Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Norman felt a sweat drop drip down from his forehead. He had mentally prepared himself for his end but still, the idea of getting eaten by demons absolutely terrified him. He felt his whole body shaking as he clutched the suitcase in his hand.

“Norman, this way.” 

Isabella’s voice brought him out of his panic. He swallowed and made his way to the doors where she had motioned. 

He did not expect to see what was behind the doors.

It was a girl about his age, with fluffy orange hair and emerald eyes. She was sitting down behind a desk. As she stood up to meet him, Norman couldn’t help but stare. She wore a black button up shirt with a white blazer on top. A short red skirt allowed her black thigh high socks to peek through. The entire outfit was pulled together with a satin white ribbon tied around the collar of her black top.  

This was the first time Norman saw a girl his age in anything other than the white uniform from Grace Field. 

Norman’s fixed gaze on the young girl was interrupted by Isabella clearing her throat. 

“Norman, this is Emma Ratri. Your new caretaker.”

Emma chuckled, slightly covering her mouth with her hand.

“I wouldn’t say caretaker… I’m the same age as you, you know?”

Emma turned on her heel, her skirt seeming to dance around her. She walked to face Norman and extended her arm to him.

“My name is Emma Ratri and if you don’t mind, I would like you to assist me with my research. “

As she said that, her youthful face seemed to be draped over by a curtain of darkness. Her green eyes stood out like flickering candles.

Norman shook her hand. 

Emma clasped both her hands over Norman’s single hand and smiled from ear to ear.

“I appreciate your cooperation!”

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“Miss Ratri, he’s not eating again.”

Emma spun on her office chair, crossing her arms and sighing heavily. 

“Again? What a troublesome boy.”

She squinted her eyes at the monitor that showed Norman, sitting on his bed, head buried in between his knees. An entire day’s worth of meals sitting untouched on a small table. Emma brought her mouth up to the speaker mic and spoke. Her voice reverberated through Norman’s entire room.

“22194, if you refuse to eat we will have no choice but to install a feeding tube on you. Don’t make this hard on yourself and comply. “

No response.

“Miss, perhaps you may be able to help in a less intrusive way. “ the lab assistant next to her said stoically. 

“I don’t follow.” She raised her eyebrow at him.

“You are the same age as 22194. Recall, the farms gather all the children to eat their meals together. To go from that environment to this overnight may have our specimen experiencing shock. I hypothesize that he may feel more comfortable eating his meals with you. “

Emma weighed the thought in her head. The manners of cattle children were definitely beneath her. However, Emma knew 22194 was unlike any cattle child she had ever known. He was unique, a premium quality product. If she didn’t have to poke and prod her perfect specimen, she wouldn’t.

“Very well, open the doors for me.”

Norman’s head shot up at the sound of the doors opening. He expected to see the men in lab coats, not a young girl.

“M-Miss Ratri?”

Emma didn’t respond, she pulled out a chair for herself and sat down with a sigh. She crossed one leg over the other, crossed her arms and met Norman’s eyes.

“I’ll eat with you, so grab your utensils. “

Norman was frozen in place. 

She’s going to eat...with me?

Norman blinked. 

“Why?”

Emma smiled seemingly innocently.

“I prefer not to bring unnecessary harm to my favorite pets. So sit down before I change my mind. I don’t like to repeat myself.” Her innocent smile transformed to a wicked one. 

Norman sat up, not breaking eye contact with the redhead. He pulled out a chair and reached for a plastic spoon, starting with a small bowl of soup. He eyed the bowl, and then looked up at Emma’s face. 

Norman’s mind was racing. 

What could she be planning? Poison? No use poisoning me my first days at the facility. He thought.

Although her choice to eat with him bewildered him, he didn’t see any way she could physically harm him in this case. Norman decided his best choice was to follow his captor’s orders this time. Hesitantly, he began to eat. Emma mirrored his actions. In fact, she mirrored them a little too well. When Norman would dip the utensil into the soup, she would too. When he brought the spoonful to his mouth, Emma would too. 

