“You say it like you’ve had experience.” Emery shook her head, but Abe had an immediate response.

“Everyone goes through their own wars, dear. We all have at some point, for us a good example is how we got Severa. We had to fight through so much to have her and it was very much worth it. It was a long battle.” Abe nodded at his own words and he got his wife to agree with the final statement. “Then a few years after that, we got Lucia.”

“That wasn’t a war, but more like you have one then here’s another one! After all the crap I had to deal with regarding doctor after doctor, letter after letter, finally getting the child I wanted then, pop, here’s another free of charge.” Emery shook her head. “I love my daughters, I really do, but there are some things that I just don’t understand.”

Her parents were reminiscing about their daughters and Sev chose that time to take a closer look into the bag. She found a bright yellow folder labeled ‘New Home Information Kit’. It had to be the instructions her dad mentioned from Cry. Severa groaned internally. She didn’t want to read this stuff- maybe her dad could give her a summary? She’ll have to think more about it. She placed the folder on the table being careful of the bitties nearby to continue rummaging. 

The young woman noticed how the boys were watching her move, but were at complete ease. Digging around more, she found several pairs of clothes that would fit the boys better than wearing Serafino’s extras. It should last until she could commission Abby to make some special outfits for her boys. After taking a closer look, these clothes were very basic. Severa… did not like them. Bet if her friend saw these, she’d want to burn them straight away. If anything, the clothing was more than likely the customary clothing for the boys’ bitty types. She didn’t see any extra scarves or bandanas though, so the ones the bitties had were the sole pair. Better make sure they stayed in one piece. Severa felt just how important they were for the bitties after all.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful which was a good thing for Severa. She had enough excitement for the day and tomorrow would bring a new ride in the shape of her little sister’s return. When was that again? It didn’t matter really since Luce would let her presence be known quickly. Severa was curled up in her bed reading over the papers in the yellow folder. She was mumble reading to her, reading each line a few times to make sure she understood it. Why did reading have to be so hard? The young woman loved reading, but it was difficult for her. She relied heavily on audiobooks and others’ assistance when she had to.

The papers turned out to be more than just a ‘how-to’ guide for bitties. The results of the tests Cry ran on Blue were in the folder and also tests they ran on Pap. When did they do that? Severa’s eyes narrowed at the thought. That did not sit well with her. Cry did ask Pap before doing that right? Right? She’d better ask later. She focused back on the papers. It had basic information about the Bitty Black Market, types of bitty traders, red flags, and other things Severa really didn't want to read just yet. It was still too fresh. Her current reality felt too improbable. She understood what they wanted her to do, but stars, could she breathe first? She had a mental breakdown and she was still drained. Plus, it was up to the boys more than her to release tidbits about their origins. She would never force them to tell her anything as she knew firsthand how terrible it was. On the topic of the bitties, her little skeleton intruders were both lying on a plush that rested on Severa’s bed. From the rise and fall of their ribs(did they even need to breathe?) both were out like a light. Severa wasn’t the only one drained from the day clearly. She kept up the attempt of reading for a while longer until her yawning won out. She placed the papers back in the folder then put that on her nearby nightstand, turned off the night to drift off to sleep herself, but not before mumbling out good to the pair of knocked-out skeletons. Severa slowly fell asleep with a deep warmth in her SOUL.

The after-effects of a breakdown are always dependent on too many factors, but Severa’s main concern was how long can they last. She had work tomorrow evening and even though most would be spent after hours- she had to have enough energy to deal with the general public for at least 5 hours. If not, maybe she could talk to her boss into letting her stay out of sight. She’d rather unload pallets than anything, but that would be counterproductive.

Severa let her thoughts race as she stared at her phone’s text message. When she first woke up, she meant to just look at the time, but upon seeing the text notification she got too curious. It was from August. 

[August] How’d it go?

How many times has Severa made a response to just erase it? How much is too much? Well, it was August… He can take it. He is her friend after all and he did ask.

[Severa] It’s what Google said and I had a mental breakdown.

She sent the message at 7 in the morning and she had yet to get a response back. It was going to be a long day. She could feel it, but at least Luce came back today at some point. She sat up in bed moving around her legs and earning two separate groans in response. The bitties were still asleep? Yesterday was very eventful. They were out before she was for once. She looked at the places where the bitties were the night before to see emptiness. A quick search and the little skeletons were on a pillow right next to her head. She gazed at the small monsters, thinking to herself. It was still early and they could use the sleep. She decided to review the documents from Mama Cry’s as the bitties slept longer. She would get up once they woke up themselves. No point in forcing them up.

That lasted for a whole hour before the smaller skeleton rattled awake. Severa paused in her review to watch as Blue slowly made himself upright. His eyelights were very fuzzy from his grogginess. He moved his skull a bit before he started to straight crawl to his human. Severa raised her eyebrow in question but didn’t stop the bitty as he climbed onto her leg and sat there with his legs crossed. He had a good balance for someone who just woke up. He seemed very content even as he yawned.

“Good morning, Blue,” Severa spoke, sensing it was safe to greet the bitty. She heard him make a noise. There was a heavy feeling in her chest as she stared at the bitty, but like usual, shoved it down when she recognized it.

“Good Morning…” Blue replied with a yawn also patting her leg for some reason that was lost on the young lady. He used his other hand to scratch at a spot under his skull and pull at his bandana.

The human returned to the documents while the bitty continued to wake up. His action was very cute. There was something similar that Chester did when he was trying to wake up too. He’d shake his head and run his talons over his neck to ‘clean’ himself. A smile broke over the girl’s features before she realized it. The warmth was there again and Severa basked in it for a bit before focusing on the documents. They were specifically on Blue right now. Blue was low on magic and there was something called ‘DT’ infused in his system and it definitely wasn’t natural. Was that how Blue could teleport? The firefly mentioned how that was a strange ability for a Baby Blue to have. Maybe it was the same for Pap then? He also had some weird abilities Severa didn’t understand. Then again when it came to bitties, her understanding was at the ground.

On that thought, she tried to locate the papers on Pap without jostling the Baby Blue too much, but that was a fruitless effort. She moved a smidge and felt a wave of fear rush through her being making her halt. Severa’s eyes widened and her body went rigid as her gaze snapped to the small bitty. The scene she saw sent something crawling down her spine. Blue’s eyelights were blown up and he was digging into her pajama pants for dear life. There were for sure going to be bruises on her legs after that. She shouldn’t have moved. She watched as Blue’s eyelights shook. She shouldn’t have fucking moved. “Blue…” Her voice was meek.

“What Is Wrong?!” Pap’s voice appeared, making Severa flinch. Shit. She woke him up from her actions too. “What Happened?! Human?!” The tall bitty came into view holding a very concerned expression, looking between his human and his friend awaiting an explanation.

“I… moved too much and frightened Blue. That’s all Pap.” Severa answered the bitty before apologizing to the shorter one. He seemed to have gotten himself somewhat together from his own response to Severa’s apology.

“A Warning Would Have Been Appreciated.” Blue retained his freaked-out look but loosened his death grip on the human’s leg.

Severa felt the guilt naw at her heart. “Sorry, Blue. I’ll do that from now on.” She had to suppress the urge to reach out to the small bitty. She would just make it worse for him. She missed the side-eyed look from Pap as she was consumed by her own thoughts.

Blue let out a breath he was holding as he calmed down and tried to start a conversation with his human. “We Are You Looking At, Severa?”

Severa bit her lip for a moment to gaze at the Baby Blue before replying. She moved her gaze down to the documents as she did so. “I’m trying to read up on the results Mama Cry got from the tests they ran on you.”

“Tests?”

“To see how you were and what was wrong with you, Blue.”

“What Was It?” Pap inquired as Blue huffed out.

“Low magic and some other stuff I can’t get straight right now. I’m gonna need to get my dad to read it with me.”

“Your Dad Seems Very Kind,” Pap stated. He had moved to be beside Blue and mirrored his position on Severa’s leg. The human had one leg stretched out with the other tucked under it and the papers were spread out in front of her. Severa compared them to frogs on a log. They were gazing at their human who was looking at the papers to avoid their stare. At the mention of her dad, a smile came over her mouth and she knew her expression softened.

“He is very kind as is my mom. I am very lucky to have them as my parents. It could have been very different.” Severa’s smile falls from her face at the thought. It was a very real, very frightening possibility. It definitely could have been very different. Severa shook her head trying to rid of the feeling of dread that snaked up her spine. The girl did not need to deal with that today.

“You Are Warm.”

“What?” Severa blinked at Blue’s comment. She looked at the Baby Blue and saw a very hard expression. He repeated himself and that got Severa to recall what the bitty meant.

“... I’m happy.”

“Your SOUL Is Warm,” Blue repeated himself with a strong nod.

Severa felt something run down her back from Blue’s new statement. She didn’t like that. She really disliked it. “Since you both are awake, let’s go find my dad, so we can get these results straight. Sounds good?” She warned the bitties she was going to move them and didn’t wait for an answer to either question. Both boys were moved to her shoulders, but Blue appeared on her head instead and got Pap to lecture him. Aah, the usual thing. The girl let them go at it as she got up to go find her dad. For a split second, she thought about change but shook it off. Being presentable be damned, her dad used to help her with baths!

After gathering all the papers, she made her way to the living room where she figured her dad would be this early in the morning. The bakery didn’t open until 10 on Wednesdays after all. The living room was empty, surprisingly, besides a very familiar brown clump of fur resting on a dog bed. The living room was one of 4 rooms with a dog bed for this family member. Severa couldn’t stop herself before she strolled over to the fur ball and leaned over to see his face.

“Monty~” She sang out to the animal who slowly moved his brown head to gaze up at her. Monty was the family dog. He was a very well-loved animal who was spoiled rotten but was one of the kindest dogs you could ever meet. He was very relaxed for his breed. Severa smiled widely at the brown-eyed pit-lab mix who huffed at her in response. He shook his head at his owner but moved enough to look up at her.

“Good morning, bud! Enjoying the quiet while Luce’s not here?”

Monty rolled over instead of responding, preparing to get up. He was going to follow Sev around. That was his normal routine, he would follow whoever woke him up first or got his attention. No one knew who his favorite person was if he had one. Monty had been around since Severa was a child and got along with Chester very well. They never bothered each other and were able to be in the same room as well without trouble. There were times that Chester tried to steal Monty’s things, but Monty just shrugged it off. Their interactions were always so funny and warmed the home. Monty came into their lives when Abe brought home a random pup which seems to be a running theme with him. At least this time it didn't involve the rain.

