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13th of August.
Surrounded by a thick blanket of endless snow, spreading across all of the mountains, amongst the trees stood a small holiday cabin. From where it’s located there was usually a very pleasant view at sunset. Not this time though, fate has it that a nasty snowstorm had started right before it, the sound of wind howling furiously being loud enough to mute a gunshot.
Gunshots.
There's been plenty these past few nights. One cannot imagine the horrors the residents of that small, isolated cabin felt for these past few days. Living through those horrendous crimes committed by the mafia was no easy task. Sneak attacks, meetings, countless nights of stranded sleep exhausted both the body and mind.
Luckily, the match was over. The town emerged victorious thanks to the Detective’s flawless skills, and the Vigilante who was ready to trust them with their own life. The Witch had been taken in for questioning by an anonymous Detainer, leaving not a single evil person in the free. Or at least, that’s what the Town likes to believe.
The round had ended, but someone had to tidy everything up afterwards. This long, uncomfortable, and definitely underpaid task was left to a poor town’s janitor. And while they could technically do it all by themselves, they were lucky enough to have company.
– The snowstorm is picking up again. We're going to be here for a while. – Deduced the Janitor after a short glance at the window covered in snow.
Outside, everything was blank white, even the tree right at the entrance could barely be seen through. Freezing cold air managed to slip through the microscopic gaps in the doorframe, making the maid shiver.
– I see… So it's just the two of us. – Replied the Saboteur, barely looking up from one particularly large blood stain on the wooden floor.
Nobody actually died here, though one of the doctors ended up heavily injured.
But it's not like Sabo cared about any of that anyway, neither of them were in main for longer than 30 seconds in total, before moving onto the next location with doors and closets waiting to be locked.
– It usually is. – Commented the Janitor, smiling softly to themselves.
As a member of the Town, Jan should've been shaken up by the mafia's cruelty. But they had the Saboteur at their side, and being in their presence filled them with a sense of inner peace. As long as these two remained standing on their feet at the end of the round, the Janitor didn't mind casualties.
Oh Saboteur, their love.
A stay in a romantic little house with them, all alone, is a circumstance the janitor could only dream of with their paycheck — which was already a pain in the ass to survive on in this economy.
But luck was on their side this time, the Doctor lent the cabin to them for an extended amount of time. “Just so you two can do something together, other than locking and fixing furniture. As long as you finish your job here, of course.”
No extra fees either…
“Oh, and tell the saboteur not to crack my locks again, or I swear I will crack their—”
… Well with the small price of taking responsibility over the troublesome role.
Jani’s smile widened by just thinking of what these two could do here. Cuddling with their loved one under a blanket on the couch near the fireplace, providing each other with warmth of their bodies. Or, if Jan’s bold enough, they could finally confess their true feelings. Very romantic indeed…
– … Right.
… Though they had to admit, something didn’t feel right today. The Saboteur’s demeanor felt off, completely stripped of energy and their usual whimsy and malicious intent.
– Feel free to take a break if you're tired. It's my job anyway, I'm glad you even considered helping me. – Jan assured softly, still fighting the stubborn blood stain. – Though, if you'd help me, we'd have more time to spend together.
– … Yeah. I'll do. – They mumbled with not much power, making their way to the sofa.
They fixed their cloak before sitting down, its fabric gracefully falling besides them.
Again, the Janitor noticed something strange about that move. Their lover sat slouched, taking up the least amount of space as possible. Almost as if they wanted to disappear.
– Feeling a little under the weather? – Jan left their mop leaning against the wall before slowly approaching the fireplace. Ah, the fire's almost out. – Are you cold? I can make you some hot chocolate if you want!
Saboteur still refused to answer. Completely lost in thought they stared at the shiny floor.
– . . . Hello? Earth to Sabo? Are you with us? – Jan giggled softly but quickly stopped, realizing this was serious. For such a nonchalant, free spirited type of person, they looked way too gloomy. It was depressing to look at. – Hey…. Is something wrong? – They asked concerned.
The other took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.
– It's over.
Janitor, confused, tilted their head to the right.
