Work Text:
23 Years Ago
Bdubs
Now, he wasn’t entirely certain what was going on. To be fair, that was most of the time. Ever since Doc had fixed his Mom, they’d just sort of ended up staying with Doc and Etho. Bdubs did like it better than the crack in the tunnel wall that they used to live in. Also, his Mom would give him piggyback rides all the time, and that was fun! So really, nothing to complain about.
Yeah, nothing much. Recently, they’d gotten Wels. He seemed nice enough. Bdubs thought he was pretty cool, because he could blow big ol’ holes in things. It was really handy for making a separate bathroom-ish kinda place in their cave.
As for what brand of ‘not entirely sure what was going on’ Bdubs was on this particular morning….he could tell it was morning because when he’d woken up his hair had just been fading from it’s silvery nighttime appearance back to brown…all the others were arguing near the door. And there was a voice responding to them that he didn’t recognize.
Who’s that…?
Bdubs wondered as he propped himself up, scrubbing one eye with his fist. He was half laying on the pile of blankets and under-stuffed pillows he and his Mom shared. Doc and Etho got to take the only semi-proper mattress in the cave, since Doc was so freaking tall that he wouldn’t fit on anything else they had without just ending up lying on the stone floor. He criss-crossed his legs under him as he sat up and peered across the cavern-like area he’d called home for these past months toward the doorway. It was open, which was rare. Usually they kept it sealed shut, only opening it for the briefest of moments for people to go in and out.
“If you wish for us to find you trustworthy, breaking into our home is not the ideal first step,” Doc said, standing tall, way taller than whoever they were talking to.
Someone broke in!?
Bdubs’ big eyes went rounder than usual, and he popped up from his blanket pile and scurried to hide half behind the metal table with the one short leg that clank-clank-clanked if you leaned on it to hard. He peeked over the tabletop, mop of messy dark brown hair tumbling over his forehead.
“Well, it’s not like you have a mailing address.”
The responding voice was high and sweet-sounding. The tone wasn’t sweet at all, though. She sounded really irritated.
And she’s the one who broke in!?
Bdubs felt a rise of indignation as he watched his Mom step up, raising a hand.
“Now, how about we all just cool it with the attitude, hm? We aren’t opposed to talking, but you coulda handled it better than this.”
“I’m kinda short on time. ‘Net’s gonna want me back within an hour and a half, and it’s like pulling teeth to get myself free time away from his hawks.”
“You’re with the hawks!? And you came here!?” Wels burst out, and Bdubs could see glamor crackling in the matte black fracture lines that ran over his pale skin. His longish brown hair was greasy and swept back…they hadn’t gotten lucky enough to jack hot water from the thermal pools that were piped up into the main city for a while. It was like rolling a dice, hoping to win big every time you turned on the tap. Plus, whenever it did come on, Bdubs would usually find himself getting chucked in the old metal storage drum they’d turned into a bathtub first.
Do they think I’m smelly or what!?
He felt indignant again for entirely different reasons as he considered that.
“They aren’t tailing me, I’m not that stupid, and they aren’t that smart.” The woman replied in a grumbling tone, and Bdubs shuffled a bit, trying to manage to see around the four bodies between him and this mysterious stranger. All he could see were her feet, beat-up little ballet flats that led into slender ankles and the edges of badly frayed white-washed jeans. But his view was blocked by Doc’s titanic form soon after that.
“Smart or not, the last thing we want is for the Feather-foots to find this place. You’re putting the wrong foot forward, y’know.” Etho pointed out, and Bdubs internally cheered for him. He loved Etho! Etho had made him a really fun little twirly top toy out of some scrapped redstone components, and he always listened to Bdubs’ ideas about what they should do, and said he’d consider them. Doc always looked skeptical when he started talking, even if he tried to hide it, and Wels usually just ignored him. His Mom would tell him he wasn’t making much sense, which was fair, it was their job to teach him that sorta stuff.
