Chapter Text
"And then the professor assigned a ten paged essay on the book Pride and Prejudice!" Ze ranted as he leaned on the counter.
"Wait- I thought you said you were reading The Great Gatspy?" Avery asked, suddenly confused.
"Exactly!" Ze threw his hands up in exasperation, feathers getting ruffled. He took a deep breath. "Seriously- I think that professor is on something."
It wasn't often they could get the chance to talk outside of studying -especially with Ze's night activities- so Ze and Avery didn't care to complain when their manager accidently put them on the same shift, something that the flower shop they worked at part time definitely didn't need as they basically never got more then ten customers a day.
Suddenly the door to the shop opened, bells ringing as two of the ten customers walked in. Predictably it was Ze's friends Regect and Moe.
"Hello!" The slime smiled as he waved at them. Ze noticeably brightened as he saw the two. Not that Ze would ever admit it. Especially not to Regect.
Moe honked in a hi as she waved back, the two customers going up to the counter.
"Regect. You better not break a pot this time dude." Ze gave a pointed look to the hybrid. What type of hybrid Regect was, Avery didn't know. Probably would be rude to ask.
To say Avery was friends with Regect and Moe wouldn't necessarily be true. Sure Avery was friends (at least he hopes) with Ze and saw Regect and Moe a lot- but they only really came for Ze.
Not that Avery didn't understand! They hardly knew him. To them he was just Ze's coworker.
"How many times do I have to say that it wasn't me!?" Regect huffed at Ze's previous words.
Avery turned to Moe before the two started fighting.
"Umm. Do you want to buy any flowers?"
Moe let out a few confirming honks. At least Avery thinks they were. He was still having trouble understanding her.
She pointed to a few of the red flowers. Specifically the red anemones. "Oooh."
He went over to them. He liked the wild flowers. Thinking back to what he read about them... were these the flowers that symbolizes love? Or was it death?
Maybe he should re-read whatever that book was. ...Did he read even it in a book?
Avery was snapped out of his thoughts by Regect loudly whispering to Moe. "Are they for Seo?"
The bunny hybrid nodded excitedly, letting out more honks. Wait. Avery froze for a second. Seo? The villian?
Avery shook off the shock he felt and took the red wild flowers. He hung out with vigilantes. He had to get better at expecting to hear some wild things.
"Do you want them in a bouquet or single? I think we also have them potted."
Moe honked. Ze answered for him. "Bouquet."
Avery nodded, quickly making one and handing it to Moe.
"That'd be...." Ze read the price tag. "6.99."
"Bro just say seven dollars."' Regect rolled it's eyes.
"I was reading the tag!" Ze defend himself before backtracking. "No. You know what? Who cares what a shit head like you says?"
"You do. Obviously." Regect baited, easily causing a back and forth with Ze.
Avery doesn't know when he zones out. He just looked at the three, a weird tightness in his chest.
They were far from the people who would naturally hang out, Avery and them. Ze, Regect, and Moe. They were basically a whole different genre from him.
Not just their alternative clothing, although Avery was completely for it- especially Moe with her bright... kidcore aesthetic? But also their mannerisms. The way they talked. How they held themselves in a way he could never replicate.
Then there was their night activities.
The way Avery found out was completely accidental. He was hanging out with Ze when the avian got a call.
The person on the other side was freaking out when Ze blurted out, 'Golden, what the fuck!? How the hell did you manage to get tailed? They better not hurt Clown-' the names of not just one villian, but another of a popular vigilante.
Golden was not necessarily a well-known villian despite his love for being flashy with his teleportation and telekinesis.
He was often just... there. He did nothing too villainess. Avery didn't even believe he had killed anyone despite the hybrids assurance that he did. Honestly Avery was sure most people thought of Golden as a vigilante more than a villian.
Then there was Clown. A pretty popular vigilante, known by almost everyone. Avery didn't know what powers she had -did Ze or Regect even know?- but everyone loved her. He remembers how two videos about her blew up; one where she was beating the hell out of a guy with water bottles and another where she did some crazy cool acrobat stunts to get into a falling house to save a civilian.
Anyways, it didn't take long to put two and two together with how often Regect and Moe appeared at the flower shop. Golden and Clown were not seen together often, but when they were it was always with the same vigilante.
White. An avian with no known powers to the public, many speculated that his powers had something to do with the guns he carried and with how good he was with them. Of course Avery knew now that White has no powers, but he was definitely not one taken lightly.
Avery's coworker. His friend.
The fact that Ze, Regect, and Moe all had secret night lives only made him feel farther from the three.
"HONK?" Suddenly a loud sound blared next to the slime, making him jump.
Moe was looking at him in concern. Behind her the other two looked confused.
"Uh- you good bro?" Regect asked in his deep voice, an eyebrow raised.
"Y-yeah. Just spaced out." He assured them quickly.
Something told him the three didn't believe him. They didn't press.
He tried to be more tuned in on their conversations. Tried to ignore the thoughts. He thinks he did pretty well!
It was around ten when Ze and Avery were able to close up shop. He bid his fair wells to the group before going off, living in an apartment the opposite direction the three were heading that night.
His apartment wasn't to far off but he still wished he had his bike which had unfortunately got its tires popped by somebody. He hadn't been able to get new tires yet.
The night was crisp and... tart? Would that be the word? Autumn-ey despite it being late spring.
The wind blew gently as he walked down the deserted streets; roads still broken and cracked from a recent villian attack.
Avery should really start putting more appreciation on the poor construction workers. He thinks he had saw a video about a shortage on workers in that field earlier. Yesterday? No, possibly the day before?
"Guyyys where are you? I know your somewhere out here!" Avery heard a young voice as he turned a street. On the sidewalk was a angry child in green and yellow.