Norman tried his best to hide his laughter, but couldn’t hold it in any longer. It erupted out of him.

Emma’s stern face didn’t waiver.

“What’s so amusing?”

Norman finished his laughing bit, wiping the corners of his eyes.

“Th-that’s not how you eat meals with someone!” More laughter.

Emma pursed her lips in frustration. She furrowed her eyebrows.

Norman smiled at her. She felt he could read her mind.

“Miss Ratri, have you never eaten with someone else?”

“Of course I have. Perhaps not recently, only as a child. With my older brother.”

Norman couldn’t ignore the way her facial expression softened at the mention of an older brother. 

“Well, usually families do not eat exactly the same way like machines. Just eat at your own pace, without copying me.”

“I knew that.” Emma snapped.

Norman smiled knowingly. 

“Of course.”

They were quiet together for a moment, only the sounds of their soft chewing and the noise of the cutlery against the bowls to fill the room.

“So, you have an older brother?” Norman asked.

“Had.” She stared down at her meal, not bothering to look at him. 

“ I have brothers too. Back at Grace Field. There was Thoma, Lani, Don, and… Ray--”

“Cattle doesn’t have family, 22194. You were children from different mothers who simply lived in the same facility. The sooner you come to the realization that your life at Grace Field is over, the less painful this ordeal will be. “ The wicked smile returned.

Norman lowered his gaze..

“Right... “

Emma wiped her mouth with a handkerchief tucked into the breast pocket of her blazer. She neatly arranged her plate to the side and sat up from out of her chair. 

“Well, it seems your appetite returned. Don’t pull stunts like this again, next time I won’t be as forgiving.” She was about to leave for the door when the boy's voice made her stop .

“Thank you for today. It was my first date with a girl and I really enjoyed it. “ 

Emma now turned to face him. 

“Date?” She raised her eyebrow at him.

“Ah, just another word us cattle children have for eating meals together.” Norman said calmly as he brought all his fingertips together.

There was a short silence. Emma was curious but dismissed it quickly as she had little intrigue for the world of cattle children.

“Whatever.” 

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Emma walked down the sterile white walls of Lambda with her head down, chin rested in between her thumb and index finger. She was in deep thought.

22194. One of the three full score cattle at the Grace Field plantation. Considered a prodigy by the Mama of the house. A perfect specimen. Special. So gifted in fact, he had his shipment date expedited due to evidence of a planned escape along with the two other full scorers.

However, the young girl couldn’t shake the feeling of unrest in her stomach. Talking with 22194, observing him, thinking of him seemed to make this feeling intensify, Emma shook the thoughts away, clearing her head for more pressing matters at hand. 

“ Will have to observe further.” She whispered to herself.

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“Subject 22194. Test number 184. Difficulty level, low.” The voice over the speaker echoed through the entire testing room. 

Emma balanced a pen on her upper lip, swinging from side to side in the office chair. She stared at the monitor showcasing Norman once more. He was seated at a desk, headphones on his head with numerous probes coming out of his headset. A 4x4 cube of various colors was placed in front of him. He made quick work of the puzzle, his pupils darting from side to side as his long fingers turned the puzzle into putty in his hands. 

“Test completed. Duration, one minute and twenty seconds.”

Emma tossed the pen to the side and lifted her head in surprise.

“As expected of 22194.”

“ Subject 22194. Test number 185. Difficulty level, average.”

Now the cube was a 6x6 and Norman seemed to have grown familiar with these variations of the puzzles. His pupils darted faster and faster as Emma noted he got closer to completing it.

“Test completed. Duration, 58 seconds..”

“Impressive.”

“Subject 22194. Test number 184. Difficulty level, high.”

Emma’s eyes were fixed on the monitor, it seemed like child’s play to him. Exceptional in everything he sets his mind to. The way his piercing blue eyes were in absolute focus, his body, a machine. His finger’s moved in a haze, lips pursed, an intense look of concentration taking over his usual soft features and---

“Miss Ratri?”

