Flowers

Three weeks. It has been three weeks since Texas broke Sora’s heart, and her friend has failed to show up as she usually did for those three weeks. Not on Saturday, not on Sunday, and not on any weekdays. To say the least, Texas was worried and slightly panicking. She had half the mind to track her down just to make sure she was at least alive. Of course, Sora could have a mission to complete, or maybe she had to go sing a new hit song. Or maybe ...

She’s avoiding me …  if only I had realized that she was flirting with me, then I could have stopped this before it began. 

Looking backat their past conversations has made Texas want to punch herself. Sora was so very obviously flirting with her, and yet she somehow remained oblivious to it. Sure there was that split second where she entertained the thought that Sora had a crush on her, but she brushed that off because Sora didn’t try to do anything Lappland did. To be fair though, Lappland had a very different definition of flirting, and tended to do a lot more than just ‘flirt’ with Texas. But still, she should have realized that Sora had feelings for her, and that not everyone flirted like Lappland did. 

I like how Lappland flirts though. How she pins me against walls, whispers sweet nothings into my ears, kisses my neck, my ears, my li-

“No no no no don’t touch that Luke!” followed by the sound of a breaking pot managed to pull Texas from her mind.

Oh yeah, I have customers

Texas focused back on her current customers, one of which was a child currently being scolded by their mother. Texas eyed the broken pot fuck was that the Bells of Ireland pot and assessed the damage. The pot was definitely unsalvageable, as it was broken into a myriad of many different pieces that was going to be a pain to sweep up later. Dirt was everywhere, meaning it was going to be even more of a pain to clean later. And the Bells of Ireland were in shreds, barely recognizable as the flower of good luck. 

That kid must have been plucking it while I wasn’t paying attention.

The mother walked over to Texas’s counter and began hastily apologizing, praying for forgiveness, and saying that she would pay for the damage. She then got her child, Luke Texas’s mind supplied, to apologize to her as well. The kid genuinely seemed sorry, and looked like he was about to burst into tears. His cat ears were drooping and his tail was limp on the ground.

I’ll let him off easy this time.

With a sigh, Texas was just about to open her mouth and say  “I forgive you”, when the flower shop’s door quite literally flew off its hinges and crashed into the opposite side of the store. The bell followed its lead, but instead of crashing into a bunch of flower-filled pots, it embedded itself into the wall.

Dammit! That bell was 500 LMD! It better not be damaged!

Texas turned her head away from her crushed flowers and hopefully unharmed bell, and got a perfect view of some goon dressed in a white and black color scheme with a mask, swinging a sword at the kid. 

Texas moved before she had even fully processed the scene. One second she was behind the counter, and the next she was beside the goon with her hands on their head, and twisting. The room was quickly filled by the sound of a snapping neck, followed by a thump as Texas released her hold on the assailant's head and let the body hit the floor. 

Good to know I can still snap a neck. Texas thought as she turned to face the mother and child, who were already disappearing out the exit door…  and they didn’t even pay for the flowers they were carrying. Texas let out a tired sigh as she picked up the sword responsible for almost killing a child, and casually threw it at a second attacker who was entering from where her door had been. The attacker stumbled backwards, before falling to the ground with a brand new souvenir stuck in their mask.

God, that blood is going to be a pain to remove from the floor. The only thing that could make this worse would be if my front windows shattered. 

______________________________________________________________

About one minute later

I really need a cigarette. Texas thought as she added front windows to her increasing list of things to repair. Idly wiping the blood off her swords on a headless body, Texas strolled past the eight bodies that had been breathing right up until they had crashed through her windows, and poked her head outside- 

-And came face to face with a ball of concentrated arts.

So that’s who blew up my door.

Texas ducked and allowed the attack to hit the wall, before dashing out from the entrance and heading towards the source of her broken door. She dodged   another attack, before cleanly slicing straight through the caster's outstretched arm, and then their neck. 

Great, that should be all of them. Now I just need to clean up this mess. 

Texas turned around, and instinctively thrust one her swords forward. The sword that was just about to cut into her fell to the ground, as its wielder hung from Texas’s sword like a puppet with cut strings.  

“Where the hell did you-?” Texas began, before being cut off by at least five voices.

“She killed John!”

“Holy shit”

“Fuck I think that’s the direction squad 8 went.”

“That does look like Mac’s head lying on the ground over there.”

“Everyone rush her!” 

And suddenly Texas had a group of people rushing at her, all dressed in the same clothing Texas’s original attackers were in. 

I just want to head back to my store, but if I do, these idiots might follow me and break more stuff. Sighing for what felt like the fiftieth time today, Texas let the body christened “John”, slide off her sword, before approaching the group sprinting at her.

I guess I’ll just fight until they backoff. These weaklings at the very least better put up a good fight for wasting my time and breaking my property.   

Multiple cries of “For Reunion!” was quickly swallowed up as cries of pain filled the air, followed by a sudden silence.

______________________________________________________________

At Penguin Logistics

“Please Croissant! I’m literally on my knees begging you!” 

“Sorry Sora, but ye contract with us states that we hafta protect ya, so the answer is no. Now stand up will ya?” Croissant said, trying to pull Sora off her knees, and failing as the stubborn singer remained on the floor. 

“Please Croissant! Please please please! I’ll be safe if you come with me! It’s not even that far away!” Sora continued pleading with Croissant for another 10 minutes, and Croissant finally gave in.

“Fine! We’ll go grab Texas an’ drag her back here. You’ll apologize for avoiding her and stay friends! Then if anything bad happens, ye will take responsibility  for it, ya!?”

“Yes! Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!” Sora flew off the floor and tackled Croissant in a hug, before getting up and racing towards the entrance of the building.

“Sora wait!” yelled Croissant as she switched on the building's defense systems and followed Sora out the door.

