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"...and why do you two hellions want to go to Noelle's house?"
Berdly shot an unimpressed glare at Kris and Susie as he sorted through the small pile of returned books. The nerve of the pair to interrupt him at work.
Susie shot him an awkward grin. "Y'know, just wanted to... uh... grab some stuff from hers to leave in the hospital! Familiarity 'n all that junk."
"I or, you know, her mother could very easily do that. I can go by myse-"
"Hey." She slams a hand on the desk. "You aren't the only one hurt by... y'know." Letting out a soft sigh, she gives her own glare. "We wanna help her, even just a little bit." Kris gives a stiff nod in support.
Ugh. How could he be so selfish? Of course, others would be grieving, she's practically the town angel. And now, she's...
He sighs, ignoring Susie's victorious grin. "Fine. I'll try to talk to her mother, alone. You two can wait outside while I shut the library."
"What? Dude, we can watch the librarby while you're gone. There's no one here."
"As if I'd trust you two with the knowledge contained within these shelves. Heavens no, you're waiting outside. Now shoo!" Physically flapping them away with his wings, he hurries around doing last checks before flipping the sign to closed and locking the door behind him. "Wait here."
The town hall is visible from the library, so the walk isn't taxing. It's the gravity of what he's going to do that slows his steps. What is he supposed to do? Waltz up to the Mayor and ask for the keys to her house so that he can make a half-hearted attempt to comfort her comatose daughter? After her other daughter went missing?
That's depending on whether she would even speak to him. It's more likely that she would not even entertain the thought of seeing him, leaving him to scuttle back to Kris and Susie with his tail tucked between his legs. Then they would also send him away, leaving him to his volunteer work at the library.
... alone.
Gah! No time to think of that, he's already at the town hall! He can... he can do this. Just a couple of questions. Puffing up his feathers, he strides through the door and makes a beeline for the receptionist. "Pardon me, miss, could I please speak to the Mayor? It's rather important."
"I'm sorry, the Mayor is very busy preparing for the festival. She is not to be seen by anyone."
Drat. "I-It's about Noelle... we were very close before..." He hadn't meant to sound so utterly pathetic, but it seemed to have an effect on the receptionist - she seemed to soften slightly.
"...I'll try. May I take a name?"
"...Berdly." The Mayor should recognise him, but he doesn't hold out hope.
Clicking a button on her desk, she speaks into a microphone. "Mayor Holiday, there is a... Burghley... here to see you." She turns back to him with a... smile? Maybe? "If you take a seat over there, I'll let you know if she'll see you, okay?"
"Thank you, miss. Also, my name's..."
"Hm?"
Why is he trying? She won't care. "... never mind. Thanks." The chair in the corner has never felt more foreboding. He's never been called to the principal's office, but this must be what it's like. Waiting for the inevitable guillotine to drop on your neck. For them to find out the wrong you have done and bring the almighty Blade of Punishment down. Maybe she already knew that he'd done something. Maybe she was just waiting for him to show himself so she could issue a notice of eviction. Send him out into the woods so he can shrivel away, cold and alone.
"...ley? Burghley, can you hear me?" He jumps, shooting his head up to see the receptionist crouched in front of him, her... hand-hand resting on his leg.
"Y-yes, of course!" Clearing his throat in what he hopes is a stable manner, he gives his best Confident Smirk. "But, ah, I may have misheard. Could you repeat yourself, please?"
"...I was just saying the Mayor is ready to see you." Oh. He must not have been very convincing. Nevertheless!
"Ah, thank you! Should I just... go straight through or?"
"Just knock first, of course." She pats his shoulder as he stands. "Feel better, dear."
Hah! Ahah! "I've never been better! But thank you for your concern!" Ignoring her flat look, he steps behind the desk, giving the door to the office three clear knocks. He doesn't have to wait long before-
"Enter."
He brushes off imaginary dust and turns the doorknob with a soft click. Just a couple of questions.
The temperature seems to immediately drop tens of degrees as he closes the door behind him.
Mayor Holiday sits behind her desk: prim, proper and cold. Her ice-blue eyes lock onto Berdly instantly as if he were her prey. "Take a seat." she commands, gesturing to the blue upholstered chair on his side. Swallowing harshly, he obeys and sits ramrod straight. Her gaze weighs more than a ton on his shoulders.
"Burghley. For what reason are you here." Somehow, she seems perfectly put together despite the circumstances. Surely Noelle's condition must be weighing on her mind? Then again, she must be much stronger than the pile of feathers sitting in front of her. Strong enough to not be crumbled by one person being ill.
He puts on his best air of bravado. "I have come to make a request." Only at her stern nod does he dare to continue. "I wish to retrieve some things from Noelle's - and your - home, in order to comfort her while she is in the hospital. Some small trinkets and collectables in all."