Emma jumped from out of her chair, suddenly feeling warm. She cleared her throat and straightened out her clothes.

“Wh-what is it? I’m busy.”

“Your presence is required in the neighboring test room.”

Emma sighed in annoyance. 

“Very well. “

As she got up, a thought from the day’s workload returned to her. 

“I almost forgot, please schedule me for another ‘date’ with 22194 for tomorrow's evening meal.”

She heard her lab assistant make a choked noise. 

“I-I beg your pardon, Miss?”

Emma stared piercingly at the assistant. 

“Surely you, who work with cattle children are familiar with their vocabulary. It’s an agreement to eat meals together. “

“Um, M-Miss. Pardon my correction but--”

Norman looked up from the test, a loud banging noise interrupting his focus.

“EVERYONE OUT NOW. LEAVE ME ALONE WITH 22194.”

Norman smiled smugly.

'Ah, I’ve been found out.’

The door to Norman’s testing room was barged wide open, so violently that he feared it would be torn off its hinges. A familiar girl with wild orange hair stood in the doorway. She was panting heavily in rage, her face flushed red and eyes fixated on him, like prey.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Ra--”

“SHUT UP! AS IF I--...WITH YOU--” She pointed at him, stuttering through pants.

“A WOMAN OF MY CALIBER-- WOULD NEVER… WITH CATTLE!”

Even with having the girl shout at him at this volume, Norman remained calm. He chuckled.

“Geez, so cruel...”

“I-I’ll show you…” Emma fumbled in one of the cabinets of the testing room and brought out a chessboard, slamming the board in front of Norman. 

“I am ABOVE you!” She sat down across from Norman with a thud, arms crossed as always, shooting him a death glare.

“Start.” She demanded. 

Norman smiled sweetly.

“Of course.”

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Needless to say, Emma left the testing room fuming. Her eyes were twitching in anger and her fists were balled up tightly at her sides. 

“22194…” She cursed.

Chapter Text

Years had passed by since their first encounter. Ever since Norman’s first day at Lambda, Emma had started to make a habit of sharing meals with the boy. Her schedule would not permit it everyday but at the very least they met once a week. Emma claimed it was to ‘keep tabs on her perfect specimen’ and to ensure he had some familiar human interaction so that he could keep performing well. But, Norman could recognize a good liar when he saw one. Still, he didn’t mind the girl’s company. Perhaps it was due to their likeness in age but Emma always appeared to treat him differently than any other people she came across with. Of course she was still haughty and snapped at him every chance she got but that’s about where it ended. She would make some snide remark or some empty threat and then sit across from him to eat their meals together. While their usual activity was to share meals, sometimes Emma would come barging into his room, and challenge him to a game of chess or a puzzle of her choice. Today, Emma had decided it was a chess-kind-of-day. She finished her move and looked up to meet Norman’s eyes.

“Your move.”

Norman nodded and complied. He completed his turn.

“So… how is your body reacting to the medication?” 

Norman’s head cocked up at the question. 

‘She’s feeling talkative today. I’m glad.’ He thought to himself.

He chuckled. 

“Worried about your favorite guinea pig’s state ?”

Emma scoffed.

“I care about the well being of all my specimens at Lambda.”

Norman’s hand froze just as he was about to reach for the knight piece to continue his turn. He lowered his gaze, a darkness overcoming his entire face. 

“The migraines are still head-splitting. The medication makes things better but only for a second.”

Emma’s eyes twitched as she stared at the chessboard. Norman had cornered her. She eyed her chess pieces from left to right, focusing more intently. Almost as if inspecting the chessboard closer would up her chances in beating the boy for once.

“An unfortunate side effect of the tests.” She started coldly.

“Miss Ratri, have you ever thought of how different your life would be had you been born in Grace Field?”

Emma’s eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape. 

“What’s your point?” She said, not looking up from the chessboard.

“Have you?”

The firm tone in Norman’s voice didn’t falter. 

