Work Text:
…
Sebastian slowly lifted his eyes open, blinking a few times.
He had been asleep for god knows how long. In a strange way, he felt as if he rested like a baby combined with the feeling of napping until it was midnight. Either way, he believes he has passed out for a good while.
Sluggishly, he sits up, trying to pull his consciousness out fully. Hmm… this area does not seem to be his shop. Not at all. He was not trading his wares with the prisoners for their data. He was not mocking any expendables for a cause of death he considered stupid (that being succumbed to almost every monster). He was not trapped in the rut that was Hadal Blacksite.
Further taking into his surroundings, Sebastian notices he was in an unfamiliar but fond and comforting place. The grass was right under him, the sky looked bluer than ever after being imprisoned in the bleakest abode for so long, with the clouds above resembling puffs of cotton, the air refreshing his lungs that were filled with tobacco over the years, and the most crucial of all: the sun shining down on him, which was somehow not burning his eyes alive.
Wait.
He quickly recalls the information he had gathered from his current environment -
Grass.
Sky.
Clouds.
Air.
Sun.
This could only mean one thing.
His eyes widened. His lips crooked into a smile.
“I-I’m…” He sputtered.
“I’m…
“I’m- I’m free! I’m free!! I’m finally FREE!!!” The man exclaimed with pure jubilation in his voice, springing his whole body upwards from the sheer joy he was experiencing.
He’s free! He cannot believe it, but he’s free at last! He has finally earned his happy ending - he got out for good! For years and years, Sebastian thought that leaving Urbanshade’s horrid hands and tight strings was impossible, and that any plans about escaping were only wishful thinking, but he has proven himself wrong! It’s almost too good to be true!
The man frolicked around the grassy plains, laughing. He feels happy. Extraordinarily happy, in fact. He ran and hopped and dashed until his legs began to ache, to which he stopped to catch his breath and rest for a moment.
Hold on- legs? Legs?
Sebastian looks down at his feet.
Oh my god. He thinks, utterly dumbfounded.
He stares at his arms. He started tapping his hands on his face and head.
Holy shit.
Not only was he outside with Mother Nature, but he was also finally human again! To think he would never return to normal… supposed it was either sheer luck or he was lied to. Even so, this further increases his ascent into seventh heaven. Not to mention he was wearing his favorite outfit!
Now long gone were the days he was a fish. Days where he looked and felt like a monster. Days where his customers would attempt to flashbang him before fatally punishing them with a shotgun. Days where he could not leave the place he considered worse than Hell itself - no, the place was Hell.
The shackles were shattered.
And Sebastian was happy.
He sighs as his head directed to the clear blue sky and cotton candy-esque clouds. He almost wanted to jump on the fluffy things.
After a moment of silence, Sebastian notices a lake up ahead. He realizes how thirsty he was, and that his face was suffering from dryness. Almost too thirsty and dry, perhaps. Guess a quick drink and wash will help.
Shortly after arriving at the lake, he kneels down and scoops a drink into his hands, before diving them back down to splash the water against his face.
Such a refreshing feeling.
As the water began to halt its swishing movements, a reflection shone on it. It was him. He had a normal, human face. He couldn’t stand the feeling and texture of scales anyway, even long after he had gotten used to them.
Still, that scar he painfully obtained long ago was oddly present. It faded the moment he was transformed into a sea creature, so why would it return?
Curious, he held a hand up to his face, and lightly brushed his fingers against the scar.
IT STINGS.
“Ssss- ow! Fuck, that hurt!”
Instinctively, Sebastian gripped his wrist. That was stupid. Ugh. He did not expect it to hurt that much.
For a few seconds, the irritation was lingering. Then it quickly faded as if it never happened. Almost out like a light.
Sebastian sat there idle for a while, once again regathering the information from his environment, and otherwise being alone with his thoughts in general.
He feels like he has overstayed his welcome in this grassland. It had comforted him long enough. He needed to get home, anyway.
It’s been years since he did the things he actually wanted to do.
So, he picks himself up on his feet, and
BANG
…
Sebastian’s eyes all jolted open with rushing fear and consternation.
His breathing hitched.
It was a dream. Of course it was. Pure fantasy his brain conjured up while he was unconscious. He didn’t like how vivid and fresh in his mind the sleeping mirage was.
Reality shot a bullet to his brain and so returned him to his shop. Because his esca was not lit, it was almost pitch black - the shining blue light from his eyes only partially lighting the small room.
He sat up, and almost immediately, a sharp pain rang in his head. Ouch. Momentarily however, it went away, as if it did not happen.
Now that he thought about it, the last sound he heard in his dream was likely a gunshot. He wondered if his outside environment had influenced the noise. If it did, it was so loud enough it woke him up and stabbed his head with severe tension, let alone trying to figure out who triggered it and why.
Sebastian began to analyze his dream further. He had taken into account how much of an idiot he was.
He did not think twice about how vast the grassy plains were, and would likely take ages to arrive at any city or human establishment in general.
He did not think twice about drinking water from an unpurified and bacteria-filled lake.
He did not think twice about becoming human once more, knowing the effects are never to be reversed, ever.
He did not think twice about anything in that dream to be deemed too good to be true.
Because he full heartedly believed he was genuinely happy again.
The shackles remained unshattered, as they were meant to be, unfortunately.
He stared at the concrete floor. He can’t believe it.
He’s still here. This cold, seafloored hell.
…Suddenly, his ears perked up. The sound of footsteps was getting closer to his room.
Expendables.
Letting the vent cover open, he announces something loud enough for the expendables to hear, inviting them into his shop. As expected, they climbed through, now appearing before the large sea creature.
“You all know the drill by now, yeah?” He asked as he pulled down his esca for light, returning to the usual routine.
And Sebastian was unhappy.