Severa shook her head as she made her way around the house trying to locate her dad who she found in the garage area looking through some grates. He just finished moving one when he greeted her and the bitties. Abe got a chorus of ‘good morning’ before Severa asked. “Hey dad, can you help me read the documents from Mama Cry?”

“That’s fine. Is nothing sticking again?” Abe raised his eyebrow at his child, knowing how his child had a hard time understanding the written word. He knows how annoyed Severa gets from it, but he is glad that she trusts him enough to come to find him to help her with it. 

“Hmm.. some of it is, but not everything. I’ve tried to read it to myself, but yeah, most isn’t sticking.”

Abe nodded at his daughter then brushed his hands on his pants to get rid of the dust that was on his hands. The garage needed to be cleaned, but that wasn’t the main concern. He held his hand out for the papers that Severa brought with her. She easily gave them. Abe skimmed through the papers to get an idea of what they were about before deep diving. “Are these the results?”

“Yep, for Blue and Pap.”

“Gotcha. Let’s go to the kitchen table and get a look at these.” Abe waved at his daughter and began walking only to stop and see the extra addition. “Oh, Monty. When did you wake up?”

“I woke him earlier. He’s been here the whole time, Dad.”

“I’m not surprised since he’s so quiet. From his expression, he’s enjoying the quiet time. Won’t last much longer, old man.” Abe grinned at the dog who snorted in response and headbutted the older man’s leg. Abe laughed at the action and then resumed walking upstairs. Sev and Monty weren’t far behind.

“I forgot to ask. Hey Pap?” Severa paused her dad’s explanation of the current sentence to direct the taller bitty. The bitty in question was currently sitting on the table eating some leftover muffins that Emery made for breakfast along with Blue while Severa and her dad sat at the table looking over the documents. Emery made a variety of types, but the bitties were eating cinnamon-flavored ones, which they were surely enjoying. 

“Yes?”

“Did they ask you before they ran the tests? I know they really didn’t ask Blue, but…”

Pap thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes, They Did! They Asked If It Was Alright To Check Over Me If That Is What You Mean!”

Severa sighed in relief at the bitty’s answer. Good, they asked before doing anything. If only they could’ve done that for Blue, but they really had no choice and  Blue has every right to be mad. Severa glanced at the smaller bitty, but he wasn’t phased by the question and just kept eating the muffin. No doubt he was listening though. He was always listening.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

Abe gave a hearty laugh at his child’s actions. She was always a source of joy for him. It was very rare she made him mad, but not impossible. “I was explaining that the report on Blue was expressing dangerous levels of DT, whatever that is. It is uncommon for bitties to have it in their system, but if they do it is very low and happens because of a traumatic event. The report is saying this level is unnatural.”

“So… Someone gave Blue DT. Is that what it’s saying?”

“Not necessarily. From the wording, it looks like it's leaning toward a rare cause of Blue making it himself, but that is still a possibility. Pap did mention he had DT as well, but not as high as Blue’s. It was still at too high of a level for either of them though.” Abe looked at the report again with his hand to his mouth thinking. What was DT anyway? It was obviously dangerous, but what could it be compared to by human standards? It would be easier to put an example in for Severa to understand, but he didn’t understand it either. The two mulled over the documents for a while longer. 

The bitties never once join in on the conversation, if anything Blue seemed to have withdrawn from it. Blue was looking toward Monty who had made his way back to his bed and was sound asleep. He was snoring loud enough that you could hear him in the kitchen area, but the humans were able to ignore it. Pap was kind of annoyed by it and told Blue as such, but Blue shrugged it off. Pap gave his friend a worried look that he shot toward his human, but she was preoccupied with the papers in front of her. Pap understood that they were important, but he was very worried about Blue. Should he go over to her instead? Perha-

There was a loud crash that sounded from below. It caught everyone’s attention, minus Monty’s who snored instead. It was Abe that said it first. “Looks like your sister is home.”

Something was coming up the stairs and soon enough, a small human girl came into view. She had long platinum hair that looked nearly white with dark brown eyes that were scanning the room. They found what she was searching for since she grinned and was bottled in Severa’s direction.

“Sis!” She giggled excitedly while grabbing onto her sister’s nightshirt. “When did you get here?! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?!”

Severa laughed and answered her sister. “It’s Wednesday, I’m always here on Wednesdays.”

Lucia stuck out her tongue at her sister’s reply. “Liar! Mom said you weren’t coming this week since you were busy! Plus you are in pjs! You spent the night here!” 

Severa grinned. Her sister was always observant even if she didn’t realise it. “Oh? What if I just changed my mind?”

“You don’t just change your mind. You're stubborn.”

“I am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“Are too!”

“I’m gonna stop you right there and say you both are stubborn. Calm down. Being related by blood you guys are gonna have similarities and that for sure is one of them.” Abe cut off his daughters before they could really get into it. While they got along very well, they were fully capable of getting into heated arguments about the most random stuff. This is a perfect example. He was an only child, so he didn't grasp it well. He knew they cared for each other and he was satisfied with that.

Lucia looked at her dad and was about to say something when she stopped, finally noticing the new additions on the table. “...Who are they?”

The bitties had watched the whole thing, completely shocked. It was quiet one minute, then the next, not. It wasn’t a bad difference, but it was a sudden change. The bitties could feel the girl was not dangerous since Severa’s soul became warm when the girl appeared. Pap and Blue were basking in content just from Severa spending time with her dad. Her sister appearing just doubled the feeling and they didn’t know what to do. She was so… at ease with them, but that didn’t change the shock they felt when they were front and center with Lucia’s attention.

“These are bitties I am taking care of for a while.” Severa started, then pointed to Blue, “The one with the magnificent bandana is called Blue and the other one,” Severa motioned toward Pap, “is Pap with his cool scarf.”

“So they are going to be living with you here or back at your apartment, sis?”

“Back at the apartment. I’m just here for now.”

“Why don’t you just move back here?”

“Because my apartment is closer to my university and job, Luce. That’s why.”

“I thought you said it was because you needed a break from me?”

“That too.”

“Meanie.” Lucia stuck her tongue out again and then looked at the bitties, smiling. “Hi, I’m Lucia Tucker. I’m Severa’s younger sister. Nice to meet you!” Lucia lowered her volume but stuck out her hand toward the bitties. It took a minute, but the bitties did reach out and shake Lucia’s fingers. It took her entire being not to squeal at the action.

“Nice To Meet You, Human Lucia! We Have Heard A Lot About You From Our Human!” Pap said while trying to relax a bit after Lucia retracted her hand. That was very sudden. Blue, on the other hand, was very rigid still, kept an eye on Lucia, but made no motion to move.

“Probably about how annoying I am?”

“Mostly About Glitter And How She Loves You.”

“Pap, what did you say that?”

“Did I Do Something Wrong?”

Severa laughed, “No, but-”

“So you do love me!” Lucia cheered, jumping a bit; grabbing the arm of the chair her sister sat in.

“Hey, no jumping Lucia.” Her dad warned her.

“Sorry!” Lucia stopped her jumping but continued to grin. “So does that mean you are going to take them to work with you or have them stay home?”

Severa shrugged. “Don’t know yet, we haven’t really gotten that far. It was just said I’d be taking care of them for a while.” Every time she said that she felt her stomach drop. Why? She tried to ignore it and focus on her sister.

Lucia looked at the bitties. “They are pretty small. Why can’t you just take them? You took Chester to work from time to time, right?”

“He was a bird.”

“Avery takes Serafino with her.”

“That’s different,” Severa responded, bluntly. She looked at her sister but raised her eyebrow from her expression. “Why are you grinning like that?”

“Because it's just like you have Chester back! And you don’t even see it!”

Severa blinked at her sister’s statement and went quiet before letting out a confused, ‘huh?’ in the child’s direction. 

Lucia let out a childish giggle at her sister’s confusion. “You took Chester with you to work, right? He just hung out with the other birds or nearby when he stayed with you. That’s what you told me and you always complained about how you would love to just take him with you everywhere. It would be so much easier for you to be able to do that! Well, now you can! They can fit into your bag and stuff! How is that any different?”

Severa could only stare at her younger sibling in shock as the girl’s words sunk in. She… She was right. Severa took Chester everywhere she could with her and would complain when she couldn’t. It would be so much easier if she could just put him in a bag or something and go on. It would be less worry for her and less loneliness… “Lucia, you… are a genius.”

“Thank you!” Lucia smiled brightly at the compliment. She didn’t even question it. “So what are you doing anyway?”

“Looking over papers..” The older sister’s reply was immediate, causing the younger one to huff. She told her sister that was boring and that she should spend her time playing with her instead. Abe decided to chime in then and said it would be best for a break. Severa nodded thinking on it momentarily. She had a lot to think about after that bombshell her little sister easily decided to drop in her lab. A problem she didn’t see yet came up but seemed to be solved just as easily. Sometimes all you needed was a new perspective- even a childish one.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 - Underwater Colors

“She Is Scary.”

“I told you she was,” Severa told the tall bitty as she walked out from Velma’s office. If the older woman heard the comment, she ignored it. Truly, Severa didn’t see Velma as a frightening person of fear, but rather disappointment. She respected the older woman greatly and wanted her to look at Severa as someone dependable and able to be placed anywhere. Besides, Velma had to be scary (or strict is a better word). It was the only way everything would work. Severa had gotten a good distance from her boss as she continued on. “This place was a nightmare before the boss came around. I know I mentioned how much the boss has had an impact on this place. I am not joking. She brought it back from the brink of bankruptcy. To keep it from going down again, Velma is very strict. She might be strict, scary, frightening, or whatever word you want to use, but she is kind.” Severa smiled softly hoping the boys would calm down since she could hear the rattling. Severa let the calm silence wrap around the two, so they could take their time to chill as she made her way to the breakroom. 

Severa had been at work for several hours by the time she actually had a face-to-face interaction with her boss. The start of her day was done over the radio for a while which helped Severa and her nerves to settle until the meeting with her boss. The meeting went as Severa figured it would. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn't good either—the usual superior and subordinate talk about reliability. The talk did hit a sore spot with Severa, but she buried it. Thankfully, the bitties kept quiet during the entire interaction until Velma finally acknowledged them. Severa had to give a short summary of what occurred over the past week. Her boss held a blank expression the entire time, but accepted the explanation nonetheless and told her to not let it happen again without proper notice. 