Emma let out a sigh 

“I have. To be brought up only to be served as food is a terrible fate. I would do everything in my power to not end up like that. However, escape would be futile. "

She rested her elbows on the table and crossed her fingers to rest her chin upon them. She smiled at Norman in a way that made a shiver run up his spine.

“The human world isn’t any different. Try it if you can!”

Norman locked eyes with her. He could feel himself sweating.

“Say you had escaped 22194, and then what? You live happily ever after in the human world? Impossible. You’re better off with the demons!” She giggled. 

“Well...I think we could have been friends.” Norman said quietly. His tone finally softening. 

Emma’s giggling abruptly stopped. She looked to the side for a moment, taken aback by the boy’s comment. 

‘Friends, huh?’

Emma jumped at the sudden noise of a loud thump making the chess pieces fall to the floor. Norman had slammed his head onto the table in pain. Both his hands were on the sides of his head, clutching it in agony. He groaned as the migraine then brought him to his knees. All the chess pieces fell to the floor, sprawled all across the white floor of his room. 

Emma was frozen. This was not like seeing the other subjects in pain. Seeing Norman like this made her feel a sense of fear and powerlessness that was previously foreign to her. 

Norman’s groans grew in volume, his body was now on the floor, convulsing. 

The young girl was still in a state of shock. It was as if everything was occurring in slow motion. She finally reacted. 

“Y-Your medication!”

She reached for the pills placed on the side of the table. Emma kneeled down, clutching Norman’s head and forcing his mouth open. She tried to place the handful of pills in his mouth but it was to no avail. Norman began to cough up blood, staining Emma’s white blazer with crimson. 

“M-Medic! I need a Medic! She shouted towards the door, hoping to flag one of the lab assistants down.

“B-Break free…” The boy struggled to speak.

 Emma swiveled her head from facing the door, back to Norman. 

“W-What?”

“Break free… We’re-- the same…” Norman choked out through coughs.

“Break free… Emma…”

“Miss Ratri! Step aside! We’ll handle this!” 

Emma was pushed to the side as a team of lab assistants came in , swarming Norman. Emma didn’t notice she was shaking until she struggled to maintain her balance standing up. She backed out of the room, closing the doors behind her, the groans and screams of pain from Norman still made their way through the metal doors. She looked down in horror at her blood stained hands and the blood stains on her pure white blazer. Emma covered her ears with her hands, trying to silence the sounds of Norman’s agony. However, she couldn’t drown out the words that seemed to ring even louder.

‘Break free...Emma.’

Chapter Text

Emma stopped in front of the infirmary doors. One week had passed by since she witnessed Norman go through the side effects of the Lambda experiments. She didn’t understand. She had seen countless experiments done on cattle children. They looked painful and sometimes they would make her flinch in disgust. But last week was different. It almost felt as if Norman’s pain was hers, she couldn’t explain it. Emma sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. This persistent feeling had become an exhausting thing to deal with. Her face appeared sunken in, ridden with fatigue and her eyes were surrounded by dark rings. She had not been able to put the boy’s words to rest and she half hoped that talking to him and just seeing him would somehow end the turmoil she felt inside. She exhaled deeply and made her way in and spoke to the lab assistant currently sitting next to Norman.

“How is he?”

“He’s running a fever so he might not be all there right now, besides that, stable.”

“Thank you. You’re dismissed.” The lab assistant excused himself and Emma took a seat next to the boy.

He was lying down on the infirmary bed, a cooling pad placed on his forehead. His face was flushed a sickly red and his breathing was strained. The room’s door shut and Norman blinked his eyes open, widening them upon seeing the young girl sitting next to him. Her arms crossed and one leg crossed over the other.

“Miss Ratri...You’re here. Sorry about the other day...your blazer.”

Emma laughed weakly.

“You’re in this shape and that’s what you're worried about?”

Norman chuckled. 

“I was touched that you tried to help me. That was...nice of you.”

Emma felt her chest tighten. She tried to stop her chin from quivering.