– Yeah. We're safe, for now. Did you not handle it well? The attacks… and I mean uhm… There were not many things to lock.
Saboteur looked the other in the eye with a dead serious expression.
– No, Jan, I mean us. We are over.
What?
The janitor became disoriented, maybe panicked a little.
– Wh-uhm I.. I must've misheard something. You don't mean…?
– You heard me right. It was fun while it lasted... – Their gaze was now on the ground, almost as if they felt guilty. Maybe they did. They should've. – But I can't keep playing anymore. I'm leaving the stage.
They stood up from the couch, ready to exit, but were quickly pulled back by the Janitor.
– No, no that can't be!? You're joking right?! We're like… the duo, we're meant for each other! How dare you even say something like this?!
Sabo slapped Jan’s hand away, and taking a step back, looked at their lover with hatred. With a raised voice, they screamed.
– We were never meant to be a team, Janitor! I just… got carried away for a moment. You don’t matter to me at all! You were but an obstacle in my way.
– The fuck you mean an obstacle?! Whatever you’re doing is not funny, stop it right now! Please, I… whatever happened, don’t… don’t make jokes like that. – Jan looked away, trying to hold back tears.
– Jokes… Right, because I’m not a serious person. – They said sarcastically, dropping their head, letting the hood of their cape cover their entire face. – But if nothing I ever did was serious, why would you treat our relationship as if it was?
– Because we had something special, Saboteur!
– Well you were never special to me!
The Janitor stood flabbergasted. Not quite sure what they were feeling at that moment, a mixture of anger and sorrow, or maybe betrayal and uncertainty. They tried to hold back they really did, but tears made their way through anyway. A singular drop fell down their right cheek.
– So all of it meant nothing to you?! All the places we visited together, all the times you held my hand when I was scared of the darkness, all the kisses, all the pleading to the mafia to spare me, did it really mean nothing to you at all?! Was it all an act?!
– All of it. It was all a lie, Janitor. We both got what we wanted. We both provided the other with comfort, but now that the game is over, we don’t need each other anymore.
Jan fidgeted with their hands nervously, keeping them close to their chest.
– . . . Is that how you saw it from the beginning?
Stupid question. The Janitor themselves hated Saboteur’s guts from the beginning, for giving them more work, for their personality, for the constant interruption in investigations, for pissing them off.
Saboteur was aware. It was an effective way of pushing people away, and it was supposed to stay this way. Until that stupid, stubborn maid came along, and slowly worked on accepting these exotic traits of theirs.
But why? What have they done to deserve this kindness?
And so, they shouted back.
– You hypocrite, you wished it didn't end up like this either! So why the hell are you asking me?!
– People change, Saboteur! I was wrong about you in the beginning, but you… You helped me find a purpose… you were my purpose! You were the first person to treat me as more than just a maid. A-and…
The Janitor fell silent, now visibly tearing up.
You… were the first to treat me as human too, Jan.
Those were the words the Saboteur couldn’t bring themselves to utter out loud.
Their first ever friend, as well as lover. The first to accept them as a townsperson, despite their neutrality. The only one who ever let the Saboteur be just the way they are. And yet, they discarded them away like they meant nothing, like nothing had ever existed between them. But they had to, for a greater purpose. In the name of the Veil. Hail to the Veil.
The quiet sound of Jan’s sobs echoed uncomfortably through the cabin. Saboteur figured it's now the best chance to leave without furthering this agonizing conversation. And so they did, slowly making their way to the exit, for the second time. Passing by the maid, they didn’t even dare to utter an apology. They hid their hands under the cloak, squeezing them tightly together, so as to not accidentally give in to the idea of hugging their … ex–loved one goodbye.
– . . . So I guess the answer is “no”.
The maid reached for something in their pockets. The sound of fabric ruffling was muted by that of a metallic clank. They pulled out a small banana-shaped keychain, and threw it on the floor. It slides across the room, stopping right beneath Saboteur’s feet.
Saboteur turned to stare at the keychain laying on the cold planks, failing to hide their obvious surprise.