The breakroom was empty when Severa entered it. She let out a relieved sigh. She wouldn’t have to deal with her coworkers just yet. She forwent looking on the calendar to check who was working the night shift with her, so she hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with the banshee tonight. She had no tolerance for the woman’s entitlement. She was still tired. Definitely more stable than before, but tired nonetheless. Severa took a seat at one of the tables, the bitties jumped from her shoulders when she did so. “How you two holding up?”

“I Do Not Feel Like I’m Tearing,” Blue said as he sat down with his legs crossed. He was looking around the room with a curious expression.

“A Little Rattled !” Pap responded as he walked around the table to examine everything. 

Severa paused at the reply and bit her lip to control herself. Ignore it. Just… ignore it. “Well, that is better than anything.” Severa folded her arms on the plastic table and rested her head on it. She was still so tired. Drained? Yeah, drained. She let out a soft sigh as she tried to relax in her arms. 

"How Long Are We Going To Be Here?" Blue asked.

Severa didn't move her head when she replied. "2 am, so tomorrow."

"Are We Going Home After That?"

"Back to my parents' for one more night."

Blue made a noise that Severa couldn't pinpoint an emotion. He wasn't annoyed or happy about it, but maybe acceptance? This bitty was definitely a whole puzzle himself. Something told Severa if she ever did figure him out, it would be a considerable achievement. She really wanted to play sudoku. Severa closed her eyes as she let her brain drift. 

Severa did food inventory for the fish and other residents in some of the back rooms. There were many divisions in the aquarium besides the main attractions. Severa loved every bit of the place and honestly, held knowledge of every department. She could be dropped anywhere and be fine. It took quite a while since the boys were rapid-fire with questions about everything and anything. Severa was enjoying it and always answered enthusiastically. The feeling in her chest was dull enough to ignore while she did her job.

“ Um… Severa? ”

The nervous voice came over the radio knocking Severa out of her head. She grabbed her radio to respond.

“Yes?”

“ W-Where are you?” The voice called out in static. Severa couldn’t pinpoint who the voice belonged to, so it wasn’t anyone she normally interacted with.

“Depends who’s asking,” Severa responded bluntly. It wouldn’t help the poor person on the other end, but she didn’t have the energy to be decent.

“ R-Rosaline? Susan asked me to call you over to the back inventory… um….”  

Severa groaned. She just left that area before being called to Velma’s office. Looks like she had to go back. “Alright, I’ll be right there.”

“ O-Oh! Thank you! I’ll tell Susan!”

The human didn’t answer the call, instead just standing up and stretching her arms up waiting for the pop of her back. The sound made the bitties twitch making Severa grin a bit. It was amusing to her but knew she’d try not to do it around them too often. She placed her radio back on the belt and then rested her hand on the table for the small monsters to climb up her arm. Blue was the first to ascend her arm resting on her shoulder with Pap following behind. Severa made sure they were ready then left the breakroom to the back room inventory for whatever hell awaited her.

Hell was putting it lightly. The entire backroom was a mess. She could feel her eye twitch as she gazed around the chaos. Fortunately for her, she had someone who could voice her thoughts.

"WE JUST ORGANIZED ALL OF THIS! WHY IS IT A MESS?!" Blue shouted, irritated at the mess. His human had spent a long time putting things in groups, separating items based on what exhibit they belonged to, etc. It was a lot of work for one person, but she did it without complaint. Who would ruin such hard work?!

Severa felt a grin pull at her lips as she listened to her bitty's outburst. He was right on the mark. "What happened? I just finished this before going to see the boss." Severa told while looking at Susan who held a familiar clipboard and Rosaline who was shifting foot to foot. 

Susan sighed heavily letting her face fall to show her exhaustion. She didn't want to blame Severa, but… She had no choice. The older woman was not looking forward to her younger coworker's reaction.

Severa began to explain what occurred just prior.  It was a very straightforward series of events from Severa arriving at work, and going around doing various background duties that ended up with her being in the back storage to organize part of the new shipments. It was better than being out in front of the customers today. After that, she left to go see the boss as she had a meeting with her and left for the breakroom at the end. Rosaline radioed while she was there. Severa explained with her arms crossed that putting this much energy into doing it wrong wasn't part of her tune. She'd rather get it done right the first time.

Susan listened to the young woman's story and nodded along to her explanation. It made sense, and truly, Susan didn’t believe that Severa was the cause of the mess. She was just the last one recorded in the room and it showed since the young intern, who wasn’t supposed to be in there in the first place, didn’t write down his code upon entering the area. It is required for employees to register when they go in and out of storage areas. Velma is also discussing adding keycards for everything to track movements and such. It would be easier to access everyone’s position and limit access.

Susan hummed after her colleague had finished her side. She believed her, telling her such. 

How does something become so messy by just one person though? That is the main question spinning through Severa’s mind. She went around the whole storage room to get a better idea of the damage. The boxes were all ripped open, labels and tags ripped off and thrown about. There were bags of feed and other instruments left open or placed in strange places. There was no way this was done by one person in such a short amount of time. It had been 1 hour max between Sev being done with the work and going to the breakroom. “The intern wasn’t the only one in here, was he?”

Susan looked shocked at Severa’s question. “What?”

“There was no way an intern, any of them, could do this much damage in a short period. What aren’t you telling me, Susan?” Severa’s voice went stoic as she stared at her older coworker. Respect was not on the table right now. Someone messed up Severa’s work. It was one of the easiest ways to ignite her temper. Severa sighed, not in relief, but from getting irritated. She was getting really sick of cannon events. Could she have one day of peace? Just one? “So, the intern wasn’t even recorded going in I’m guessing. Boss will just have to tell me after everything is said and done, but if it is who I think it was- I am going to cause a scene, I swear.”

Susan nodded after shaking off Severa’s threat. She sometimes questioned her coworker’s mental stability. “He wasn’t, correct. I had him sent to Velma after he spoke, but in his defense, he seemed very shaken. He was instructed to by someone... more than likely.”

“Yeah, the banshee.”

“Who?”

“Ms. Bateson.” It was Rosaline who answered for Severa who looked at her surprised. She knew who Sev was talking about?”

“Corrie is a good friend of mine, she told me when she spoke last. We find the name funny.” Rosaline smiled at her older coworker. Corrie always spoke warmly about her trainer and she understood why.

Susan looked between her trainee and Severa several times before moving on. “Okay- um. We don’t know anything for sure, Severa, so do not go jumping to conclusions. The boss will begin an investigation and we will be getting more rules put in like always. To be fair, nothing of this magnitude has happened for at least a year or two.”

Severa shook her head. “My head will do what he wants. You weren’t Bateson’s trainee, so you don’t know what its like to deal with her.”

“She has no trainee-”

“She has Corrie, actually. Corrie has multiple until Roseline here.”

“What?”

“Yeah, boss is trying something with Corrie this time around. Corrie is all on board with it, but honestly, boss should just remove the banshee from the roster.” Severa huffed at the explanation. Keri wasn’t even here and was irritating her. Stars above.

Susan slowly nodded at the explanation with her confused expression and didn't know what to say from that. Susan spoke with Severa more about what they would do regarding everything that was messed up. Blue and Pap were constantly putting in their 2 cents about the mess and how irritating it was to fix it. Well, more Blue than Pap. Pap was excited that he was helping organize things again. Severa felt her irritation melt away as she spent time with her bitties. They had so much personality. The personality they didn’t have to mimic either.  Everyone joined in to fix what was disorganized. It was quicker than when Severa was doing it by herself, the only difference was the feed, items and much needed for the nurse sharks were taken away by Rosaline every now and then. Hopefully, Severa wouldn’t have to go back into that room. 

“SEVERA, I HAVE A QUESTION,” Pap spoke out while the trio were walking down a corridor. Severa was making her way to the opposite side of the aquarium to check out the jellyfish exhibits. 

“I might have an answer.”

“WHY DO YOU HATE THIS BANSHEE PERSON?”

The question caught the young woman by surprise. She thought a bit but realized why Pap would ask that. She did get a dark feeling in her chest when she thought about Keri Bateson after all. Severa sighed. “Simplest reason was that she screwed me over.”

“You Need To Explain More, Please.” Blue popped up.

Severa glanced in his direction. “I was still in high school when it happened. So it was a few years back, but I’ve been working in the aquarium since I was 15. I was 19 when I was able to join a nearby expedition that my boss was planning. I wouldn’t be doing anything super important, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t qualified to do anything, but it would’ve been a good learning experience for me. I spoke to the boss about it and I would just be everyone’s helper and observe. Everyone was okay with it too. I was looking forward to it so much… but, I wasn’t permitted to go in the end.”

“WHY?”

A cold wave rode down the bitties’ spines as the question fell. It was heavy. Severa knew it was heavy. The feeling of being back-stabbed. “The banshee threw me under the bus. She messed up and blamed it on me.”

“… WHAT HAPPENED?” Pap dared to ask.

“She got some of our marine life killed because she didn’t follow procedures. I was her trainee at the time and pushed the blame on it as I couldn’t fight it. I was where she wanted me to be to take the fall. Take the fall I did, unwillingly . There was a whole investigation into it, I was suspended for 2 weeks, backlisted from the trip, and for the next 2 years. All because of that bitch.” Severa gritted her teeth. “It was that whole event that made Velma put up more rules than ever before.”

“That’s Horrible!!”

“The sad part – it should’ve been worse, but the boss pushed for my innocence too much for them to ignore. Bet Bateson’s plan was to get me fired after the investigation was completed and I was labeled the culprit. It was proven that while yes, I was where I was supposed to be, I had several witnesses that vouched that I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Why Would She Do That?” 

“Simple, she hates me.”

“Why?”

“I was the first one to “back-talk her”, unintentionally. The first time for sure, but now every other time, I am absolutely doing it on purpose.” Severa’s face lit up with a grin at her past actions. That is only the thing that Severa could think of. It was a few months of being assigned as Bateson’s trainee. They were walking around with Bateson not doing her job correctly. Severa couldn’t remember if the woman was even doing her job. She wouldn’t be surprised. Someone had rang over the radio a question on a certain type of jellyfish. For some reason, Bateson answered it- incorrectly. Severa corrected her. That was a wrong thing to do and she’d had it out for Severa ever since. 