Her fingers lace together. "And why would that do anything for her? She is not awake to see them." Her glare hardens. "Furthermore, I could do that myself. I do not need some teenage boy who scarcely knows my daughter snooping around her things."
"We know each other... well enough..." This was all falling apart, wasn't it? Could he appeal to her heart, perhaps? "Please, ma'am. Comatose people still have some awareness of their surroundings, I believe it would bring her great comfort." Then, softly, "It would also bring... me great comfort..."
Her expression does not change. "I thank you for your attempt at platitudes, but this does not change the fact that I do not want a teenage boy alone in my house."
"If it helps, I would not be alone, of course not. I would have Kris with me."
"Kris...?" He barely has time to wonder why Kris is so important before she's dropping a key with a snowflake keychain in front of him. "You are to go into Noelle's room and only Noelle's room. I am expecting this key back at my desk in an hour at the latest. Am I understood?"
"Y-yes ma'am."
"Good. Now, off you go." He almost drops the key in his scramble to get out, but manages to escape the town hall with his dignity mostly intact. Hah! He'd done it! And was only mildly terrified the whole time!
He wouldn't say he was... scared of Carol Holiday. Intimidated? Oh, yes. While... Noelle... had told him a good amount of times that her mother's communication was always strict, there would forever be that part of him that unconsciously straightened up whenever she was around. That was true for almost everyone in town, so he at least felt justified.
"Woah. You actually got it?"
Ah, he had made it back to the library already. Susie grinned at him as she pushed herself off the wall, Kris wandering along beside her. He scoffs. "Of course I did! Despite her exterior of ice, the mayor does care for her daughter."
"Hell yeah, let's go!"
"Ah! She did have some prerequisites to me having this," he cautioned, dangling the key for emphasis, "One: we are to give this key in no more than an hour. Two: we are to go to Noelle's room and only Noelle's room." Also, now that he thinks about it, he did not tell the mayor that Susie would be here too. Whoops.
"Aw, what? What if I need the bathroom?"
"Go now."
She rolls her eyes. "Look, I'll just take a peek in the other rooms. What if she left something in the kitchen?" She nudges Kris' shoulder. "C'mon, Kris, back me up here."
They look to be deliberating for a moment, before saying, "Let's stay on task."
Suppressing a shudder at their somehow different monotone, he laughs victoriously while she lets out a grumble. "Excellent choice, Kris. Now, let us hasten!"
Thank God for Susie's raw strength, or they wouldn't have made it past the front gate. Ordinarily, it glides like a dream, but today of all days it decided to humiliate him. Typical.
Regardless, the group is now officially at the front door. "Remember," he cautions, slotting the key into the lock, "Noelle's room only."
Susie audibly groans. "Yeah, yeah." He unlocks the door... and she's bolted off before he even has the chance to say anything. Kris is not far behind her. Great.
Huffing to himself, he stomps around the living room, ensuring there was nothing here that Noelle might want. The nerve of those two. To so blatantly ignore his clear instructions to go do what? Snoop around their hospitalised friend's house? Ugh. He may be the only one on task.
A door rattles. "Hey Kris! Know where the key is to this door?"
Definitely the only one on task. Well. He may as well get started. Although… with Susie distracted raiding the house this may be the perfect chance to catch Kris alone. The events of last night play on his mind. They had said not to mention it next time he sees them, but he did want to talk it over. To… thank them.
With that thought, he climbs the stairs and enters Noelle's room. Maybe they are actually on task? He pushes the door open and… no, they are not. Out of habit, he checks under her bed, but does not find them hiding underneath, as Noelle said they used to do. Where are…?
A crash from next door answers his question. Of course they're up to their usual mischief! Even in such a time-sensitive occasion like this! Well… at least he can somewhat reassure himself that even with their recent weirdness, they are still their usual flavour of Kris-weird. Even still, he marches outside to reprimand them, only to find they are already standing outside the door in their usual stiff-as-a-board manner. "Ah, Kris. There you are." He folds his wings. "Up to your usual tricks, I suppose?" They do not respond. "Er, regardless! I wish to speak with you in Noelle's room. " He flicks a glance to where Susie is trying another door. "Alone. I shall meet you in there." He receives a stiff nod before he goes back into her room.
It does feel… odd being in here without Noelle. Even if everything is exactly the same: bed neatly made; holiday-themed pencils aplenty and Tsuntsun in her usual spot. It's just that he… really misses her. He's not much without her - the player two to her player one. He can puff up his chest and squawk all he wants, but he would be no one without her.
Right. Things for Noelle.
Perhaps one of her tacky blankets? The fluffy one covered in holly? Yes, maybe the softness of it would help her. Delicately folding it and placing it on the foot of her bed, he scans the room for anything else. Maybe a plushie? He picks one modelled after the ice mage from Dragon Blazers and another one of some other character he doesn't recognise dressed in a Santa outfit. Hm. There isn't much one can gift to a comatose person. Perhaps Kris would know what to get.
