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Lucan flexed his fingers, watching skin simmer and black liquid slowly trickle down his claws. It hit the stone floor with a hiss, and devoured grass as it burned through to ash.
After a while, it didn't feel so painful at all.
The skin sewed itself back together, and Lucan could take a deep breath without feeling his blood boil.
Sure, the sidewalks dripped with blood of another, and they'd find his body come morning, but it was one more parasite cut from Porrima's system.
That's what Lucan kept telling himself, anyway.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Lucan's shoulders tensed up immediately, his ears standing up straight and his tail puffing up. He shook his head, ready to stand up and intimidate the onlooker out of his way, with a growl in his voice.
He rounded the corner, pushing away the pain in his leg and the slight limp in his step, and opened his mouth.
"What do you think you're--"
"...Lucan? I finally found you."
Lucan's red eyes widened comically huge, the red aura fading away quickly. "M-M/C?"
Their eyes darted across his face, searching for context in the shadows of the scars, then in the darkness of the alley behind him. They frowned, dark brown eyes moving to his torso, then his hands.
"You okay? Somebody hurt you?"
Lucan ran a hand through his hair, his heaving breath blowing faint blond strands back into his face. "What do you need?"
"We were supposed to hangout by the boardwalk tonight. When you didn't show up, even after sunset, I got worried. Elowen said you were with Sage," They counted their experience on fingers. "But then Sage and Balsam said you weren't with them either."
They shrugged after, and even out of bounds of the streetlight's gleam, Lucan could see their face glow like a strawberry.
"And, well...I used my magic to find you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Lucan didn't even realize he was leaning against the wall, unconsciously nursing a bad wound on his side. He straightened up, mind racing for a reply.
"Didn't expect anyone to look for me. I'm sorry I blew off our da-"
He bursted into a cough, doubling over as his face turned a blushing shade of red- Whether it was from the pain, or the pain of calling a friendly hangout a "date", he wasn't keen on delving any deeper.
M/C's eyes went wide. "Lucan?!" They reached out to catch him by the arm. "What were you doing? Come on, I can get you something to drink--Not alcohol."
Before he could object, he was being led through the streets to the nearest corner cafe--He didn't catch the name, but M/C opened the decorated door with their hip and pulled in their big Ilephta.
Lucan's head pounded--Every sound was painful to hear, from talking to glasses clinking; He could still hear the sounds of screams and jeers as an echo.
Gently, a glass was placed down in front of him. And then another. And then a third. Lucan frowned and looked up at the two glasses being set before him.
"Three?"
They smiled. "Water, lemonade..." And they pointed to the third glass. "Apple juice."
Oh, isn't that sweet. Lucan pressed his lips together. "I guess our d--Hangout continues on after all."
Still, he reached for the apple juice first.
"So it does. I heard you're a busy man. So am I, sometimes. It happens." They shrugged, tracing the lip of the glass idly.
"I was nervous. I wondered if something had happened, the longer time went on. Like...What if someone tried to beat him up? What if he got his tail stuck on something? What if...Ah, you get the point."
Lucan chuckled. "Nothing stuck, and I take any fool that wants to get rowdy with me as a challenge."
"Mm...So what did happen to you?"
It went still, and quiet again. Lucan looked off to the side. He didn't want to lie, but telling the whole truth?
A man stalked down the alleyway, no weapons, no allies--Just the gauntlets on his knuckles and the sheer anger that fueled his strength. He didn't even need to run.
He knew exactly where it was going to end.
His prey was not the Knight Captain, but enough of a slink to do some damage to the ranks. He was right where Balsam said he'd be, at an abandoned balcony. No weapons, no allies.
But a shit ton of Thernier; A flower whose nectar was tasteless, odorless, and seeped right into drinks and food with a powerful poison.
"Let me guess," Lucan started, and the man nearly jumped out of his skin. "A little parting gift for me and my friends?"
"Why don't you take a sip and find out?"
The man resumed his scowl quick, swiping a flower from the table. Its long petals curled around his knuckles limply--It was dying.