“I can’t stand her. On most occasions, I can take her existence pretty well- hell, I can even poke fun at her. Right now, I do not have the patience for the woman. She is still making my life difficult at every turn.”

“Can You Not Do Anything About It?”

“No. She’s a kiss-ass and a Bateson. The crazy woman thinks she is untouchable which in a way she is and it's annoying. It’s the reason she was able to push me under the bus and take the fall for her when she messed up. She was notorious for it.”

“WAS?”

“After what she did to me, it became much, much harder for her to do anything. I made her life more difficult which I find amusing.”

“I Can Tell!”

Severa grinned at the shorter skeleton at his comment. She really went through the emotions with these two, didn’t she? Severa stepped through a stone archway to cross over to a large open room full of cylinder tanks. The room lighting was dimmed with most lights coming from the multicolored tanks filled with jellyfish.

“Where Are We?”

“Behind the jellyfish exhibit- or well, the revamped one.” They were making addictions and moved stuff around in the area including moving some jellies to the back area. That’s where we are currently. Severa strolled the long room until she was in the middle of it. Her body was draped in colors, a serene expression on her face and one sinking in her soul. She sat down cross legged, taking a deep breath and letting the swirling sounds engulf her. She stayed there with her boys for quite some time. She needed this. The bitties knew this. 

“When I move I’m going to make sure I have a whole room of tanks of fish.” The bitties’ human spoke out, breaking the extensive silence. She opened her eyes looking up at the ceiling with a distant look.

“Move?” Blue questioned from his position on Severa’s head. He had moved after Severa had stopped moving. His fellow bitty stayed where he was on Severa’s shoulder.

“Yeah, move. I have plans on moving from the apartment to a house after graduation.” Severa breathed out. “I just need to finish the design, but I am so indecisive on the final product.” The young woman moved gently the bitties from her head and shoulder, then laid down on her back. She placed the duo on her stomach after settling. “I need to add a room for you two actually- maybe even ways so you could move around the house easier.” Severa trailed off, ending the one-sided conversation. Severa didn’t know how long she laid on the floor of the jellyfish room nor did she care. She only zoned in from the aspect of her radio going off again and her boss calling her name.

“Speaking.”

“ Come to my office, Severa. Now.”

Severa let out a breath as she opened her eyes and responded to her boss that she was on her way. Something told her she wasn’t going to like this next chat with her boss.

No. Nope. Absolutely not . She absolutely didn’t like the chat with her boss. She had finished the chat with her boss and the sum of it was a warning to her to not engage with the banshee today more than she had to. The intern had told Velma he was instructed to go into the storage room since apparently, Severa asked her to do so. The girl in question laughed at the notion. Like hell, she’d ever ask Bateson for anything. She wanted to give the banshee a piece of her mind, but boss made her promise to keep her mouth shut. The warning was all Severa needed to conclude the woman was trying to push the blame on Severa again. Not again. She would never let herself be the victim of this horrid person again. Severa didn’t know what face she was making, but she felt this burning sensation in her soul. She couldn’t tell if it was from her, the bitties, or both. She didn’t care though. She was too irritated at this point. She needed to get back to work and blow off some steam.

Severa spent most of her time with the bitties going around the back of the aquarium to deal with requests made by her coworkers since she didn’t feel like doing more work that would result in it being ruined. Bateson had ruined that for her. She figured that the woman would continue to do so if she tried, so doing requests it shall be. At this point, maybe it would be due soon for a coffee run. She was gonna be awake until 2 in the morning at least. The young lady thought about it for a bit and decided to do it at a later time. She didn’t want to have to grab over 30+ coffees or drinks when she could do only 15+ after nightfall. She shouldn’t make it a habit that she’d have to break before her new school year started. She is doing this much over vacation since it would be keeping her occupied, but during school time would be different. She’d be cutting her hours here for sure.

There was one good thing that came from it- she was able to dodge the banshee easier. Bateson was around and had been for a while apparently. That shouldn’t surprise Severa as much as it did since she didn’t suspect that it was the banshee that sent the intern to the storage area. The woman was never on time though… but when did Severa pay attention to that woman’s schedule? She had better ways to taint her brain like video games and audiobooks. On the subject of audiobooks, she needed to check if the marine biology journal was updated with an audio option yet.

“Hey, boys,” Severa called out while picking up a stack of papers. The trio were currently in a back office for the nurse sharks. Susan had left for the day and requested Severa organize all the papers in the office by date. She didn’t understand why that needed to be done, but whatever. She would do what was requested of her as long as it was reasonable. The boys in question were sitting on a table eating some familiar bone cookies. They looked toward their human waiting for her to continue. “Can you remind me to look to see if a scientific journal I follow was updated with an audio option on their newest addition?”

“Of Course,” Pap agreed with ease as his companion finished off his own cookie. Severa had required them to eat some magic-infused food items from time to time as it was instructed by Mama Cry. While Severa still had her personal feelings in question toward the caretaker, she was a person whose knowledge she trusted. She would follow without questioning in that regard. 

It was Blue’s time to ask something though. “What Does That Mean?”

“What does what mean, Blue?”

“An Audio Option.”

“It is basically someone reading to you.”

“Like What Your Dad Did?”

“You got it!” Severa grinned at her bitty. “It is easier for me to understand when I am being read the words rather than trying to read them myself.”

“Why?”

“Oh, that’s because-” Severa is interrupted as the door to the office is slammed open and a voice comes that instantly makes Severa’s being go cold.

“Hey, Susan! We need to ta-” The voice’s owner is cut off as eye contact is made with Severa. “Why are you here?” Keri's accusatory tone wasn't lost on the other woman. 

Severa’s face got dull. “Doing what was requested of me. What else, banshee?” Her voice was even and came out in a similar tone as her expression. She stayed where she was, but did place the papers she had in her hands on a nearby desk. It felt her soul was being stuck with a thousand needles, but it didn't hurt. 

Keri gazed sharply at her coworker. “I was thinking you were screwing everything up like you usually do, Tucker.” Keri stood in the doorway with her hands resting on her hips with a grim expression. She didn't like being around Severa as much as Severa didn't like being in close proximity to her.

Severa raised her eyebrow in question then scanned the woman up and down momentarily. Her mind was screaming at her to be quiet. To just remember what the boss said, but of course, she couldn't help herself. The banshee made it too easy. She opened her mouth despite all the warning bells in her head going off. “Are you okay?”

“I am fine. What the hell are you talking about?“ Keri snapped with her arms crossed, leaning forward toward Severa.

“Is your old age getting to you then, banshee?” Severa put a hand over her chest in mock concern. “You seem to be getting me confused with yourself.”

That wasn’t the correct thing to say as Keri’s face went red with anger. “Why you-”

Severa couldn't help, but grin at the other woman's reaction. Yes, that is the reaction she wanted. It was the best reaction. She waited for Keri to continue on in anticipation. The soul was screaming at her in multiple directions and the sinking feeling was there, but she was able to ignore all of it for the rush of emotion that she got from messing with the woman she hated so deeply.

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” A voice shouted out, causing Keri to halt everything. She looked around the room before landing on the boys.

Blue was standing up staring straight at Keri. His eye sockets were wide open with no eyelights in the black voids. He was shaking softly that Severa could pick up from where she stood nearby, but Pap, on the other hand, stayed seated looking at Severa. It seemed the pair had split the job- one watched Keri while the other observed their human. She locked gazes with Pap and all the high emotions she felt were quickly drained. She forgot they were there. She fucking forgot. 

Severa moved to stand in front of her bitties, effectively blocking them from Keri’s view. “You were saying?” She tried to refocus the woman's attention on herself. The soul was pleading for the boys to be out of view. She didn't want another bitty center situation. She highly doubted her body could handle it. 

“What are those things?” Keri spat out, pointing to the bitties that were securely behind Severa's form.

“None of your concern for sure.” The black-haired woman waved off the other.

“Bet they are filthy just like you are, Tucker.”

“Say the pot calling the kettle black, so I ask again- what were you saying?” Severa narrowed her eyes in response with a warning tone.

Keri glared back at the girl then shook her head with a huff. Seemed it wasn't worth the fight. “Where is Susan?”

“She left for the day.”

Keri stared at Severa’s expression to see if she was lying. Why would she? That proved nothing. “Don’t screw anything up, Tucker. I will not be fixing it.” The woman had to have the last word in before leaving the room and slamming the door in the process.

“I’m not you!” Severa called after her. After a bit of silence, Severa quickly turned her attention to the boys with concern spread over her face. “Are you two okay?”

Pap nodded and told his human he was fine while Blue only nodded as he continued to rattle a bit. It was obvious he was trying to calm down. Severa got closer to the smaller bitty to gently call his name. That seemed to work as he snapped his skull in her direction- his eyelights were still missing.

“You Hate Her,” Blue stated.

Severa nodded. “I thought we went over this?”

“We Did, But You Truly, Truly Hate Her.”

Severa raised her eyebrow in response. Were they really that surprised? “Yes, there is only one person who I truly hate in this world and it is her. Why?”

“Your Soul… Goes Very…” Blue’s eyelights were slowly returning as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. 

“Sticky?” Pap added to Blue’s thought process.

Blue seemed to toss the word around then shook his head. “No… It Doesn’t Feel Good Though.”

Severa hummed in thought at the comment. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Hatred isn’t an easy emotion in general and for me, it’s probably worse.”

“Why?” Pap asked as he strolled closer to his human after standing up.

Severa grinned cheekily at her bitties. “I’m not exactly a ‘stable’ person if you couldn’t tell. Truthfully, emotions are a strange thing to me. I am still getting used to them after nearly 14 years of dealing with immense emotions.” She stood up straighter and then tried to resume her work in the office. She told the bitties to chill around for a bit longer as she hurried the organization. She didn’t get very far before her bitties were falling on her head to join in. They were not taking no for an answer which caused the girl to laugh.

It went on like that for a while longer. Only after they finished with the backdating did Severa pull out her radio to see where her boss was. Boss was in the foyer of the aquarium which was one of Severa’s favorite places. She raced through the back hallways to the front of the aquarium in excitement. She needed to tell Velma about the encounter with the banshee and see what she needed to get done after hours besides her usual stuff with Corrie.