But anyway.
“Alright, alright, fine…maybe I got a little bit ahead of myself. But there’s not many people in the Depths I think would actually help me, so…”
“If we’re top of the list and we don’t even know who you are, then we’ve all got some issues.” Wels grumbled, and Etho elbowed him in the ribs.
The fox hybrids tail was still poised back and alert, his ears pulling back slightly with preparation to pounce, but he was noticeably trying to relax that defensive posture.
“And why exactly are we the ones you think would help?”
“I heard you were the one who did this. Started all this.”
Etho stilled. His ears stood up further. Bdubs leaned against the table with widening eyes, fingers clutching the edge of the tabletop.
“Started all what?”
“You know what.”
“…yeah. I killed her. I’m not shy about that.” Etho finally said after a moment, even if his initial reaction said otherwise. Wels’ shoulders slouched, Bdubs was sure he’d just rolled his eyes.
“Then you’re better than the rest of us.”
“Gee, thanks, that’s saying a lot.”
“Wels.”
“So-rry.”
“I’m only here today for an introduction.” The high sweet-sounding voice continued, and Cleo tilted their head, a cascade of orange hair tumbling past one mint green stitched together shoulder.
“So you’re planning to come back? Could you maybe, oh, I dunno, make an appointment?”
“And where would I do that?”
“Look, we’re willing to hear you out.” Etho cut in, and then Doc seemed to pick up for his boyfriend halfway through.
“However, you must understand that this place is very important to keep secret.”
Doc shifted foot to foot. Bdubs leaned further to try and see around him.
CLUNK
The metal table made that loud thunk of a noise as it shifted onto it’s shorter leg. Doc looked over his shoulder to see the source, which caused him to turn sideways. For a half a second, Bdubs caught sight of a small round face, almost cherubic, with a shock of wavy, dirty, downright matted looking hair and large pale brown eyes.
“Oh.” She said when she caught sight of Bdubs, and he immediately shrank further behind the table. Cleo glanced over their shoulder to see him up and smiled in that exasperated sort of that that Bdubs knew meant he was getting chided later.
“Yeah.” Cleo said with a sigh, before turning her eyes back onto the lady.
“Get my point, now?”
“Loud and clear. I won’t tell anyone about this place.”
“And we should trust you why?” Wels pressed, but then Etho put up one furry hand.
“Let it go, for now.”
“Seriously?” The wither mutant didn’t sound convinced, but Doc just shrugged.
“I trust Etho’s judgement.”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t got much choice.” Cleo said with another bone-deep sigh, and Bdubs was now watching from underneath the table.
They saw the woman off, and Bdubs wasn’t able to see much more of her before the massive stone slab of a door thunked shut, and Cleo rounded.
“Bdubs, you were supposed to be in bed!”
“M’sorry, I woke up! Heard y-you all…head ya talking!” Bdubs insisted, and Etho shook his head.
“Don’t be so hard on the kid, Cleo.”
“You aren’t his Father.”
“Fair enough, and you are?” Etho said it with a jest clear in his tone, the little chittering sound he'd make when he laughed like a whisper under the words.
“At this point..?” Cleo let out a groan halfway through that thought and then smiled ruefully down at Bdubs. She ruffled his hair fondly.
“I suppose I can’t hold being curious against you.”
“Didn’t mean t’make anything worse!” Bdubs insisted as he flung his arms around Cleo’s middle, hugging them tightly. She laughed, hugging him back.
“You didn’t. It’s already a right mess, you didn’t make anything change in that regard.”
“Mess? Who’s a mess?”
“Everyone? This entire city? Society?” Wels counted off on three fingers.
“Well aren’t you just a bundle of joy?” Cleo jabbed, to which Wels put his hands up in surrender.
“I try!”
They carried on with their day, and Bdubs did catch them all commenting, now again, about the mysterious visitor. He figured he’d ask more about it another time.