"Don’t you resent me? I mean...you could say I’m directly responsible for your suffering.”

“Hmm...I suppose… but I don’t see it that way.” Norman smiled wearily.

The strange emotions she felt while being around the boy seemed to intensify in this moment.

‘Why? Why is he still being so kind?’

Norman met her eyes with his weary ones. He inched his hand closer to Emma’s hand that was now rested on the edge of the bed. Hesitantly, he reached for it. He hovered over her petite hand for a second, only setting it down when he was sure she wouldn’t pull away. He then turned it so that he now held it in his and squeezed gently. Emma’s eyes were locked on both their hands. She knew this gesture was meaningless. She didn’t need comfort from anyone, much less a cattle child. She knew she should pull away, but the feeling in her stomach made her keep her hand connected to his.

“You know… I still meant everything. “ Norman said.

“The fact that you tried to help me makes me think you can change. You have the power to change this entire system. You can--”

Emma jerked her hand away and stood up.

“Y-you don’t understand! You don’t know anything about me! So, don’t act as if I’m your close friend, 22194.”

Emma’s breathing turned heavy. Her heartbeat was racing and felt tears starting to well up. But, Norman Remained calm. He shut his eyes and sighed softly. 

“Maybe I don’t. So I’ll keep trying.” The boy smiled at her, despite the pain he was still in.  

Emma couldn’t speak. How could such pure kindness be so infuriating? She turned on her heel and headed for the room’s doors. 

“You’ll get nowhere.” 

She closed the door behind her and rested her back against it, slumping downwards in defeat until she was sitting down on the cold tiles. She rubbed circles on the top of her left hand with her right. Then interlaced her fingers, mimicking the way Norman had done it. The memory of the act made her cheeks heat up in that unfamiliar way and the numb feeling she felt earlier subsided. Thinking of the warmth of his hand made her feel lighter. She stayed like this for a while until a sinking feeling in her stomach overtook the short joy she felt.

“Why is it that you’re the prisoner here… Yet I’m always the one getting cornered and trapped by you.” 

Chapter Text

Being the head of a clan like the Ratri was not without its struggles. Although Emma had been accustomed to a life of privilege and power, certain activities that came with this were laborious to her. This night, it was meeting with demon royalty. Nothing complicated. Greet the attendees, update them on her research at Lambda, make some small talk and that's it. It was some time before their meeting was scheduled to start. Emma was sitting down at a large table with a clipboard in one hand and scribbled down some notes with the other. 

“Oh Miss Ratri, I was not aware you would be joining us.”

Emma looked up from her work. She recognized one of the older demon lords she had previously met. He wore elaborate robes and donned an equally elaborate mask. 

“Oh, Lord Thymos. Good to see you.” Emma said shortly.

“Such a young girl… and you spend your evenings here?”

Emma didn't look up from her paperwork. 

“Lots of work to do.”

“Hm. A respectable girl your age, shouldn't you be enjoying yourself with another human male? ”

Emma mouth was agape, unsure if she had heard Lord Thymos correctly.

Who does he think he is?!

“Oh, have you found a human male counterpart? I thought humans usually did all that around your age.”

Emma’s face twitched in irritation, she pursed her lips and exhaled.

“I-I havent.” She said plainly.

“Well, surely you’ve had suitors,correct?”

Emma thought back to the few men who she had as suitors. She winced in disgust at the memory. She remained silent.

“Hm, I’d suggest you hurry and settle for one Ms. Ratri, at least you are still being given some form of choice.”

‘Some choice.’ She thought. 

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It was late and Norman was in bed, reading a book. He felt the paperback volume start to fall from his grip, his eyes slowly closing as the days exhaustion caught up with him. However, the turning of the lock to his room jolted him awake. None of the assistants should be checking on him this late. He was on edge. 

His eyes widened upon seeing Emma enter his room. 

“Miss Ratri...Didn’t expect to see you here this late.” He stood up out of bed to greet her.

“What? Come for a late night chess match to help you sleep?”