TimeSkip… 

After chiding Sora for running off so quickly, giving Exusiai a quick heads up on her com to their location, (even though she’s probably busy helping Rhode Island still)  sneaking through Lungmen, and avoiding the many Reunion members that seem to suddenly be populating it, they finally reached Texas’s floral shop, which in addition to having broken windows, had multiple dead bodies (or in some cases, body parts) laying in its general area, and portions of the sidewalk and road were dyed red.

“Damn.” were the only words that escaped Croissant’s mouth as she and Sora took in the site that was Street Mimi (the street the flower shop is on.). 

Croissant was no stranger to death and gore. She did smash people’s heads with a hammer after all. Sora however … 

Croissant turned to look at Sora, who was beginning to look slightly queasy. 

“C’mon Sora, let’s go check if Texas is still in her store.” Croissant said, gently steering Sora away from the carnage decorating the street, and entered the floral shop, which was notably missing a door. 

On second thought, maybe we should’ve just called from outside. Croissant mused as she and Sora came face to face with a body/body part littered floor, and multiple blood stained objects. 

“Croissant, you don’t think Texas is ... “ Sora allowed her question to trail off, not willingly to finish it. 

“Don’tcha worry Sora. Texas is too dense to die. You could stab her in the heart and she’d just look at you and keep going like nothing happened.” 

Hopefully she hasn’t been stabbed in the heart though, that would suck.

While Croissant may have only met Texas once, she would admit that she liked her. She got the general feeling that Texas was a good person, just extremely dense at times, and she made Sora happy. She could see herself and the Lupo easily becoming friends given the chance. 

“Oi! Texas you here!? It’s Croissant and Sora! We’ve come to bring you to a safer place!” Croissant shouted, hoping to get a reply. She and Sora waited for a reply, but only received empty air.

“Maybe she’s on the second floor?” Sora said, voice hopeful as she pointed towards the door behind the counter, leading to where Texas had told Sora was her home.

Croissant shook her head. 

“Nah, she’d have heard us. I’m sure she’s somewhere safe Sora. Let's get ya back to HQ.”

A slightly disappointed Sora and Croissant exited the building, intending to sneak back to Penguin Logistics, when the distant sounds of screaming hit their ears. 

“Croissant! Do you hear that? Those people sound like they need help!”

“I’m sure they’re fi- HEY SORA! GET BACK HERE!” Croissant began chasing after Sora, who had stupidly ran in the direction of the screams, which also happens to be the direction with the most dead bodies.

Dammit Sora! Why do you keep doing this!

Sora turned left, temporarily leaving Croissant’s field of vision, and encouraging her to run even faster. She turned left, and collided with the idol,  who had for some unknown reason stopped and was just standing there, and knocked both of them to the ground and behind an upturned chunk of ground. 

“Sora!” Croissant hissed. “What the hell do ya think ye doing?  Are you trying to get ya self killed?” Croissant pushed herself into a sitting position, and dragged her shield off the ground and into a slanted position to cover both herself and Sora. She noted how this street was littered with even more dead  reunion than the last, and how the sound of screaming had gone silent.

“Croissant-” Sora began, before almost immediately being cut off by the Forte.

“-We’re having a talk about this when we get back. Then ya gonn-”

“-Croissan-”

“Apologize for giving me a heart attack and gray hai-” Sora slapped her hand over Croissant’s mouth, halting the incoming lecture Sora knew she was bound to receive. 

“Listen, I’m really sorry Croissant, and you can lecture me all you want later, but look who it is!” Sora pointed past the chunk they were hiding behind, and Croissant reluctantly moved to peek past it, and felt her jaw drop to the floor in surprise.

“Holy shit.” Croissant was speechless beyond those two words, and continued to stare as Sora got up and ran past the chunk of ground they were hiding behind. 

“Texas!” Texas turned from her position over a dead body, and was met with an armful of worried and happy Sora. 

“Sora? What are you doing here? Are you alone? Are you hurt?” Texas’s voice was filled with worry as she checked Sora for any injuries. 

“Croissant and I came to rescue you!  And I’m fine! If anything, I should be the one asking if you’re injured. You’re covered in blood!” Texas was indeed covered from head to toe in blood, which only dyed her red fur darker. Her  usually green apron was blood red, and her eyes seemed to be a bit wilder than they were three weeks ago, but other than that Croissant was unable to spot any injuries. She did notice the two beautiful swords held in Texas’s hands though, which were also covered in blood. Texas blinked down at Sora.

“Oh, don’t worry, It’s not mine.You should probably stop hugging me or your clothes will turn red though. Now where’s Croissant?” 

“I’m over here.” Croissant said, finally getting over her surprise and leaving her spot behind the chunk of ground to approach the duo. “Nice work Texas, didn’t realize you knew how to fight.”   

“Ha” was the only reply Texas gave her, before looking around at her handiwork. “So you guys came to rescue me?” 

“Yeah, though it seems we didn’t need to. And Sora, stop clinging to Texas, ye will get ya clothes dirty.” Croissant replied to Texas as she tried to pull Sora from her spot around Texas’s chest.

“You should get off Sora. Blood is annoying to clean from clothes.” Texas said as she started prying Sora’s arms off.

“I don’t care! Just let me hug you until we get to headquarters!” Sora tightened her hold around Texas, refusing to let go.

“Sora, if we run into any enemies, I’ll have a hard time fighting them with you on me like this. Please get off of me.” 

“Fine. Fine. You owe me a hug later though.” Sora said as she released her hold on Texas.

“And you owe me an apology, and ye are taking over dish duty for me this week.” Croissant said as they walked back towards Texas’s flower shop, intending to sneak through the alleyway they came and bring Texas to Penguin Logistics.

“NOOOOOOOOOO”