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"¡ Querido, te mantienes tan firme!"
Nabi hears that voice, and the hairs stand on end. A mixture of fear and anticipation.
"You know that I barely understand that language yet, Tangerine."
Tangerine laughs at this, childish and mischievous.
"Aww, pequeña polilla doesn't know how to speak a little differently?"
"I atheist know you said "little moth". I'm taller than you Tang."
Nabi was called here for a reason. He doesn't know yet where he is and why. So, they leas the conversation.
"If you called me about my tasks, I've hunted and secured enough humans to make the human factory work." Nabi spoke stiffly.
"Excelente! No sugar people though, right? I've heard they can look pretty close to a human sometimes!" Both his real hands and scarf-hands clap in unified rejoice.
"You know that one of the few reasons I took this job was because you promised not to hurt her people."
Right, right. Oh! I brought you here to show you these flowers I've discovered!" Tangerine excitedly hovers to Nabi's side, ushering him towards the vast feild. Wrapping his real arms around Nabi's neck, he starts pointing out flowers with his scarf-hands.
"These are called "White Lilies" and they're so pretty! So white, so pure looking! Ooh! And these ones are called "balloon flowers". What a funny name for such a beautiful, lovely colour."
"I suppose they do look nice" Nabi was caught off guard by Tangerine's arms around his neck, feeling the side of his mask eagerly pressing his artery but he tries to keep his composure from faltering just yet
"How about a closer look?" Were the only words Nabi heard before they were pushed to the ground, though thankfully quickly rolling to his side before his back could get hurt. He heard Tangerine giggle as he falls to the ground next to him, now interested in playing with a flower.
"Despite his somewhat childish ways, he's kinda cute because of it? Nabi thinks to himself, a thought he soon hid away in the far reaches of his mind.
"Yknow, I heard that the president wanted to inquire about extending your work here." Tang begins, plucking the small purple flower of it's petals. Some fall on the beak of his mask, and Nabi inches closer to gently brush the petal off He couldn't tell, but behind the mask, Tang's face grew warmer.
"Gracias.. Anyway, the president knows how well you've done, your excellent hunting skills, tu fuerza...They think you'd be a good member of the team!
Nabi ponders, an ensured job sounds nice, buy he took this task only wanting it to be short-term.
"Think about it, estimado! A lovely workplace, doing something you're good at, and you have me here! Doesn't that sound wonderful?" Tangerine sits up, holding a handful of balloon flowers and a lily
Nabi sighs, moving to stand.
"Tangerine, I don't want to work here. I only took the offer because I needed money and food at the time."
Tangerine stands in front of Nabi, still clutching those flowers.
"But...Nabi..."
Nabi places his hands on Tang's shoulders, then moving them up to the cheeks of his mask, rubbing them softly.
"If this job was never offered, you wouldn't have met me and you'd be fine. If I had money, I would've never taken this offer. I'm sorry, Tang."
~~~
And with that, Nabi removed their hands from Tangerine's face, and walked. As their body shrunk away, something cold and nasty settled in his chest. Something that brought him cold clarity.
Nabi wasn't gonna make loving him easy anytime soon.
The Plague Killer continued his work, now capturing sugar people to further feed the factory's insatiable hunger. Was this something he wanted to do on his own accord, or was it to spite Nabi with the one thing he hated?
~~~
Nabi awakens, that one memory a recurring thorn in his mind. It's been a hundred years since they first met Tangerine, and about one year less since they walked away from him thay day. He's had enough time to think it over, and he wants to smooth things over.
As Nabi pats beside him, his hand greets the floor rather than his lovely weapon...
"Did he take my damn gun?"