Astra’s attention drifted away briefly as the two monsterfolk shouted at each other incessantly, their argument becoming background noise to him for a moment. He was snapped from his revelry when Benjamin turned to address him.
“Anyways, I know it had to be him - the lock to my bike wasn’t broken, and the key vanished from my ring! Who else would have the chance to snatch it from me?”
“I’m telling you - I don’t need no bike!”
“I already said you sold it! I know you were late on rent last month!”
The shouting match would go on forever at this rate.
Astra sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead in exasperation. “Wait.” He snapped, voice sounding like a whipcrack. He pointed at the much shorter goblin. “You -” The redhead pointed back at the bugbear, “stole that giant’s bike?” Astra turned about toward Benjamin, “Can he even move the damn thing?”
“That’s what I’m saying!” Dren added, glad to have some support.
Astra threw a glare at the goblin. He hoped it read, ‘Shut up.’
Benjamin shrugged. “Could’ve had some delinquent friend help him!”
The redhead shrugged, conceding the point. “And the keychain was in this room?” He prompted.
“I leave it in my bedroom, but I usually don’t lock the door... “ he glared over to Dren, “‘least, I didn’t.”
The redhead followed the giant’s gaze, before turning back to Benji. “Bring me the keychain.” He stated.
Quietly for once, he plodded on over to the bedroom on the right half of the unit, his footsteps still making the floorboards creaks as he lowered his head to fit in through the doorway. There was an awkward second of silence between Astra before he came back with a key ring attached to a lanyard.
“Here,” he said, handing it to Astra. Astra could see the ring itself had 4 keys on it of varying sizes, 3 silver and one bronze colored, as well as a fab that let residents enter the buildings. Also adorned on it was a little charm that depicted some cartoon character Astra couldn’t recognize. The lanyard itself was emblazoned with the logo of Trinity University, a college not too far from here.
Astra hefted the keychain, examining it under his fire-like eyes for a sign of how the keys were removed. “...what do the other four keys belong to?” He asked.
“One to the unit, one to my bedroom, one to my mailbox, and one to my locker at the gym,” the bugbear replied casually.
He glanced toward Dren, “You’d need to know which key was which to take his bike.” The redhead stated, mildly. “An explanation?”
Dren furrowed his brow momentarily, as though in thought, before he pulled out his own keys from his pocket - showing three silver keys. “See right here? The keys to the units and mailboxes look the same for everyone. Anyone who lives here could look at the lanyard and at least narrow it down to two.”
He slipped a finger through the keyring, hefting it so it was visible in the light. “They didn’t take both though. They only took one.” Astra glanced over his shoulder to Benjamin, “Tell me, would anyone other than Dren know which key goes to your bike?”
Benjamin’s eyes glazed over momentarily as he thought on the matter. It seemed to be an angle he hadn’t considered.
“I play basketball with that Harvey guy sometimes I guess. I ride my bike over to the court - uphill from here.”
“Well have you screamed his head off?” Dren asked, tapping a foot impatiently.
Ben glared momentarily before growling, “no, ‘cause I still trust you as far as I can throw you.” That was actually probably pretty far, but Astra got the impression that Ben didn’t think his metaphors through very deeply.
Astra shrugged, “Well, no use speculating.” He tossed the keys to Benjamin, underhandedly, “Watch your roommate for me, will you?” The redhead added, “But keep it down. Your neighbours are complaining.” He made to depart, a faint swagger swaying his red skirt.
“So… that all?” Dren asked, a bit sheepishly.
He smiled brightly at the goblin, “I’ll be back.”
After checking the security cameras.
But they didn’t need to know that.
“Anyways, I know it had to be him - the lock to my bike wasn’t broken, and the key vanished from my ring! Who else would have the chance to snatch it from me?”
“I’m telling you - I don’t need no bike!”
“I already said you sold it! I know you were late on rent last month!”
The shouting match would go on forever at this rate.
Astra sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead in exasperation. “Wait.” He snapped, voice sounding like a whipcrack. He pointed at the much shorter goblin. “You -” The redhead pointed back at the bugbear, “stole that giant’s bike?” Astra turned about toward Benjamin, “Can he even move the damn thing?”
“That’s what I’m saying!” Dren added, glad to have some support.
Astra threw a glare at the goblin. He hoped it read, ‘Shut up.’
Benjamin shrugged. “Could’ve had some delinquent friend help him!”
The redhead shrugged, conceding the point. “And the keychain was in this room?” He prompted.
“I leave it in my bedroom, but I usually don’t lock the door... “ he glared over to Dren, “‘least, I didn’t.”
The redhead followed the giant’s gaze, before turning back to Benji. “Bring me the keychain.” He stated.
Quietly for once, he plodded on over to the bedroom on the right half of the unit, his footsteps still making the floorboards creaks as he lowered his head to fit in through the doorway. There was an awkward second of silence between Astra before he came back with a key ring attached to a lanyard.
“Here,” he said, handing it to Astra. Astra could see the ring itself had 4 keys on it of varying sizes, 3 silver and one bronze colored, as well as a fab that let residents enter the buildings. Also adorned on it was a little charm that depicted some cartoon character Astra couldn’t recognize. The lanyard itself was emblazoned with the logo of Trinity University, a college not too far from here.
Astra hefted the keychain, examining it under his fire-like eyes for a sign of how the keys were removed. “...what do the other four keys belong to?” He asked.
“One to the unit, one to my bedroom, one to my mailbox, and one to my locker at the gym,” the bugbear replied casually.
He glanced toward Dren, “You’d need to know which key was which to take his bike.” The redhead stated, mildly. “An explanation?”
Dren furrowed his brow momentarily, as though in thought, before he pulled out his own keys from his pocket - showing three silver keys. “See right here? The keys to the units and mailboxes look the same for everyone. Anyone who lives here could look at the lanyard and at least narrow it down to two.”
He slipped a finger through the keyring, hefting it so it was visible in the light. “They didn’t take both though. They only took one.” Astra glanced over his shoulder to Benjamin, “Tell me, would anyone other than Dren know which key goes to your bike?”
Benjamin’s eyes glazed over momentarily as he thought on the matter. It seemed to be an angle he hadn’t considered.
“I play basketball with that Harvey guy sometimes I guess. I ride my bike over to the court - uphill from here.”
“Well have you screamed his head off?” Dren asked, tapping a foot impatiently.
Ben glared momentarily before growling, “no, ‘cause I still trust you as far as I can throw you.” That was actually probably pretty far, but Astra got the impression that Ben didn’t think his metaphors through very deeply.
Astra shrugged, “Well, no use speculating.” He tossed the keys to Benjamin, underhandedly, “Watch your roommate for me, will you?” The redhead added, “But keep it down. Your neighbours are complaining.” He made to depart, a faint swagger swaying his red skirt.
“So… that all?” Dren asked, a bit sheepishly.
He smiled brightly at the goblin, “I’ll be back.”
After checking the security cameras.
But they didn’t need to know that.