"You...'Griefers', doing Gods-Know-What out here; Pain in our asses, you know that? Trying to play hero, save the city--What do you think the fucking Order is for, huh? The Starsworn?"
"That's what you say to the people who ask, and after you play pretend, you throw them to the streets. And then you POISON the streets. And when you poison the water..."
"You eradicate the plague infested in this city."
Lucan bared his fangs--Like shards of the moon, ready to be stained with red. "So we have a common goal, then."
A monster stalked down the alleyway, no weapons, no allies--Just his hands melting into claws, his two eyes becoming four, and a black acid dripping from his clothes.
The SunStone slink never stood a chance.
Lucan downed his drink silently, moving onto the water with no pause. His friend watched with growing concern, pushing their glass forward. He needed it more than they did.
"I'm glad you're..." They started, and trailed off as their eyes fell on his face in the light.
He always mentioned he was a quick heal, but the new scar--An almost perfect X across his jawline--It was still faintly bleeding, and still fresh to the air and all its bacteria.
"Are you hungry?" They asked, moving to look him in the eyes. "I can do savory or sweet."
"...Sweet."
"Cherries, Apples, or Blueberries?"
"M/C-"
"Sorry!" They laughed quietly, and rose from the table. "I'll make it a surprise."
Lucan scratched at his eyebrow, finally looking around the dining area they were in. It was empty, and most of the chairs had been turned on top of the tables. The floor glistened as if just cleaned, and when he looked at the door--
The OPEN sign was facing him.
"You work here?"
"Guess you could say that." They replied behind a shelf. "Family business."
They returned with a big plate, and set it in front of Lucan. A strawberry shortcake, cute and fancy with a single fork on the side.
"Go ahead, eat up. I made it this morning." M/C continued across the room, and Lucan poked around the dessert until they came back again. He squinted at the medicine kit in their hands.
"See something I don't?"
"It's still bleeding. Right here." They reached out to cup his face, on the side that wasn't hurt, and placed a warm cloth against the new scar.
"It's gonna get infected if you don't treat it properly."
Lucan was frozen, his face blooming in red. M/C didn't react to their closeness, they were staring at their hands working on cleaning and fixing the scar.
Not that it wasn't a nice feeling, but...
"Are you this caring to everyone, or am I just lucky tonight?"
That got their attention. They froze, now their turn to pull away, suddenly embarrassed. "Well, I- Ah!!"
They plopped back down in their seat, or tried to- Their foot pushed the chair farther away, and without a chair to fall into...
In a clattering loud movement, the entire table shuddered as M/C fell right on their ass, onto the hardwood floor.
They grasped at the table for bearings, embarrassment burning holes in their heart, and they froze when a gentle yet strong hand closed around their own.
"I didn't know it was so easy to get you flustered." Lucan raised them up, and M/C pressed their lips together.
"Are you alright? Sit here." Lucan smiled a little, slid over on the bench, still holding their hand.
"I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable." M/C started, sitting up straight from their semi-relaxed pose. "I- I'm just so used to taking care of others but I li...I like you, so...I don't mind staying up late, or looking for you."
They mentally slammed themselves for that one. Oh, that was a very cheesy and dumb think to say.
"Funny you mention that, because..."
And then--In a quick motion, they saw Lucan dip down from beside them, and plant a kiss on their cheek. His touch was warm, soft, and they could feel the slight scratch of his beard as he pulled away.
Their fingers lingered over the tingling spot. With wide eyes, they looked up at Lucan, and he reached for the strawberry cake on the table.
"I like you, too. Glad to have you here, M/C."
He cut the cake in half, and grinned. "Only one fork, huh?"
"Because it's for you!"
"Come on--One bite, for me." Lucan raised the fork to M/C's lips, and laughed at their baffled face.
Yes, he could get used to the redness in their face, like strawberries in Spring. It was a shade of red that he'd rather see than...
"You're doing that thing again. You're thinking of something--What is it?"
"It's nothing." He smiled, and M/C slowly relaxed again, taking a bite of the cake.
"Good. I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Yeah," Lucan agreed, his mind on the brink of changing tracks again. "Me too."