But, upon getting a good look at the redhead,  Her gaze was downwards, eyes empty of their usual spark. They seemed droopy and puffy as if she had been--

Crying? That’d be a first. But, she is a very emotional girl when things don’t go her way. Could it be concerning a change of plans to the status of this facility? It's so late for her to be here. Only a small staff of lab assistants should be here. To think, I’m so close to--

He tried to calm down. Unsure of what this meant, he decided to not try her for the time being. Norman got up and decided to put the book back in his bookcase. He feigned looking for another volume, his back turned towards Emma. 

“So, what brings you here? My medication is fine and I have been performing well on the--”

He turned around and was surprised when Emma was right in front of him. Her arms were tight at her sides, fists balled and her chest was heaving. Norman noticed her beet red face, eyebrows twitching and she would not break eye contact with him. 

Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. Emma lunged at him, grabbing both sides of his head and crashed their lips together. The sudden force made Norman stumble back and fall back onto his bed. 

“M-Miss Ra--” Norman could barely finish his sentence until their lips were locked again.

“Sh-shut up, cattle! Just, let me--” That was the only explanation Emma granted him and continued to kiss him feverishly, her eyes were shut tight and  her legs were straddling his hips. Her whole body shaking in nervousness. Norman was paralyzed in confusion, not sure what to do. He laid like that with Emma on top of him until she seemed to run out of air. She finally released Norman’s lips with a loud pop. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and met Norman’s eyes.

“Th-there!”

Norman sat up and blinked in confusion. 

“H-huh?” He stuttered. 

“I-I chose. For myself.” Emma asserted. But after her initial confident tone, her body seemed to deflate. Her posture slumped downwards and her shoulders shook as she began to sob. 

Despite being clueless as to what exactly got her in this state, he had a good idea. During his stay,  Norman had pondered what his captor meant to him. On one hand, he saw her as a traitor, turning a blind eye to children being raised for food. To Emma Ratri, they were a necessary sacrifice to maintain the world’s order. On the other hand, she was a girl playing a mediator. Forced into this role by adults to further an agenda. Forced to keep the elite at the top. Forced into a fate that she didn’t choose. Surely, she had goals and dreams of her own. She was just as much of a victim as he was. She wasn’t cattle. Yet, she was.

Norman placed both hands on her shoulders, hoping to comfort the crying girl. 

“You don’t have to be forced into a role you don’t want anymore. You can break free.” 

Emma’s eyes shot up, blinking.

“You don’t have to carry this burden all on your own. You're human. Only human.. “ Norman said, almost whispered. 

Norman reached for her hand, holding one of them in between both of his. 

“I can tell you’re not meant for this. This isn’t you. I can help you.”

Emma sniffled, bringing her arm up to wipe her tears. 

“You don’t understand! I-I have to, it's the only way to maintain the order between this world and the human world. There really is no other way...”

Norman placed his palm against her cheek, hoping to calm her down. He could still feel the wetness still staining her cheeks. 

This time, he kissed her. Holding her cheek in his hand, he leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against hers. He wasn’t sure why he did it. In Norman’s current situation, he knew the best course of action was always the most logical one. But, after seeing Emma like this, this was what felt right. It seemed to be the right choice, because Emma kissed him back. She melted into their shared embrace, inching her body closer to him. Norman brought his other hand upwards to hold both of her cheeks in his, holding her gently as if handling something fragile. They stayed like this for a while until Emma felt the familiar knot in her stomach and it asked her for more. She closed the distance between them, never breaking their kiss. She pressed her chest against Norman’s, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Norman started to feel overwhelmed by the young girl’s eagerness. He didn’t want to make Emma feel as if he was taking advantage of her vulnerable state. But, having her so close to him made him not want to ever let go. Thinking of where this could lead, he felt a deep blush creep over his face, all the way to his ears. His heartbeat quickened upon feeling the girl continue to press her body closer to his. He broke their kiss, gasping for air. 