Her running had splashes of colors from the glass above her racing along her form. While she was mainly focused on the road ahead, the bitties were watching the many colors spread over their human’s form. Each one invoked a different sensation that they didn’t understand yet, but one thing they could tell was their human was happy . She was happy running through the halls of the Ebott Aquarium. Out of all the colors Blue and Pap silently agreed with each other that the blue and red colors that reflected off were the ones that suited her the most.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 - Conversations

The entire room was filled with laughter and the sounds of water pumping through the system. Severa stood right under an arch with Pap and Blue on either of her shoulders. They were raving about how some creatures existed that were invisible to the naked eye. Blue kept trying to argue how it was even possible and Pap thought it was incredible. Severa couldn't keep a sentence going and neither could her trainee. Corrie was nearly on the floor while she tried to breathe in between her pouts of laughter. The college student's face was beat red and tears were streaming down her face. 

"IT MAKES NO SENSE. HOW WOULD WE KNOW THEY EXIST IF WE CANNOT SEE THEM?" It was Blue's main argument and even then, it was mostly just confusion on his part. He wasn't throwing the idea away, just trying to get a better understanding of the new information he obtained. His human and the other human weren't exactly helpful. Pap was waiting for an explanation from his human that he knew he would get, he just had to be patient. It came when Severa was finally able to calm down. 

"We have equipment that lets us see things smaller than we can by ourselves," Severa began, her hands resting on her hips. She looked forward to the glass in front of her that reflected herself, the bitties, and Corrie. The opposite side has a range of colorful coral that was imported and man-made. It was an aspect of the aquarium Severa was very impressed by. "I can show you some of it later if you'd like?"

The boys agreed quickly to the offer. Pap swung his legs back and forth while Blue moved to his human's head. He was being watched as he did so, but that was fine. He had his human's attention after all.

Corrie waved her hand around as she tried to calm down. It got the attention of the trio who looked at her waiting. Corrie had sat up, her face remained beat red as she tried to ask a question. “I-I…” Corrie took a few breaths. “I thought-t you ha-ated things touching y-your head, Ms. Sev?” Corrie was able to roll out bit by bit. 

Severa was surprised by the question but then glanced toward the bitty currently on her head. Aaah, that is why she brought it up. No wonder. She did mention multiple times to Corrie that she didn’t like people touching the back of her head, not really her head. It was just a specific place she’d rather not have people near. “The back of my head.”

Corrie looked at her trainer confused.

“The back of the head is what I don’t like people touching.”

Corrie gained an even more confused look, “The back? I thought it was the entire thing?”

“Have I ever mentioned it was the entire thing?”

“I assumed? I mean after that one time we had to call an ambulance since you collapsed from the pain.” Corrie explained as she placed her hands on her knees. “I was freaking out while JayJ took care of you screaming.”

Now it was Severa’s turn to be confused. “And that made you think my whole head shouldn’t be touched?”

Corrie nodded. “I mean you were screaming…”

“I didn’t register that I was the one screaming until a minute in and then, it was over. The pain was so intense I could feel the blood in my brain moving around and it hurt. At those times, yes, do not touch me until I am out. Any other time unless I say otherwise, it's fine, but I personally wouldn’t like anyone to touch it regardless.” Severa explained.

“What Is That?!” Blue shouted as soon as Severa was done.

“What’s what, Blue?”

“It Caused You Pain?! What Causes You Pain?!”

Severa sighed internally. It was time to sour the mood. “Yes, I can have horrible migraines that cause me immense pain. That one had escalated into a thunderclap headache or migraine that can cause death.”

“YOU DIE?!”

“Yes.” Severa pointed to the back of her head. “When I was younger, there was… an accident. I incurred a head injury from it. It's the reason why it's hard for me to read written words.” As she finished, she felt Blue move away from the back of her head and she had to reach up to poke him back into place. She warned him not to go too far since he’d fall. There was only one of them was allowed to have a bad head. She grinned at her joke, but her bitties didn’t like it. She felt a deep sadness in her soul that wasn’t hers. She sighed. “Enough with the pity party- it’s not needed. I am not dead. I am fine… mostly.”

“Says The One Who Said She Wasn’t Exactly ‘Stable’!” Blue retorted with concern laced in his voice. He was worried about this new information about his human. These… thunder-whatever headaches could kill their human! Why isn’t she concerned?!

Pap had similar thoughts as his fellow bitty. He wrung his palms together in worry while feeling a spike of anxiety rushes down his spine. It was a mixture of him and Blue’s and Severa was… fine. That made it worse for him. Why was his human not more concerned?

Corrie looked between the trio for a while then leaned her head to the side. “It is noted in her file that Ms. Sev has a head injury that can make things difficult for her. The thing is… she has never used it. Ms. Sev isn’t one to abuse that type of thing unless she is really worried. From what I understand when it comes to her migraines, she can tell when they will appear.” Corrie spoke, trying to reassure the little monsters. She had managed to calm herself just fine and was currently picking herself up. 

“I know you two are worried, but I promise I can handle them just fine. I have had them a majority of my life and I have the means to take care of them… but you guys should remind me to take my medicine.”

“Ms. Sev!”

“Sorry~” Sev grinned at Corrie’s instant response.

The remainder of Severa’s shift was uneventful which she preferred. Corrie, the bitties, and she all went around the aquarium doing standard after-hour maintenance to places they could while Severa also gave Corrie a speed quiz in each exhibit. Severa liked to challenge her coworkers’ marine knowledge when she could. Corrie was able to get a good amount right which made a warm feeling sprout in Severa’s chest. The little monsters would join in from time to time to ask questions more than answer them. Severa was all the more happy to answer anything the boys or Corrie asked. 

The boys saw microscopes as well while the humans were doing back office data input for the finished maintenance.  Blue and Pap took turns looking into the device and were impressed by the rattling they gave off. Everyone also took a break with Severa downing several cups of coffee despite Blue’s nagging. The common banter between the trio would be Blue nagging Sev, Sev making a smart remark with Pap and Corrie being happy standbys. All in all, the shift ended well, and soon, Severa was sitting on her bed at her parents’ home with a little sister who should be asleep but was currently talking about the current drama in her friend group.

“So that is when Maribel punched him.” Lucia finished as she curled further into her sister’s blankets. Her sister always had the softest blankets in the house. Whenever she wanted a cozy night, she would sneak into her sister’s room and sleep there instead. 

“Good for her.” Severa cheered for her sister’s friend earnestly. “He called her ugly, so don’t dish it if you can’t take it.”

Lucia giggled at her sister’s response. “That’s what we said! The teachers didn’t agree though.”

“She got suspended?”

Lucia shook her head. “No, but she got a strike.”

“A strike?”

“Yeah, like one, two, three strikes- you’re out! But we get 10 and not 3.” Lucia explained to her older sister. She was keeping eye contact with Severa… or at least trying. Her sister always refused to meet her eye. Her dad said that was a normal thing for Severa. She had a hard time meeting people’s eyes in general and it wasn’t anything she did.

“If you get to 10 then what happens?”

“Oh, that’s easy. You get detention.”

Severa was quiet for a bit before responding to her younger sister with a raised eyebrow. “You’re ten.”

“I’m in 5th grade, sis.”

“Ah… so you’re old.”
That sentence set the younger one off. “You’re older!”

“Your point?”

“You started it.” Lucia stuck her tongue out at her sister who just grinned.

“What’d I start?”

“Sis!”

Laughing, Severa apologized to her sister and asked how the strikes worked and how they got them.

While huffing at her sister’s antics, Lucia mulled over if she should even bother explaining to her sister about the strikes, but eventually decided to. It would keep the conversation going so she could spend more time with her. “It depends on what the action was on how many strikes it will be.”

“So she got one, correct?”

“No, she got two.”

“Why 2?”

“Because her fist hit his face.”

Severa had to hold back her laughter from her sister’s honesty and pushed out her next question. “So-o how many did he get if she got 2?”

“1.”

The laughter subsided quickly from the answer. “What?” Severa wanted her little sister to repeat the answer. She hoped she heard it wrong.

“He got one.”

It didn’t change. “Why did he just get one? He might’ve gotten punched, but he started the fight by calling her names- which by the way, you just told me he was doing for quite a while and not just on the bus that day. It wasn’t his first time insulting her.”

Lucia nodded sadly at her sister’s question. “Yeah… it’s not fair. That’s what we said. Maribel’s mom fought with the principal for a bit in the office from what Maribel told me after the conference with her parents.”

Severa didn’t like that. She didn’t like that at all. The fact that the boy only got a strike while Lucia’s friend got stuck with 2? That was unfair. It wouldn’t have ended in him getting hit if they had interjected into the boy’s actions earlier. Why did they let it get so bad? It just caused trouble for others and for a girl to get in trouble for something that wasn’t entirely her fault. The feelings that began boiling in the older girl were unpleasant, but they faded a bit when Severa heard a rattle of bones to center herself. She turned her focus to her sister to pull more details of the story. It was refreshing nonetheless to hear about it. 

The conversation went on for another hour and ended with Lucia buried deep asleep in her older sister’s bed. Severa didn’t mind and smiled at her sleeping sibling.

“You Are Warm.”

Severa looked up toward her pile of stuffies in response to the voice. Pap was looking at her with a happy expression. “You Love Her.”

Severa nodded in agreement. “I do, I adore my sister- like I adore my parents.” The human’s expression was a soft one that had the tall bitty focusing on it intensely. 

“...” The bitty was silent for a moment before speaking. “It Feels… Slippery Too.”

Severa glanced at the small monster for a second before zoning in on her sister, letting out an airy laugh. “Slippery… is a good word to describe it.” The older sister moved to lie next to the younger one but was careful not to wake her.

Blue’s voice joined in during the change but kept his voice low. “The More You Stare, The More It Is There.”

The more she stared, the more it was there, huh? The thought rang around in Severa’s head as she stayed in her current position. She listened to her sister’s soft snoring knowing she was deep asleep. It would be fine- it was only Pap and Blue in the room to listen. She let her thoughts go. “I do adore her- that is true, but… there is a part of me that is probably jealous or envious.” Severa glanced at her sister’s light-colored hair. It was the exact opposite of hers. “We are so different- even though we live in the same house and were raised by the same parents. Our lives are different, but still, we end up in the same place. We look forward to seeing each other.”