– I . . . was planning to propose to you this weekend. It seems like I got the wrong idea about everything… I’m sorry, I should’ve known you didn’t want this. – Jan swallowed hard and wiped their face before continuing. – B-but if you don’t want to be my lover, that’s fine. Just please, take it… as a token of our friendship, at least. Or… or a symbol of peace between us, just anything, please.
Jan observed their lover through tears in their eyes, with blurry vision spinning in all directions and heart pounding uncontrollably.
Some days they swore to kill that troublemaker, now they were praying to all gods they could think of for them to stay by their side. Sabo was everything they had, and everything they wanted.
Even the wind’s howling seemed to dull down to give them a moment.
Saboteur’s body, as if struck by lightning, stiffened uncomfortably. They wanted to accept their proposal, to bow down and grab the keychain laying on the floor, maybe even put it on their ring finger and cherish this moment forever.
But they couldn’t. They didn't dare.
They clenched their shaky wrists and continued staring at it with strong emotions behind their eyes and a lump in their throat. Dropping their head in shame, they turned around to leave, the door before them opening seemingly on its own. Cold air made its way inside, dulling the fire.
– This is the end, Janitor. Farewell.
– NO WAIT, PLEASE!!
Jan chased after their beloved, extending their arm to grab them and make them stay.
But before their hand could lay on the other’s cloak, the Saboteur vanished into thin air.
Janitor fell to their knees in defeat, staring at the fluffy, freshly fallen snow before them. Their lover was gone. And so was the colour and meaning of everything around. Jan felt like they were sinking and unable to breathe.
Everything was pointless now. Why even bother?
They don’t remember the moment of returning to the cabin, nor locking the doors. Once inside, they stared hopelessly at the dimly lit keychain on the floor, now laying in the same place a doctor had almost bled out to death in.
Saboteur didn’t even bother picking it up. The keychain they worked so hard on, the thing that meant so much for them. The only person they trusted just kicked their confession away, discarded their feelings like it was trash.
You win some battles, but lose wars. What was the point of surviving the mafia’s attack, if their lover is gone?
A stab in the heart would hurt less than that. Matter of fact, being dead would probably feel less brutal and deprived of life and hope.
Something inside them died that day.
– You’re dead to me, Saboteur.
Cursed the Janitor before curling up on the floor to cry.
𓁹
– This is the last time I agreed to pick you up from anywhere, dude, you took ages! I think I got frostbite just waiting for you to finish that spectacle of yours.
– Mirage, I’ve had a long fucking day.
– Damn, okay okay, whatever’s up your ass today? Or should I ask, what’s not? – Mirage replied, mumbling the last part under their breath.
Saboteur just rolled their eyes and scoffed in response.
Thanks to Mirage's help, Saboteur’s escape went smoothly. After disappearing without a trace, they both headed to the Asylum. Well, more like teleported midway, terrified that the spiteful Snow Spirit might take their powers for wandering around the snowy mountains, right before their carefully planned grand entrance.
Seeing the doors of the Asylum again, Saboteur couldn’t help but let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. They were finally home, after so many nights of quietly fighting for their life.
Sabo doesn’t show it at all, but they are no different from an ordinary townsperson. They’re equally terrified of dying. Especially when they had to carry out a mission and were expected to return. The factor of being a disappointment to the Veil fueled that feeling. Just something about dying alone and being moved on from, made them tremble in fear. But they carried that burden with Jan, and together it became bearable.
Oh Janitor, their partner in crime.
Their perfect match…
Their…
– Damn it.
𓁹
Sabo followed Mirage to the Throne room of the Asylum, where the Harbinger and Poisoner resided, waiting for their arrival. The faint, spicy herbal smell and thoroughly lit corridors made Saboteur’s head ache. As if their state wasn't bad enough. They weren’t in the best shape to be attending a meeting, but they went regardless, sensing the urgency in it, and fearing the consequences they could be facing for ditching it. They squinted their eyes in hopes it could help with not making the symptoms even worse.
Footsteps echoed through the building. Harbinger, sitting on the throne sloppily, looked up from the letter they were reading and put it aside. Seeing their companions had arrived safely, the Harbinger relaxed a little. They cleared their throat and straightened their posture before speaking.