“E-Em--”

Norman wanted to say more. Explain to her that she could destroy the system that held her down too. She could do it with him by her side. They could escape, the two of them. But as he looked into Emma’s eyes, her expression was empty and confused. A single tear fell from the corner of her eye. 

“Th-that was a mistake. Sorry.” 

Emma crawled off of the boy, her legs shaking and almost stumbling over as she stood up.

She gave both her eyes one final wipe, and looked back at Norman, left with his hand extended outwards, reaching for her hand. Emma turned her head, and looked straight to the room’s door.

“I’ll see you later...22194.”

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Norman noted that Emma wasn’t in a talkative mood today. She had declined sharing a meal  and simply said she needed to talk to him. She sat across from him, hands folded in front of her, resting on the table they shared.

“I would appreciate it if you could forget about our…encounter yesterday.” She struggled to finish the last part of the sentence. 

“As you wish. However, isn’t my every move in this room recorded?” 

“Yes. But, since yesterday I am now the sole overseer to your case. None of the other lab techs can access your room’s video feed without my consent.” 

“I see. Covering up your mistakes, huh?” He hummed

Norman noticed Emma shift in her seat.

“S-sum it up to female hormones getting out of hand. Nothing else. “

Norman made a noise of agreement. He paused for a few seconds until he spoke again.

“May I at least ask for the real reason for what brought you to do it?”

Silence. 

Norman frowned. He studied her face but could see no change in emotion. But, after sharing that intimate moment with her he could no longer deny that beneath that tough exterior was just a scared teenage girl. Someone that was just as worthy of saving as any cattle child. After so much time spent together, Norman found what buttons to push to get her to talk.

“Very well. So, I guess it's just safe to assume you do that to every male cattle child here...”  He sighed, closing his eyes and slumping his shoulders in pseudo dismay. 

“H-Huh?!” Emma stuttered. She slammed her palms on the table, making Norman jump, his lips forming into a smirk.

“Of course I don’t!” Emma protested. 

“You don’t? So then why me in particular?”

Emma's head seemed to short circuit. 

She sighed heavily and sat back down. Turning her body to the side, her eyes suddenly fixated on every object in Norman’s room.

Norman smiled warmly. 

‘So stubborn. It's almost cute.’

“You don’t have to tell me. But I’m guessing it's  either…” He held up four fingers, putting down one finger with each following statement.

“One. You trust me. Two, you enjoy my company. Three, you find me attractive to some degree. Or four, all of the above. I think I'm leaning more towards all of the above here.”

Emma sat unamused by his attempt to rile her up. But Norman picks up on a lot of things. Things like the smallest tint of red starting to appear across the girl’s cheeks.

“Don’t flatter yourself…” 

Norman chuckled, and leaned back in his chair. Somehow, he was satisfied with her answer. 

Emma felt she had had enough. She got up in one swift motion, dusting off her skirt and pushing her chair in. 

“That face...So annoying…” She said under her breath as she made her way to the exit.

“I used to get that a lot…” Norman said quietly, barely above a whisper.

“Ah, Ms. Ratri. One more thing before you leave.”

“What is it?”

“Thank you for spending time with me all these years. I’m...really glad I got to meet you.” Norman smiled sincerely. 

Emma stopped in her tracks. That unrest she always felt appeared once more.

They stood in silence until Emma spoke, barely above a whisper.

“I simply made sure that my product was premium quality. Nothing more.” 

She shut the door behind her, and  thus putting an end to the thoughts screaming in her head. 

Chapter Text

Emma awoke to the cold metal of a gun barrel against her forehead. Her eyes shot open and immediately focused on the young boy holding the weapon to her. He had dark skin, wore glasses and had an x-shaped scar that spanned across his entire head.

“Get up. Hands on your head. Now.” The boy demanded.

“Y-you…” 

‘There is no mistaking it. He’s one of the cattle children from Lambda.’ She thought.