The bitties were stuffed inside the plush pile on their own accord but moved further down to be closer to their human. The slippery feeling was growing the more Severa spoke.

“She is my sister- I want the best for her even if she is technically my half-sister. She is my sister similar to how Abby thinks of her step-sister Parker as just her sister. My feelings for Lucia are all over the place for sure, but I do hope that ‘slippery’ feeling is never as strong as my love for her. My feelings are not her fault nor any of her responsibility.” Severa finished smiling softly at her sister. “I just… find being around her so comfortable and warm.” 

The bitties were each staring at their human, the pure warmth that was spread through their souls was something that they had to get used to, but one thought they shared. They truly hoped one day Severa could get that reaction from them too.

After a moment, Severa began a different conversation with the bitties in regards to the aquarium visit. They wanted to go again for sure which would make Severa’s life easier. They spoke about it until the trio fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 - The Days Go By

Severa had to go back to work in a few hours, but she was finding it rather difficult to even get up. It might be from the heavy younger sibling currently draped across her body or the fact that two small monsters were entangled in her hair, either way, moving wasn’t an option. The young lady was staring straight at her ceiling contemplating how they landed in this form. She shouldn’t be too surprised since her sister didn’t fall asleep until well after 3 am and Lucia had a habit of her sleeping posture worsening the later she fell asleep. It was a trait Lucia shared with their father now that Severa thought about it. She remembered finding their father in some strange positions at times. The thoughts do not help with her current situation though and she focused on how to get out of it. An idea popped into her head and she grabbed her phone to send a message.

[Severa] Help

[Dad] Lucia caged you?

[Severa] T-T

[Dad] I’ll be right there

[Severa] Thank  you T-T

Soon enough, Abe was moving his youngest daughter off of the older one so said oldest one could crawl out. It was funny to see the 22, almost 23-year-old crawl off her bed as if she were a young teen again. Severa decided to lie on the floor for a while after whispering with her dad about breakfast. Their mom made muffins for all four when they were ready. Severa would go down shortly- she just needed the bitties to get up. Lucia could fend for herself.

The day was as exciting as Severa wanted it to be which was very unexciting. She spent time with her family a little more before returning to work for her shift at the aquarium and then deciding to return to her apartment with the bitties. The bitties came to work with her again. The interaction they had with Keri once more was funny since it involved Severa and Keri getting into a one-sided insult match. (Severa just kept mocking the older woman.) It took Velma to separate them into different departments and warn them to leave each other alone. Blue heard Velma thank the stars that neither woman was blowing their fuse. 

August texted Severa most of the shift since Severa wanted an update on the ferret issue. It was an unexpected update- August had Prince. Adams was rushed to the hospital one night. Severa was not there, and while August didn’t know the details, Adams’ son requested August look after the ferret. The brunette reluctantly agreed. 

[August] Why did I agree again?

[Severa] Moment of madness for you

[August] That tracks. 

[Severa] You do realise that Prince does genuinely like you, right?

[August] Huh?

Severa is unable to reply as she is called over to assist with tasks. Time passes with her tasks multiplying but with completion achievable. The bitties kept her and her coworkers’ moods high with their comments and curiosity and remained so until the end of it.

Severa was climbing into the bus to return to her apartment. The bitties were silent as Severa told them the news of the ferret. Understandably, they weren’t too enthusiastic about the animal being near August, but there was a sense of faith that Severa would keep him away from the small skeletons no matter what. 

The trio walked through the door to the apartment building with the dim street lights contrasting the bright fluorescents. Severa assumed she would need glasses at some point from the constant change she went through. Before her focus returned, she heard the greetings from August and responses from the bitties. 

“Where Is It?”

“I can only assume you mean the ferret, and right now, asleep,” August responded to the bitty’s question. Severa stopped in front of the desk her friend sat at, covered in papers of all sorts. His expression was less than amused.

“Prince sleeps?”

“Surprise.” August gave small jazz hands before continuing. “They sleep between 16 to 20 hours a day from my quick research.”

Severa stared at August openly shocked. They slept for that long? And yet, Prince was causing problems at all times of the day. 

“I know what that expression means and yeah, it does bring into question how much excess energy that thing has and how much time he got to sleep.” August sighed while leaning back into the chair. “Right now, I’m trying to get in touch with a ferret vet, is that a thing? or someone who knows about them to ask questions. I researched stuff quickly earlier in the day, but now I’ll be spending most of my time tonight searching for more information.”

“Want some company?”

August shoots Severa a soft smile before shaking his head. “Nah, but thanks, Sev. You’ve got enough and, you’ve got the duo to look after.”

Severa nodded in response and the trio left the brunette on that note; the end goal was Severa’s apartment to rest in her own bed, in her own apartment with the help of her own medicine(that she needed to stop forgetting to take).

The days go by as Severa tries to adapt her loose routine to include the pair of bitties. She couldn’t ignore or fight the fact that the duo were stuck with her for the time being. She would ask Michael for updates when she could, but never got any information about it. The updates she was getting weren’t from the investigation, but rather the events from a certain furry resident. August took Prince permanently. 

When Severa heard the news from August, she could tell how irate her friend was and she had to ask what happened to get him so irritated. She had a feeling it wasn’t from getting Prince that upsetted him. She was right. Adams’ son showed up to get her things from her apartment and told August the ferret was going to be euthanized. Adams’ son stated it as a matter of fact as August retold and it caused an argument between the two men. The disagreement brought about the decision for August to keep Prince. That was how Severa began to learn more about ferrets than she ever thought she would as August was doing deep dives to take better care of Prince. Severa kept all the ferret proofing in her apartment regardless even as August’s messages began to explain all of the ferret’s actions.

August got himself a new companion and Severa had her own; the two college students had different reasons for getting them. August was making a kind gesture while Severa’s was… not. Her pointed objective was to gather information from the bitties themselves, but how was she supposed to do that? The whole point felt… wrong. When the young woman thought about the reasons, she felt some thing crawling down her back and her stomach felt heavy. The train of thought would bring about other thoughts that she had to halt before she got in too deep. One panic attack was enough for her and the constant messages from her loved ones were enough for guilt to build. She buried the rising feelings along with any others that tried to surface as she decided to take everything day by day. That was the only thing she could do to suppress the urge to run away after all. 

The bitties had enough of Severa’s questionable timekeeping habits and got their human to get a dry-erase board calendar to put on the wall. The calendar would be filled in for the month with any appointments, tasks, etc. for easy access along with Severa’s work schedule on the side. The bitties were understanding the concept of time better as they spent it with Severa. When Blue first saw his human’s work schedule written out he commented on how she got anything accomplished with that mess of a schedule. Pap was worried about her sleeping habits. Severa brushed off their concerns as so far, there were no issues.

Severa’s Summer Schedule

Monday - Aquarium - Off

Tuesday - 9 am - 6 pm (9hrs)

Wednesday - Aquarium - Off, Bakery - On

Thursday - 5 pm - 2 am (9hrs)

Friday - 1 pm - 11 pm (10hrs)

Saturday - 9am - 2 ~ 9pm (5hrs) - (12hrs)

Sunday - Aquarium - Off

The bitties were welcomed additions to the aquarium team (after Velma was persuaded) always accompanying Severa on her rounds or duties. They were getting along with Corrie or JayJ when Severa went somewhere the bitties were unable to access. Severa couldn’t shake a familiar feeling emerging in her soul seeing the interactions - one she hadn’t felt since a certain bird died. She wished to shove the feeling down and sink deep into it. The strange, building feeling that had something crawling down her back. Why... did she feel so...? The question stayed in the back of her head as the days went by.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19 - New Knowledge and Abby of Showbiz

“Is It Supposed To Look Like That?” Blue asked, looking at the…. substance his human was currently making in the pan. Pap glanced at Blue then to his human waiting for an answer.

Severa blinked at the creation she made with an interesting facial expression. “No... it's not. What did I do?” She reached over Pap to pull the cookbook closer. It was on a stand opened to a recipe for stir fry. She went back and forth between the pan and the book before huffing in annoyance. “I fucked up somewhere.”

“This Is Why You Should Have Had The Audio Going.” Blue retorted, putting his hands on his hip bones. His human was so stubborn about the strangest things. She had reading issues, but having them read to her helped out- yet she refused to do so. She had admitted to them a while back that it was the best way for her to understand written words. 

“I thought it would be fine.”

“You Said That Last Time And It Ended Up With The Wrong Spices.”

“They were the same color!”

“They Were On Different Shelves!”

Severa shrugged at the bitty’s retorts after a moment to process. Blue had a point- she should just use the audiobook. That is why she bought it after all, but something was nagging at her recently to try without. Was she trying to prove a point to herself? Maybe- or to others? That did not seem likely. What was the feeling then for? Severa could only think on it for a bit longer until an urge to shove the thought away appeared. A sinking feeling- a warning- ran up her spine. She shoved the thought away immediately. “I think it is still salvageable.”

“You Will Eat Anything,” Papa added to the conversation.

“Yep, my parents made sure to let me try various foods.”

“What?” Blue and Pap asked in confusion. Her answer did not make a lot of sense to them.

Severa didn’t answer their outburst and decided to turn on the audio for the recipe. She proceeded to try and salvage the stir fry. The bitties let the question drop as they helped their human with lunch.

After ten minutes, Severa was sitting on the island with her plate of the stir fry and two smaller plates with smaller portions of said stir fry. The trio were having lunch and discussing what tomorrow brought since Severa went back to work as it was Tuesday tomorrow. Pap made a point to remind the human of this fact since it was his job. Pap reminded Severa of the day and Blue got the time job to help out their human. The duo took great pride in their appointed jobs. 

Severa thought about it before glancing over at the calendar in her phone. It was near the end of summer. “I need to pick my classes for my final year.”

“Classes?”

“I think I mentioned it before - my college.”

“Oh Yeah- The Place Where You Learn More About Fish.”

Severa laughed. “Kind of, Blue, but that is the idea. It is a place where I can get a degree which tells people I know what I am doing.”

“Don’t You Know What You’re Doing Though?”

“Mostly.”

