Chapter Text
Vine Staff leaned on her staff, watching Shuriken zip around restlessly as he was grabbing some things to go meet Slingshot. At 10:23 in the evening..? Why would he do this on such short notice?
Vine Staff yawned, exhaling. She picked up a glass of water, taking a few sips to ease her dry mouth.
"It's late, you should bring a jacket." Vine Staff said. If he was going to Lost Temple at night, it would be freezing, and Shuriken definitely wasn't used to the dry, cold air of Lost Temple as opposed to the humid, arm air of Thieves' Den.
"Why? It's a desert, I would be hot." Shuriken said, picking up his phone and shoving it in his pocket.
"No, deserts are cold at night, Shuriken. It goes from one extreme to the other in the span of 12 hours." Vine Staff said, running a hand over her face.
"Really?" Shuriken then reached for a jacket and promptly rolled up the sleeves.
"Shuri, that defeats the purpose! ugh, nevermind. Have fun, don't get caught by any outlaws. They like to go out at night, Katana told me." Vine Staff yawned again. She still had to clean up the entire Cat Café, and she would now have to do it without Shuriken's help. He wasn't much of a help, anyways, he had been seemingly distracted here lately.
She didn't know what by, but she didn't want to pry. Maybe it was something to just keep to himself, but she could almost feel Shuriken drifting like Slingshot was. She didn't want to lose them. Slingshot didn't talk much anymore, and he had changed for the worst. It killed her inside. She didn't want her little brothers hurt, she just wanted to bundle them up and keep them safe but they were adults with adult lives. How skinny Slingshot was. It reminded her of how he looked when he escaped from Playground. She didn't want to be reminded of these things! She shook her head, feeling the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"I'll see you later, Sis!" Shuriken said before he zipped out of the window.
"Bye, Shuri," she said quietly, "don't run into anything that will hurt you, please.." she exhaled, reaching for her pill bottle but taking her hand away as she shook her head in shame. You already had enough. Just.. go to bed, he'll be back in the morning.
But what if he didn't come back? What if an outlaw got him? What if he encroached on Church of the True Eye territory? Scythe didn't typically like outsiders on her land. "Oh, gods above, let him be okay.."
Vine Staff soon found herself nursing a bottle of Midori, tears running down her face. She let out a choked sob, some of the alcohol running down her chin. She wiped it off with her sleeve, grabbing her staff and hugging it close as if it were Shuriken or Sling.
She was angry, too. Why did Slingshot have to leave? He couldn't have just gone deeper into Thieves' Den?! Why did he have to leave his family? How could he even leave his family? Leave her? DID HE KNOW HOW WORRIED SHE WAS?
She was supposed to heal people, but she couldn't heal Slingshot if he wasn't there to heal! And if things are kept up like this, there might not be a Slingshot left to heal... She couldn't help but let out yet another choked sob at the very possible future that might rear its ugly head.
It also didn't help with how Katana was talking! Saying his time was drawing to a close or some shit like that.
She clutched her horns, her breathing growing rapid and quick. She just wanted to scream, to throw something, but that wouldn't do anything good! It would just give her a bigger fuckin' mess to clean up!
She quickly swallowed the last of the Midori, smashing the bottle and letting out a quiet scream so she wouldn't wake up her neighbors. She needed to calm down, she knew she did. She looked around for her blunt, growing some cannabis at her feet and plucking some leaves. She took her lighter and lit the blunt, the flame illuminating the porch of her house.