Kendall sat at the restaurant with their eyes traced on the small coffee mug in front of them, the mug having been filled with hot chocolate before half of it had been downed by them. They’d been waiting for about twenty minutes in this little cafe, dressed up in a proper sundress for once, looking out the window for the person they were meeting there. Kendall was a bit scared, honestly. This was the first time in a decently long while that they had really sat down to chat, and last time it had happened things seemed a lot more different. Less intense and definitely not in Serstol, that’s for sure.
Still, hopefully they wouldn’t take too much longer. Kendall wanted them to at least give her the small little gift they had bought a few days earlier. Even if they couldn’t stay, they at least wanted them to get the gift so they didn’t have to keep the thoughts in their head lingering much longer.
Lillian walked in slowly, her pink sneakers standing out against her white skirt and dark green hoodie. Her hair, tipped in a neon pink, stuck out from the hood that was up around her head. Her hands stuck in the hoodie pocket as she slipped into the booth across from Kendall, her eyes shining out from beneath the hood warily.
”Hey,” she said quietly as the waitress placed a water in front of her before Lillian waved her off.
”L said you wanted to meet in, ah, a calmer setting?””Y-Yeah. It’s been a while and all that since we’ve had a proper conversation, you know? You’ve flown under the radar and all that, so I wanted to make sure you were doing okay, not as you know who, but as Lillian.” Kendall awkwardly covered their scars as they looked at Lillian with an odd glance.
”Um… why the hood indoors? Is there… uh… something really big that keeps you from having to reveal your real face?”Lillian glanced up at the hood in her vision before letting out a quiet laugh.
”Oh, this? Naw, it’s just kinda my aesthetic now. It’s kinda punk, and I like the way the colors bounce off each other this way.”She sighed, looking out a nearby window at the traffic passing by.
”And yeah. I went under after everything that happened. It was too much for a kid and I just wanted to be with the person who made me happy. Took me a bit to do it, but I found her. Spent years together, me supporting her until all that mess happened and Alessa finally listened to me and left the Protectorate. Then….It’s been hard. Easier to just do what I can to help where I can than to face people as myself anymore.””I know how you feel, Lilly.” Kendall offered a reassuring smile before looking down at their cup and telling their story.
”Behemoth came and took all I had, then everything came back and wrought more havoc. I had a boyfriend and a family going into that day, then it all just… left.” Kendall unknowingly let it hang in the air for a moment before shaking their head.
”It’s a scar, but it’s going to heal, Lilly. Trust me.”Kendall looked down at the little package beside them and contemplated for a moment, looking back up afterwards. Now wasn’t the time to give packages.
Lillian let out a dark chuckle at that.
”Yeah. I lost my parents and Ev went crazy and disappeared while Alessa was shipped off to fuck knew where. Such a disaster.”She breathed out slowly against the window, lightly tracing a series of seemingly random symbols against the fog before it disappeared. Shaking her head, she leaned back and looked at the ceiling.
”But things are alright, honestly. I do a lot of scouting, gathering info. Point out attacks before they happen from those fucking Nazis that set up shop. Led an expedition into the mountains a few weeks ago. Bloody disaster. Some of the animals out there are scarier than I am, can you believe it? I roared at one and the fucker just roared back and charged.””It’s probably to assert dominance, though I’m also pretty sure you’re much scarier as a girl than a dinosaur when you’re mad, heh. You honestly scared me a lot back in Denver when things went south quick.” It wasn’t that hard to just be out with it, right? You could just say it and get it over with, since she’s probably going to reject you in any situation you try to put her in right now. Still, Kendall’s hand scratched against the surface of the booth they were sitting in as they danced back and forth on the idea of the confession.
Lillian smirked, flipping a switchblade out and back into her pocket in the blink of an eye, giving a wink as she twirled a strand of hair idly.
”Easier to be scary always than to just be scary in one or the other. Especially in this world. I don’t know what’s worse, the Fallen, the Nazis, or the bloody government. Bunch of posers.””Protectorate wasn’t much better, though. I only stayed to help train new Wards. If it wasn’t for them, I’d have jumped ship with you and the sisters.” They smiled softly at the memories of the young Wards they helped.