The trio went back and forth a bit about that info until Severa went back into explaining the classes were going to be picked and depending on what she chose depended on when she would be full-time or part-time at the aquarium. Blue asked if she would have more time to do other things, but Severa said she would move the time taken to school rather than more time to herself. Blue didn’t like that answer seemingly. He ate more food with a pout. Pap had a thinking face.

“Whatcha thinking about Pap?”

“Just… Something.”

Severa left it alone not feeling the need to pry. It was Monday after lunch and the next thing on the agenda was an errand that Severa was not looking forward to. A check up trip to Mama Cry’s. 

Over the past few weeks, Severa has taken the boys to the bitty center several times for checkups. It was part of the agreement to monitor Blue and Pap’s DT levels and magic. Blue had a minor scare one day that caused Severa to nearly go into a panic attack again if Pap hadn’t grounded her. It was strange, but they were able to get details about the bitties’ makeup from each visit. Enough that Mama Cry said she would have some news on their next visit which was today. 

Severa still dreaded the visit from the news- experience- or what she couldn’t tell. All she understood was her feet felt like steel boots. Heavy. She was taking them regardless since it was necessary and she finally got Blue to agree to go willingly. It was what was best for them… right? ... Right. That was what Michael said and what her parents agreed to. She trusted her parents. She trusted Michael. They wouldn’t lie to her. For Blue’s constant stonewalling, it was always a barter with the bitty about going and he never gave a clear answer. Pap refused to help(or couldn’t). He always tried to persuade Blue with Severa and got to him eventually. Severa knew things would be very different without Pap around to play peacemaker. 

The time for departure came too fast for the human as she locked her apartment door while Blue went down a checklist: Keys, Wallet, Bag, Bitties, Pants, Phone? Check, check, check, check, check, and check. It was all accounted for. Severa moved her bag a bit while moving her way to the staircase and made her way down. This was when Blue decided to ask a question that was left unanswered.

“You Never Did Tell Us Why You Never Take The Elevator.”

Severa registered the bitty's words, impressed by the large vocabulary Pap and Blue have developed over the past few weeks. They were each easily attached to new words. There were certainly intelligent beings. She answered Blue with a slight edge regardless once the comment settled. “I was stuck alone in an elevator for 2 hours, so I am not the biggest fan.”

“What?” the bitties responded in unison. “How Did That Happen?” Blue was the one to ask for an explanation.

Severa thought about the question as she made it to the door to the lobby. The event happened years ago and her memory isn’t the best. She does not remember much image-wise, but emotions are another story. “Truly, not much. I got separated from my dad at a mall and got into the elevator to look for him at a higher place. The elevator was completely glass, so going up you could see more the further you went. I was about… 12? Maybe 13- whatever. I was younger. Either way, the elevator malfunctioned and I got stuck in it between 2 floors for about 2 hours, alone and overlooking everyone below. No one noticed I was up there for a while.”

“How?!”

“From what I gathered, I was too high and there were other elevators, so no one paid much mind. They were probably thinking it was just turned off. I knew my dad was on the ground floor, so I figured going higher, I would be able to see him in the crowd. My dad was the one who noticed me because he was running around the floors and saw the elevator- he told me before he had a feeling I was in there. Unfortunately, since I was stuck in there alone, I got my brain going and it did not end well for me.”

“Would You Ever Go Up One?”

“I try not to, but if I have to, I am not alone. I have gone up and down in a few here and there. Although it took me several years to go into one after that event.” Severa shrugged.

The conversation turned to other topics of machines of disdain as Severa made her way to the bitty center. The bitties were doing what they were good at- distracting Severa from her swirling thoughts of dread. Pap and Blue would accept her bad puns as long as the itchy feeling stayed away from their human.

“So you are sure that Blue made it himself ?”

Mama Cry nodded across the desk confidently. Currently, the four beings were residing in Mama Cry’s office with Severa sitting in a chair with the bitties resting comfortably in her lap. The human was reviewing the paperwork as best she could with the monster explaining the main points. The trio had arrived at the center early and got into a motion of their usual check-ups then resting away from everything. Severa even spoke to Joker again and had a stare-down with that one strange wine-colored bitty. That type of encounter was becoming common on every visit. 

“Is this a natural thing then?” Severa asked, flipping a page over.

“That is what took longer to understand. There are no records of bitties of any type of creating DT on their own. However, there are cases of bitties beginning to create it after being injected with it for long periods.” Cry explained with a heavy expression. 

Severa replayed the information a few times in her head before repeating it to Cry. “So you theorize that Blue,” Severa pointed to the very relaxed bitty. “-was injected with this substance so much he adapted to start creating it on his own?”

“Correct.”

“That cannot be a good thing.” Severa stated warily. She placed the documents down looking at Cry for a reaction. 

“Also correct since it begins to destabilize them.” Cry began while moving the papers on her desk around and pushing certain ones to the human. She noticed how downcasted the human’s face was as she did so. They were reports of the destabilization of certain bitties. “It lines up well with other cases and what is occurring with Blue.”

Severa felt a rush of cold hit her chest as the information sank in. Destabilization. She heard that before… Where? She couldn’t remember. The cold feeling was getting stronger. Her thoughts were racing until it hit her- if something becomes unstable or destabilized then it can’t be of use. It was something her father used to say to her about his experiments and theories. Wherever he brought it up it always ended up basically- she stopped thinking. She refused to go down that road at the moment. It wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place. She couldn’t take it. Too much. Too much. Too mu–

“Severa?”

The human looked down to see the brightly lit eyelights of a bitty that was supposed to be sleeping. He was very close to her stomach and staring up at her in concern, but also… Severa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. Is that reversible?”

Cry let out a breath she was holding as soon as Severa spoke out. She nodded. “Highly possible for Blue as long as he stays near you.”

Severa did not think that the ending part was necessary.

Cry continued. “The bond you two share will help stabilize him again since human SOULs are good for that. They are known to repair other SOULs.”

“Come again?” Severa instantly responded. “Human SOULs can repair other SOULs?” Severa blinked at the news which… did not feel like news for her. Yet, she knew it was the first time she heard this information. “They can heal… SOULs? Humans and monsters?”

“Monsters and humans are different. Human SOULs can repair other SOULs and different types are more likely to freely repair SOULs. The rest need strong bonds to do so.” Cry continued her explanation missing the human’s shifting expressions since she was focused on the next information regarding the bitties. 

“How does that work? Magic was lost to humans long ago, right? That was what we were told at least.” Severa asked, looking at the monster before her. There are some questions she might have to find her answers to as she didn’t expect Mama Cry to know everything if it wasn’t related to bitties. 

The caretaker monster of the center gave a thoughtful look before trying to explain to the human. She wanted to answer Severa as much as possible since she still felt so guilty about her prior actions. “So the magic isn’t truly gone. It is dormant and sort of… transferred? Mutated? Those aren’t the correct words for it, but in a sense, magic morphed and moved around. Human SOULs were providing magic to other SOULS now instead of outward effects. SOULs were always the home center of all forms of magic and Monsters are made of it. We are our SOULs while humans are made of more organic materials. Um…” Cry fumbled over her next words before trying to finish it. She noticed Severa’s face somewhat changed and she was alert, worried she insulted the human. “The change in a human SOUL went out to help others as a preservation tactic, but because it is from the SOUL in the purest sense- it can heal monster and human SOULs. It all depends on intent though.” 

“So could a human SOUL also mess up another SOUL?”

Cry nodded. “Yes.”

“Double-edged sword.”

“Good example, yes. I like to focus on the positive though, so you can help Blue.” Cry turned the conversation back to the bitty. The whole point was to give Severa an understanding that she was the only one who can help the bitties. The proud smile that Cry gave was bright from the human’s next words.

“With my SOUL.”

“Through your bond with your SOUL to be more precise. Strengthen your bond!” Cry smiled brightly, finally seeing the silver lining of the conversation come through before it went downhill. The conversations between her and Severa always ended on a bad note. She had no idea why. She was sure the human had forgiven her already… although Severa hadn't said it out loud. The monster moved her gaze to the small bitties’ location even though it was blocked by the desk. The behavior from their first meeting to now was very different, much improved honestly. The two serial-marked bitties were radiating such warmth and pure magic that it was frightening how much so. The bond between the trio was something Cry rarely saw and to be honest, she was in awe and wanted to be around to witness more. That was why it was so important that Severa and she remained on good terms. Also of the fact that Nox was making certain… remarks on Severa’s visits. It was obvious to Cry how much he kept looking forward to her visits.

“What was going on in terms of Pap’s health?” Severa asked, feeling movement on her lap at the mention of the bitty. They were probably up by now since Blue had gone back to sleep at some point. 

“Ah, Pap had DT in his system, but at a much lesser amount.”

“Self-made?”

“We are unsure, but for his amount is it safe to assume it was injected more than self-made.”

Severa took a deep breath from the news even as the dark feeling crept further up. With each bit of news, Severa kept thinking and reacting when she shouldn’t. She had no right to get… emotional for them. They weren’- Severa moved her hand and began making notes on the paperwork in front of her. The thought faded to the back of her mind. The discussion continued on the bitties’ health and if any news has come up with Severa shaking her head at most questions directed toward the bitties’ backstories. She was crystal clear in her stance. She refused to try and pry information. If they wish to tell, then she will listen, but no more than that. She is not going to force anything from them and cause them more hurt. Thankfully, Cry didn’t press Severa over her decision. If anything, the monster seemed more relieved by the human’s strong stance. Severa figured it was from her need to protect the bitties’ wellbeing from being a Mama and she ended the thought there.

Mama Cry went on with the conversation with Severa asking questions here and there. The whole interaction went on for a while and Severa lost track of time. It was all needed, so it did not matter to Severa in the end. Severa thanked Cry for her time and moved the bitties, who were wide awake and moved them to her shoulders. Severa was surprised at how quiet the duo were being, but they must’ve understood how important the conversation was. Also being so drained from the checkups. They always took a toll on the small monsters and it left a dull ache in Severa’s chest. The trio were making their way through the adoption center when the human stopped upon seeing a certain bitty again.

The bitty that kept having a staring contest with her that always came out when she showed up. The bitty was the size of Blue, but purple and sharp teeth like a shark’s. They were a quiet bitty, Severa never heard a word from them and Cry was always pulled away when Severa asked about the bitty.

“NAME.”

Severa raised her eyebrow at the sudden question. The bitty asked a question- scratch that- HE asked a question. “My name?”