– It was about time you two returned. – Stated the Harbinger, clearly impatient. – We need to continue preparations for our mission.
– Indeed, it took us a while. My… sincerest apologies for the delay. – Saboteur answered in a monotone, bowing elegantly.
– And the reason behind the delay being…? – Harbinger crossed their arms, waiting for the answer.
– A sudden snowstorm. It was a shortcoming on my part as well. There were issues caused by the excessive amount of snow blowing in my face. I could barely see under these circumstances. – Mirage explained, brushing the wet hair off their face with stiff, frostbitten fingers.
– How ironic, The Mirage complaining about vision problems. – The Poisoner giggled from the corner of the room, where they stood with a massive amount of poison flasks they’ve prepared during their absence.
– Oh shut up. – Mirage sent them a death glare, contemplating on whether to send them the finger as well.
– Enough of this. – Tha Harbinger yelled through their shoulder, also sending the Poisoner a death glare. Then, as these two stopped chirping, they resumed. – Saboteur, rumor has it you’ve been engaging with the townspeople, is that correct?
Their heart sank to their stomach, and sweat began to form on their forehead, a hot flash of pure fear went through them. Harbinger’s harsh tone made them regret ever returning here.
Sabo avoided eye contact, fearing the other would quite literally read their mind.
Shit, so they know about that as well…
– Y-yes. I do apologize for that as well. – They deepened their bow, trying to still stay professional and composed despite the mess in their head.
– It better not happen again, Saboteur. Siding with the Town, or anyone else we fight against, is prohibited, remember? – Commented the Mirage out loud with all seriousness, before leaning in closer to whisper mischievously. – Not to mention undoing your work for the sake of some townie. And uh huh, don't try to deny it, I saw what you two were doing there.
– It will never happen again, I-I say that sincerely. – Sabo dropped their head apologetically, guilty as charged.
Harbinger stood up and stepped closer, making a dramatic pause before giving their verdict.
– Your sin is forgiven this time. I will treat it as a form of strategy ensuring your survival… Shall it ever happen again, and I will strike you down personally. – Harbinger declared as they looked directly at the troublemaker again. – And… Are you shivering?
Everyone’s attention now rested on the poor Saboteur, who was fighting their inner demons to simply keep on standing.
– Maybe they’re cold? – Mirage suggested.
Cold. Yes, so incredibly cold.
The Saboteur hid their shaky hands under their cloak and kept staring at the floor, ashamed.
– Shivering might be a symptom of something worse. I will prepare some medicine for your sickness, we need you in your best condition for the debut.
– Mhm, you’re dismissed. Go to your room and dare rest for a moment. We will continue the meeting tomorrow afternoon.
– I’m sorry. – they whispered.
– And stop apologizing, you’re making me sick too. – Mumbled the Mirage, shooing them away to their dorm.
The meeting ended, Mirage stayed with the Harbinger to continue writing down strategies, while the Poisoner prepared healing potions for all of their colleagues.
The Saboteur, half conscious, dragged themselves to their tiny, messy dorm, and locked the door in a blink, supporting themselves against the doorframe. Then, as if gravity suddenly doubled in strength, they slid down and sat heavily on the dirty tiled floor.
They survived, and fulfilled their mission. But at what cost?
Now, the only person they ever felt close to besides the Veil thinks they hate them.
But that was exactly the plan, wasn’t it? To never get close to anyone, and dispose of anyone who dares to think otherwise, cutting all ties with both town and mafia, as to stay fully neutral and fully devoted to the Veil.
Hugging their knees in, Saboteur started sobbing hysterically, finally letting out the tears they’ve been trying to hold in for the last hour or so.
Memories of their time together flooded their head, making them paralyzed and unable to think of anything else. And no matter how much they tried to push it away, they came back with twice the strength.
Maybe they should’ve tried to recruit the Janitor to the Veil. Or maybe it would’ve been easier to just disappear without a goodbye and move on.
Move on…
Tsk, it would've been easier if you just died this time. Stupid janitor.
Saboteur cried, mourning the person that’s still alive.