As he thinks that, the door opens and Kris enters the room.
"Ah, Kris. Punctual as ever," he remarks, dusting himself off as he perches on Noelle's sofa. "Please take a seat. I wanted to speak with you about... last night." They visibly stiffen, but slump at the other end of the sofa.
"I've been... wanting to speak to you alone all day," he admits, "I've hardly seen you, you've been gallivanting around with Susie!" He laughs unsteadily, a mere shadow of his usual bravado. Shutting his eyes, he pulls the events of the previous night to the forefront of his mind.
"I could hardly sleep. All my dreams were filled with thunderstorms. Even when I was awake, they were all I could see." He rubs his wings together. "I kept thinking it was all... real. Or that the real world was fake. I had to go on a walk to clear my head. Touch grass, if you will.
"Then... you were just... there. My heart nearly stopped, but then..." A soft sigh of relief. "You spoke in your voice. You said you were sorry. For being weird at the hospital. And that Noelle was going to get better. You said it was all a stupid prank.
"It... it felt like forever since I heard that mumble of yours. I used to hate it! Could barely hear you! But... it was what I needed to hear..." He chuckles again, more full than before. "So, thank you! Well, I do not appreciate the prank, but thank you for everything else." While he could be imagining it, he swears he can see a slight upturn to Kris' lips. They must appreciate his generous forgiveness. But... there was also... "There's... something else I want to mention, if I may."
Their voice is hardly a whisper. "...proc..eed..."
Ignoring the fact that he could barely hear them, he shuffles closer. "After... after you said all that you... pulled that inane pen from my pocket." Even closer, so they're sitting next to each other. "You did say, after that, not to mention this or-"
A hand clamps his beak shut. It's… trembling.
Pulling their hands away, Berdly cocks his head to the side. "Kris…? It's only us two here? What are you so afraid of?" Their hands continue to shake in his wings. "You'd said we'd get heard, but-"
His beak is shut again, tighter this time. Kris leans in close. "…th… they'll… hear… you…" they whisper, noticeably terrified.
Heart racing, he takes a sharp breath. "Who… who's going to hear me…?" They pull his wings to their lap, lean back, look him dead in the eye and-
"Me."
Feathers stand on end. The scent of ozone lingers in the air. Gale-force winds whip around him. His breath stops. Surely, surely, they're pranking him again. "Ha… ahahah…!" He can't keep the waver from his voice. "A…another prank! Hilarious, Kris…!" He subtly pulls his wings to himself. Their voice was just like it was in my dream.
"It wasn't a dream."
Shrieking, he jumps backwards. They hunch in on themselves. No. No way. "H…huh, Kris? What…what did you say…?" They couldn't have. They couldn't have… heard my thoughts.
"I heard."
Pranking him! They're pranking him! "Ah… K-Kris, there must be something wrong with you! You…you're talking to yourself!" He bursts into nervous laughter, trying to collect his racing thoughts. Coincidence! A coincidence! It's impossible for them to have heard-
"It's not a coincidence."
Forcing himself to calm down, he screws his eyes shut. He can… he can test this. Okay, Kris. If you can hear me, say… blue or yellow.
"Blue."
No. Say red or green.
"Red."
He clasps his wings together, trembling starting anew. Still… still a coincidence. Kris… say it didn't happen. Say it didn't storm. Please.
"It stormed."
He hunches in on himself. Stop it. Just shut up. Stop lying to me. Please.
"Berdly levels up."
Finally, he forces his eyes open. "What… what… what did you… say…?"
"Equip."
They draw something out of their pocket. It looks almost like…no. It couldn't be. "Ah… what is that you have, Kris…? Some kind of…" He doesn't finish his sentence before-
"Proceed."
They're… moving? Don't come closer. Either they don't hear him, or more likely, they don't care. He finds himself shuffling backwards as they stop. Closer now, it has to be… "That's not… that's not that pen, is it…?" Inching backwards. He's shaking again.
"That's not… the AcidHalberd… is it?"
"Proceed."
No. They move closer again. A terrified grin spreads across his face. "Ah… you… I thought…" Inching further backwards. "Didn't you want… to guide me…?"
"Proceed."
Even closer. Inching even further backwards. I can't move. Their red eyes pierce into his very soul. Even closer. I can't… look away. Even closer. Berdly, do something you complete and utter idiot!
"Equip."
They're almost touching. His back is against the wall.
"Kris, I really should-"
"I mean, I don't-"
"Can we just-"
"Ah, I think I-"
His wing is grabbed. The AcidHalberd is shoved into it. Red eyes bore into his. He can't move. He can't look away.
"Equip."
He clicks the pen. It hurts. He's smiling. He can't breathe.
"…I…"
Something in him.
Shatters.
Kris throws You in the trash can. They're kicking You hard. They're crushing You. They're cursing You through guttural cries. While it hurts, You can’t help but wonder.
What happens next?