“YOUR NAME.”

“Severa.”

“NOTED. GOODBYE.”

“Goodbye.” Severa laughed a bit watching the bitty move away from his perch on a bookshelf and she went on her way once the bitty was out of view. She should have felt some sort of weirdness about the interaction, but she found it funny. The next stop of the day was an unexpected addition. The trio were going to a plaza strip further downtown where Abby worked. The first time the bitties would meet Severa’s other best friend. Severa felt a sense of excitement at the fact of the bitties meeting Abigail. Perhaps because then the trio would be complete? The bitties would’ve met both of her best friends whom she loved deeply? Yeah, that had to be why. She loved introducing people to her loved ones. 

It was during the meeting with Cry that Severa got a text simply telling the human to come to the boutique. The message was from Abigail and Severa easily agreed. The trio were all in conversation on the bus ride as the bitties were resting on Severa’s lap. They rarely stayed in the bag now and would often rest on their human’s head or chosen shoulder. 

“Are We Not Going To The Store Anymore?” Pap asked, gazing out the window from his lower best he could.

“We are, but first we are taking a detour.”

“To See Abigail Of Showbiz Expertise?” Blue asked.

“Yep. You guys can ask her about the robot superstars.” Severa’s comment got the duo excited as Blue’s eyelights changed to stars. Were they spinning? Pap’s eye sockets somehow got larger as if he went wide-eyed. Severa smiled at the expressions happily of her bitties. Abigail was going to love these two. The bus ride was uneventful from going from the center to the boutique and a sense of hollow warmth settled amongst the trio. 

The boutique that Abigail worked at was set in a plaza with several other stores lined in a row. The store Severa was aiming toward was closer to the middle of the strip of stores called Color Variety. The store held off-the-rack designs and the ability to have custom orders of all sorts of clothing since the store was a clothing boutique. While making her way inside, Severa recalled the idea of making custom orders for Blue and Pap. Abby would enjoy it, right? She enjoyed making the firefly’s clothing at least. The bell rang as Severa entered the store and was greeted with a very cheerful, ‘Welcome to Color Variety!’. That was not Abby.

The bitties were quiet as they were immersed in a new environment and so many colors. Blue thought it was similar to seeing all the fish in the main window at the aquarium, but frozen in place. Pap was feeling the happy energy around and watching all the humans and monsters looking at all the clothing so happily. 

As the bitties were engulfed with their surroundings, Severa made her way up to the back looking for any familiar-looking employees. Abby mentioned they got more new hires recently and several usual employees were sent to newly opened stores to help out. Severa only saw new faces until reaching the front desk and the tension in her body instantly vanished. When did that begin? At the front desk with a monster mouse was Abby in all her stylish glory. No one was on Abby’s level of style in Severa’s opinion which shouldn’t go very far. The girl chose most of Severa’s wardrobe for a reason. As soon as Severa got into view, the monster noticed her first and seemed surprised.

“Oh hello! I will be with you in a mom-”

Abigail cut the monster off with a squeal of joy. “Sevy! Mallory! This is my bestie, Severa! You don’t need to be so polite with her.” Abigail reached out over the counter with a grabbing motion to her best friend. The pure joy was radiating off the other human the bitties instantly felt and focused their attention on Abigail. “You are late!”

“You never gave a time.”

“Instant. The answer is instant.” Abby retorted with a wide smile

“I do not have teleportation, Ms. Kendrick.”

“Your bloodline says otherwise, so get on with that and drop it with my last name.” Abby’s smile dropped at the mention of her last name, but she kept up with the grabbing motion.

“Maybe with the next generation, I will stick with fish.” Severa grinned at her friend. 

“Ah, the ocean depths and mysteries are still enticing to you.”

“Yep.” 

“Good enough transition, come on. I got something for you.” Abby said while pulling back then coached Mallory a bit before coming from behind the counter and immediately grabbing hold of Severa. Severa did not fight the grip Abby took on her hand as she was dragged into the back of the store. That meant Severa was becoming a living model or Abigail made something for her. Might be both too. From her word choice, Severa guessed it was more of a gift rather than a job. What could it be? Severa hoped it was a jacket. She really wanted a new one.

Abby’s grip on Severa’s hand dropped as they finally got into a small room filled with papers, mannequins, and cloth scattered places. It was Abigail's small design space in the store since she was one of the customer designers. Severa was pushed onto a small couch as her friend went over to the mountain of stacked fabric and half done designs then began searching for something.

“Is it a jacket?” Severa had to ask after a moment of silence, her excitement getting the best of her.

“Yes, it is a jacket,” Abby answered with ease, still searching for the clothing piece she made for her best friend. 

“Are you gonna try usi-” Severa started to tease her friend, but was cut off.

“Yes, I am trying to bribe you into giving back that painted one.”

Severa shook her head immediately with a grin and Abby gave an unsatisfied nose as if she knew her friend shook her head.

“Found it!” Abby cheered as she lifted a blue jacket and then turned around to show Severa the entire jacket. It caused the grin on Severa’s face to warp into a smile of pure warmth. A matching warmth erupted in her chest that the bitties kept focusing on.

The jacket was a zip-up made with a waterproof material, a deep blue color on the top with a gradient going down to resemble a shoreline. It was a beach theme jacket that was stunning, but when Abby turned it around Severa let out a huge laugh that startled the bitties. On the back of the jacket designed as if written in the sand was ‘I’m a dumb beech’. The absolute pure warmth spread all over Severa’s being to the point the bitties thought it would somehow spill over and in a way, it did with tears beginning to stream down the black-haired girl’s face. 

The bitties were staring at their human in concern and wonder. The tears said she was sad, but her warmth said happy. Emotions and expressions of emotions were difficult things for the bitties to understand sometimes, so the duo went with Sev’s SOUL. The emotions were deep, hidden at times, but right now, there was an immense warmth. There was no mistaking it for anything else. Severa was happy. Their human was happy, so very happy. Pap turned his gaze to the other human in the room from his place on Sev’s shoulder. His human who invoked such a strong reaction. That had to be the Abby of Showbiz. 

While Pap was connecting the dots, Blue kept his gaze glued to Severa from her opposite shoulder. He was digging around trying to understand her reaction better. What was so great about that fabric? She had several already and her favorite one she hardly wore. He knew this for a fact. Was it because it was from the other human? Or was it another reason? … Could he also get that reaction from her if he tried hard enough?

Abigail got closer to her friend holding out the jacket which Severa took once she calmed down enough. Abby held a proud look, knowing what she did. “Do you have any idea how much it pained me to write that? I put a stupid pun on your jacket, so you’d better treat it right.”

Severa grinned at her face. “The more reason to adore it, Abbs.” A moment of silence until Severa spoke again. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Sevy.” Abby clapped her hands together after the exchange and turned the conversation and her gaze to the small skeletons sitting on her best friend’s shoulders. “Now may I meet them?” They are with you right or am I seeing things?” There was a cheerful tone to her voice that tingled with excitement. The obvious emotion that Abby showed upon seeing the small beings was strong. She was excited to meet the new additions to their small group. 

Severa examined the jacket in her hands and paused at the question still grinning. “The taller one is called Pap and the shorter one is called Blue.”

Abby’s excited expression faltered, snapping to her friend who didn’t notice, but the bitties did. The brunette’s gaze was strong and filled with an emotion the bitties couldn’t recognize, but it disappeared after a moment. She turned her gaze back to the bitties moving her gaze between both. “Nice to meet you both! Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend!” Her gratitude was strong and warmed the bitties on the inside.

Pap was the one who responded first. “Hello Abby Of Showbiz!” both were waiting for her response that made Abby just grow confused.

“I have no idea what that means,” Abby said honestly looking toward her friend for answers. “Sev, explain.”

Severa kept going over the jacket in her hands. “They like the robot quartet.”

“Oh!” Abby’s excitement returned tenfold. “You know about them?! Wait- the question she asked a while back was for you two!” Abby squealed a bit in delight. “Who’s your favorite?!”

“Mettaton!”

“Napstabot!”

Abigail laughed at the duo’s unison answers and soon a conversation between the trio went on about the robot celebrities. Severa remained there continuously gazing at the jacket completely content with the conversation going on with the bitties and her friend.

“How did you know they were skeletons?” Severa asked, sporting her new jacket with Abby sitting on the couch with her. The bitties were on the table nearby looking through a bunch of bitty-size clothing. 

“Serafino told me and from there, I just googled stuff about them as much as I could. I was so excited to make more bitty clothing!” Abby explained with a huge smile. 

Severa smiled at her friend, not even a little surprised that Abby was a few steps ahead of her. Abby was always so thoughtful when it came to Severa and Avery. She always knew what to do before they did she swore. “Sometimes I think you can predict the future.”

“Huh?” Abby let out a small laugh. “If I could do that, I could save myself a lot of time looking at trends.” 

“That’s true.” There was a gentle atmosphere around the duo until Abigail opened her mouth.

"What are their names anyway, Sevy?" 

The question gave Severa theoretical whiplash, but she pushed through it to answer. "Pap and Blue." 

"No - That is what you call them." Abby waved her off.

 "Is that not the same thing?"

"Dumb bitch, no! What are their names?" Abby grabbed a pillow behind her to smack her friend with it. Severa made no move to dodge it.

Severa let the pillow hit her, letting herself think about it. "They don't have them then."

The pillow fell between the pair of friends with Severa giving her friend a look she couldn’t describe, but Abby’s stare felt like she was digging into her entire being. The next sentence caused a dark pressure in her stomach."Yes… they do ."

Severa faltered a bit from her friend’s harsh answer. Abby was so sure of her answer. That was what scared Severa. "How would you know?"

"Because I know you. So what are their names?"

"..." Severa went quiet looking at the friend then glanced toward the bitties who were completely unaware(seemingly) happily digging through the clothes. “...I am still… deciding.”

“Are you? Are you deciding? Or are you fighting?” 

“Abby.”

“Severa, you gotta stop running away.”

“Abigail.”

“Severa.”

The two stare at each other with Severa having a defeated expression and Abigail having an expected one. It was Severa who broke it. “ Please .” She pleaded weakly and that had Abby back off with a sigh. The duo had to shake off the atmosphere when the bitties called out to them. 

A single thought that stayed in the back of Severa's head refused to leave- the names of the bitties before her.