”Dude, those kids were awesome, but that’s besides the point… and what’re you gonna do? Stab me? That’s not gonna do much, y’know.””It’s more for the others. Never know who you might run into anymore, eh? Don’t always want to give up the game.””Thank gosh I don’t have to carry a knife around to defend myself with. I can psych ‘em out with some old face melting… shoot, did I ever show you that? It’s pretty dope.””Maybe not in public. Some of us, at least, still have identities to worry about.””True. I’ll have to show you next time we’re at work… or whenever you come to the farm next, if you even do.” Kendall looked down at the box beside them and lifted it up, placing it on the table and sliding it over to Lillian. In a very sarcastic tone, Kendall followed up with a
”Whoops,” before looking out the window, occasionally glancing over to look at Lillian.
Lillian looked at it quizzically before rolling her eyes and opening it.
Inside was a small music box. A bit of an antique one, in a little bit of a beaten up shape, but still perfectly functionable and still very sturdy.
”Uhm. Thanks?””... sorry that you don’t like it. There’s not… uh… much in the ways of gifts around here that I’d thought you’d like. I-I figured maybe you’d just like something to help ease things off sometimes, even if that’s not exactly what you might be expecting.” Kendall put their head down in a movement that could only be described as a ‘flomp’. There went any hopes they had of this working out.
”I just don’t understand.””W-what don’t you understand? It’s just a gift I wanted you to have.””Why?”Kendall finally sighed.
”... i-it’s because I like you.””Well, yeah, we’ve been friends for ages.””No… not like that.” ”....Oh.””I have since before that charity event. I never wanted to screw with what you and Alessa had going on, so I never found the courage to tell you. I’m not saying this because… uh… she’s gone; I’m saying it to get it off my chest.” Kendall’s cheeks were redder than a cherry at this point as they kept talking.
”... I-I’m not her, though, and I don’t know if I can help fill that hole in your heart where she was.”Lillian turned to look out the window again, several minutes passing before she responded in any way. With a single finger she pushed the box back towards Kendall, a guilty look on her face.
”I, uh, I’m actually seeing someone right now. She helped me get back on me feet and things kinda just happened. I’m sorry, Kendall. I didn’t realize you felt that way, and I’m sorry that I can’t give you the feelings you deserve.” She paused for a moment before continuing.
”I hope that, ah, this won’t hurt our friendship. I get it if it does, though.””...” Kendall stayed silent at first, unwilling to speak. They definitely had been slammed by the rejection, but they took a moment to breathe before they recollected themself.
”I… It’s gonna be okay… if you’re happy, then you’re happy, and honestly, that’s good for me.” Kendall answered with a soft smile, definitely hiding back their negativity as usual.
”Though, you better take that box. A gift is a gift, regardless of intent.”"Yeah, sure. I just didn't want to take it if it meant….y'know? Claire means a lot to me. Maybe we can all get together for lunch out at the farm?"”I’d like that.” Kendall said softly.
”Though, not sure if L would actually care to join us or not. You know her.”"Yeah. I only really see her for work anymore. She at least responds to texts."”... shit, what time is it?” Kendall swore as they checked their watch.
”... crap, Ana’s gonna kill me. I’ve gotta help her try and get L outside today, and I’m gonna be late unless I go.”Lillian smiled lightly, waving a hand casually towards the door.
"Go, she could use it. Hit me up about lunch."”Don’t worry, I will!” Kendall smiled as they rushed out of the store, running down the block a fair ways. Then they began to slow down, ever more and more, until they slunk into an alleyway and began to lean against its wall, looking at the ground before the same black tar that they were made of began to come out in overwhelming amounts.
”S-she did that… she made us hurt again…”More tar began to slog out of Kendall’s mouth, rocketing against the ground and splashing all over as they tried to hold it back, their efforts proving futile with more and more tar coming out every second.
”Things weren’t supposed to go this way. Things were going to be different…”They couldn’t control it. For the longest time, Kendall had come to terms with their powers and cape persona, but sometimes they just couldn’t keep the tar from staying all back.
”W-why must she make us hurt?!”Kendall sat against the wall, knowing good and well their dress was ruined, but still uncaring as they did so. Walking through town at this point was a no-go, unless they wanted to risk running into any anti-cape advocates on a bad day. That, and they certainly didn’t want to attract attention to Mastar’s true grand appearance in Serstol.
With a moment of hesitation, Kendall pulled their phone out and shot at text to Ana.
<<having an incident, need you to come grab me.>>Immediately after, they lurched forward again, and continued to spew behind the dumpster they were next to.
Crimson Flame
Skinner35
PlatinumSkink
