Work Text:
A cafe just opened, smell like warm baked bread, sweetness scent from frosting, and warm coffee to start a morning, Slingshot being a owner must act friendly towards costumer, meanwhile Vine Staff and Shuriken works on dishes, cleaning, mostly labor intensive one, Slingshot just do a easy one, maybe he’s like gordon ramsay or something lmao
as customers starts to flow, Slingshot become busier, so is his crew too, Shuri and Vine work harder, and as it finally relax, a well known customer comes in, it’s the one he dislike most, Coil.
Coil : hey there, still cooking good chef?
Slingshot : please shut up, go take a seat.
Coil : oi, you should treat ur customer better.
Skateboard : relax, you don’t need to taunt him..
Boombox : i mean, that’s his 12th he taunt??
Skateboard : did you really have to count it
Boombox : idk i made it up
Coil : u better made that YUMMY cake or else i won’t eat your pasteries.
Slingshot : whatever, i just hope i never see your stupid smug face again.
after that argument, Skate just sighs, he knew his friend is just, teases a lot, meanwhile, when Vine cleaning up the floor, she can’t help but checks on them, seeing how social they are, she starts to wonder, why she don’t have the same treatment as them..?
*FLASHBACKS TO PAST*
it was rainy, cold, and harsh, Vine only watches from outside, unable to enter because of her curse, she only have to wear her own made mask and only eat fruit that grows on the tree above her, despite it’s getting too old and won’t grow more fruits once it’s season ends, it’s the only source of food, she wishes she could make friends, but other seems to avoid her, they think that curse is “slowly killing the tree”, but she only done nothing but grabbing the fruit gently w/o any forces.
one day, a mysterious inphernal went outside after quarrel w/ his leader, and he notice there a inphernal living alone, as he noticed that her horn colors is same as his, he starts to wonder.
Shuriken : who are you..? You look.. sad.. why don’t you go in?
Vine Staff : i can’t, even if i wanted to, i just can’t.
Shuriken : whats the matter..? Did they rejected you?
Vine Staff : … you were made to replace me.
Shuriken : …
he feels.. speechless… every inphernal spawn with a reason, the fact that his own spawn was only happens to replace someone, it feels.. so.. evil, he sees his clan as his family, but after learning the truth, he feels.. betrayed, at outside, Slingshot was resting from training when he saw Shuri, he tries to bring him back in, but he refuses.
Slingshot : hey! Why did you resist me from bringing you back??
Shuriken : we’re getting out from here.
Slingshot : … are you crazy? You’re not like getting kicked from the clan, you’re just getting timeout…
Shuriken : i know, but i learn a hard truth, i was spawn, to replace her.
Slingshot : …
he eventually understand why they must go, the fact that Shuri only exist to replace Vine, he wish she even has same treatment as others, he betrayed his own clan, along with Sling, 3 of them left, while they change their identity by work on cafe, and hoping this way, the clan unable to track them anymore.
but even when she’s now on safe zone, she still… feels lonely, she knows there Shuri and Sling, but they’re mostly busy with their own thing, she just, don’t know her purpose, yet…
*FLASHBACK ENDS*
After a long stare, Vine decide to come closer to them…
Skateboard : oh hey, whats up Vine?
Vine hesitates, she never made a new friend before, in fact she never did, Shuri is her brother, and she sees Sling as her cousin, she gulped, and tries to greet, awkwardly…
Vine Staff : …hi..?
it was a slow step, but as they continue to talk, Vine become more confident, they share interest, having fun, and more.. Sling watches her from afar, he softly smiles when he sees her finally making new friends, it might be scary for her, but hoping she finally get out from her trauma.
or so he thought.
is her “cursed” arm… really a defect?