Emma blinked, adjusting to the dark of her room and trying to understand the scene before her. She slowly got out of her bed, raising her hands. She turned to face her attacker but, her sole attacker soon became a group as she saw three other individuals standing in front of her. Another male, with short black hair. This time, he had a white x pattern across his head. The other individual stood at a towering height with a paper bag over his head. And finally, the only female in the group had her hair styled in a ponytail. She held a bat firmly between her two hands. Emma immediately recognized all of her prisoners.

“Boss, we should just kill her right now.” The girl with the ponytail hissed.

‘Boss?’

Emma swallowed. She kept a knife under her pillow just in case anything like this ever happened. In the second she felt the gun barrel against her head, she had slipped the knife underneath her nightshirt and behind her palm. Slowly, she started to move her wrist, inching the knife out from her sleeve until a certain voice made her freeze. 

“Wait. Please, give us a moment alone.”

Norman came out of the darkness of her room. Emma gasped, turning to face the boy. 

“You. H-How? With all of them--”

“Lambda is gone. We burnt it all down. Nothing is left.” Norman said, his voice low. 

Emma’s eyes widened in shock, her whole face appeared to be draped over in darkness. 

“Are you going to kill me?” She asked, her voice beginning to quiver. 

“No. Under no circumstance.” Norman said sternly.

Emma blinked, trying to make sure she had heard him right.

“H-Huh? But those children, after all I did--”

Before Emma could say anything else, Norman’s arms were wrapped over her shoulders. He pulled the girl closer to him. 

“You did all that because you were a victim in all of this too. You can't deny that. Not after all those years we spent together. “

Emma began to thrash against his grasp. But Norman only held her closer.

“I-I can’t! The future you have in mind...is not meant for me!” She protested.

Emma felt tears start to well up, her throat tightening. 

“Why won’t you just give up? Just leave me behind and escape by yourself!” Emma raised her fists, trying to escape from Norman’s unrelenting hold.

“I won’t! Because I know this isn’t the real you!”

Emma’s body went limp, her legs giving out as she fell to the floor, freeing herself from Norman’s hold. Norman noticed Emma’s hand hovering over a sharp metallic object that peeked out of her sleeve. Her hand trembled, Norman could see the battle between her body and mind as she fought the urge to clutch the weapon.  

“I-I should just kill you right here.”

She stayed quiet, still shaking for a while until Norman knelt down in front of her. He positioned one of his hands to rest atop of hers, halting her trembling for a moment. He took his other hand and began to slowly pull the small knife out of her shirt, tossing it to the side. The loud clunk of the metal against the floor echoed through the entirety of Emma’s bedroom. The sharp sound made her ears ring and it seemed to have brought her to reality as well. Because without any buildup, she began to sob uncontrollably. She jumped into Norman’s arms, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and buried her face into his chest. Norman squeezed her tighter. He clung to her as she cried. She wailed and cried until she felt she physically couldn’t cry anymore. She cried for the suffering she had caused. She cried because of the powerlessness she felt with her own fate. And finally she cried because Norman knew all this and yet treated her with kindness. When Emma’s tears began to cease and her cries turned to whimpers, Norman pulled away from their embrace to look at her face, wiping away her tears and holding her cheek in his hand.

“You know, you never answered me that one time.” He said, his voice low.

Emma sniffled. She wiped her eyes and stared at him, confused.

“H-huh?”

Norman smiled.

“Do you think we would have been friends if you had been born in Grace Field?”

Emma couldn’t help but smile back.

“I-- I guess we would have.” She felt more tears start to form but blinked them away.

Norman smiled at her wider this time, the corners of his eyes crinkling upwards. He stood up, inhaling sharply and extended his arm to her. 

“So, let's decide our fates for ourselves… Emma .”

Suddenly, that unrest Emma would so often feel whenever she was around the boy began to feel like less of a worry and began to feel exciting, and freeing. She smiled brightly, like Norman had never seen her smile before. The sight was enough to ignite the same feeling in him. The girl reached for his hand, holding it tightly and with the help of his strength, she stood up.

“Okay... Norman .”