Avery walked up to the child worridly. "Hey, uh- it's a bit late to be wondering the streets alone, ain't it?"
The angry child looked up at them angrily. They were definitely a hybrid of some kind, yellow flowers grew on her clothing and formed almost horn like on her head.
Is that a flower on their eye? Is it their eye?
"I saw Haze and Joystick sneak out and wanted to catch them." The kid said, his face almost turning into a pout. "I can't find them now."
"Haze and Joystick? Are they your parents? Guardians?" Avery tried to get more information. It was dangerous for a kid to be out at night it this part of the city. Not as bad as the more populated parts, but still.
The kid paused at the question before he answered, "No. Those two? No way. They just live in my house. I was going to confront them on where their going. Kinda want to go home now though."
"I can walk you there then!" Avery smiled at the youngling, trying to take what he learned about talking to Micha to this child. "Do you know where your house is?"
"Uhhh." The child turned sheepish before turning around and waving around their hand. "Somewhere in this direction?"
That was not specific in the slightest but it better than nothing. "Allrighty. How about I walk you around and you tell me if you recognize your street?"
Hesitating for a moment the child looked around as if checking one last time that he was lost. "Um. Okay I guess. What's your name anyways?"
"Names Avery, what about you?"
"Aubrey." The child answered.
They set off walking quickly, neither seemingly wanting to waste any time.
Searching the streets, Avery questioned how far Aubrey wondered from her house. Where were her parents? Who were Haze and Joystick? He tried not to question to much, the kid didn't seem like they were in a bad situation and it wasn't his business as curious as he was.
After a few minutes Avery watched as Aubrey shivered. The slime paused for a moment. "Are you cold?"
Aubrey nodded. Awkwardly Avery asked, "Want to burrow my jacket for a moment?"
"Sure." The child agreed and Avery passed his flower designed jacket over. It's colder then he likes, but slime hybrids are pretty good in cold; usually being born in cold environments like caves.
They walked for a bit, stopping at a gas station for a few minutes before going back to searching for the kids house, snacks in hand. He tried not to wonder about the headline he saw in the newspapers. Something about The King in Yellow is Here! and New Churches Built For The True King.
He doesn't know why they caught his eye but they did.
As the two walked, Avery wondered if he was in to deep. Should he just call the cops? He would have to if they couldn't find Aubreys house.
He tried to subtly bring it up to Aubrey only for the kid to glare at him.
"I will find my house. If you want to leave you're welcome to." She continued to walk as she muttered the words. The flowers seemed to close themselves up, the child's hands turned into fists.
"No, I'll stay! If you don't want me to involve the police then I won't. Promise." He swore, kneeling down to the child's height and holding his pinky finger out- something he often did for Micha. "Pinky promise."
Aubrey stopped walking and looked back to Avery before interlocking their pinkys together.
The two hybrids continued smoothly after that.
As the night drawn on, Avery couldn't help but feel nervous. Aubrey slumped his head onto the slime; growing tired. It was likely past his bedtime. It had likely been past his bedtime.
It was definitely past Averys 'bedtime'.
They went into a dingy street, houses mostly all somewhat rotting and gloomy. All of them seemed abandoned and Avery almost turned back around before Aubrey suddenly shoot up. "This is my street!"
Suddenly the tired child from before disappeared and Aubrey started running.
"Aubrey wait!" Avery started running after them worridly.
Suddenly a house came to view, far better then the others on the street. Not structure-wise, but it looked lived in. Although Avery had to judge the hard to look at purple curtains.
The slime catched up to Aubrey as they started opening the door.
Suddenly two panicked voices could be heard.
"-your fault Joystick! You were the last to leave!" One voice yells.
"No it isn't!" Another defends itself.
"Bro why are you guys in my part of the house?" Aubrey deadpans. "I thought you two went out."
Looking through the doorway, Avery saw two figures in the most obvious villian gear and both looked roughed up as if they just had been in a fight.
"AUBREY!" They both yell in usiom, rushing to the door.
"Why are you out so late!?" The one in black and white asked, long antaina like things trailing behind it
"I should be asking you guys the same thing! You left all sneaky-like in the worst outfits ever and just disappeared on me." The child crossed his arms. The colorful one balked at the insult.
"These are not bad outfits! Look at how beautiful this shade of gray is!" The colorful one- Haze (?) pointed to his blue gloves. Red was splattered on it ominously.
Yeah... Avery is going to say goodbye before he sees any more accusatory things. He was a little worried for the child though.
"That's blue!" Aubrey sounds in the most exasperated voice. Or maybe Avery shouldn't be. The three were obviously close if Audrey's so-done-with-this voice was to go by.
"Well, now that you're back home, I'm going to be heading back to my apartment." Avery excused himself with a strained smile.
The villians only then seemed to realize he was there.
"Did you help Aubrey home?" Joystick asked.
"Yeah. It's about time I go through. Got classes in the morning." He chuckled nervously.
Joystick nodded. "Thank you for doing that. We were so worried."
"It was no problem. I hope you guys have a good night!" Avery tried to discreetly hurry away. He practically started running the second he gotten out of eyesight.
When he finally gotten in eyesight of his apartment, he suddenly felt the exhaustion he had in full force. Checking his phone he found that it was nearing two.
Frick. He had classes at eight- having to change his schedule to a morning one after he got his part time job- he's going to be so exhausted tomorrow.
Climbing up the stairs to his room, Avery took a glance down to the road he came from.
He froze when he saw a figure, barely visible in the night. A normal non-slime hybrid person wouldn't have spotted the figure as dark cloaked their surroundings.
Squinting his eyes, Avery could spot red and yellow on the person.
He quickly looked away; opting to pretend that he didn't see the figure and instead casually went to his room.
He was far too tired.