Cheers!
Scott was casually sipping on a fruity cocktail while playing his Mean Gill in an intense game of Uno when Joel bursts through the door, his right leg fucked up and out of the stratosphere, almost like he'd walked 100 miles without that bandage Joel makes sure he wears before leaving.
"Scott." He pants, closing the creaky door and leaning heavily on it, catching his breath. "You know HotGuy, right?"
Scott raises an eyebrow, taking a judgy sip from his cocktail. "Mhm. He fought me too many times to count on all of Martyn's fingers, why?"
"He's got a new shitty little partner and I think there's something up with this partner of his-"
"You're talkin' about that wasp guy, yes?" Martyn interjected, putting his cards face-down on the table before turning to Scott. "He stung me and made me forget a whole bunch of shit! I don't exactly remember how, though. Did I mention that he shot me that other day?"
Scott quickly nodded before waving his drink in Joel's direction. He wanted to know more about this wasp and if he was worth complaining to the governor about.
"His name is CuteGuy, dumb name, by the way! He tried to blooming sting me and order me around like a fucking lap dog. I'm not sure what kind of venom he has but it obviously didn't work on me. And get this; he can glow. While telling me to fuck off, his eyes and teeth seemed to glow or something." Joel ranted, scraping his tail against the floor until a thin line was starting to peel off the floorboards.
Scott hummed, mentally taking note. A wasp that can control people and glow? He's never heard of anything like it. "That's probably what happened the Martyn then. He stung him and somehow controlled him in a way... Did you happen to see what he looked like, any way we can find him acting like a citizen?"
"He had a tacky blindfold on." Martyn said, "Has special eyes most likely. Don't count on it though."
"Yeah, he had a blindfold. Not really sure how he can see, but maybe he has extra eyes?" Joel nodded.
"... Wait, extra glowing eyes, the ability to control someone with a sting... That doesn't add up at all. Last time I checked no such insect existed." Scott piped up, cutting Joel off before he could start ranting again. "I do have a slight idea, but only one of the features makes sense."
The two look at him, eyes glinting with curiosity. "CuteGuy could be a Jewel Wasp; a very special kind at that."
"Jewel... Oh. I guess that sorta makes sense."
"The hell's a bloody 'Jewel Wasp'?"
Scot rolls his eyes, the glittery stars surrounding his head wiggling slightly, "It's a wasp known for controlling cockroaches. Obviously."
Joel scoffs, leaning practically all his weight against the door. Scott thinks it would be quite funny for someone to conveniently open the door and watch Joel fall over. "That doesn't explain the glowy teeth and shit."
"Remember that theory of which Watcher controls our good 'ole planet? The one that was formed from Lizzie speaking out about what happens after you die in a LIFE game. If you don't remember," Scott adds, glaring half-heartedly at Martyn who puts his hands up defensively. "when you die, you're normally greeted with a weird shadow-creature with eight wings and a lizard tail. One day, when Lizzie dies, she sees this figure but with spider legs instead. The only Watcher that does such a thing is Xelqua."
"Some people argue that it can't be Xelqua 'cause of his absence, as he usually interacts with citizens. But one literally cannot argue as many structures around this place are extremely Xelqua-coded. Also, the government worships the dude, who else could it be?"
"Uh-huh, get to the point now, Mean Gill." huffed Martyn, propping his feet up on the table and looking like he was about to doze off.
"Whatever." Scott grins, tapping his fingers playfully against the table. "Legend has it that Xelqua answers prayers that offer sacrifices with hefty value. Maybe this 'CuteGuy' person took the expensive route and begged on all fours for some extra power."
"Okay... Well, what do you suppose we do about it then?" Joel asks, raising a brow.
Scott shrugs as if he doesn't know exactly what he's going to say next. "Stalk him, confirm he's a Xelqua boot-licker before taking action."
"We can't. None of us look normal enough to go out without the alarm going off." The blondie in front of him states, waving his hands for extra persuasion points.
Right. The three of them were either too recognisable or would most likely snap and go on a killing spree. Though maybe, there was one person-
"Pearl can do it!" Scott exclaims, "She recently got a prosthetic, so the missing arm shouldn't be an issue. Also, the intestines and bones are easily covered up with baggy clothing! She'll blend right in."
"Wow, you're using that bloody brain of yours for once!" chirps Joel, blowing a raspberry as he walks toward the stairs. "I'll go wake her up then. You two go back to intimately playing Uno, or whatever you're doing."
"Will do!" Martyn calls, laughing when Scott squints at him dubiously.
"Tell her I said good luck," Scott adds as Joel dashes up the stairs.
Welp, crisis averted. If he was right, then the threat of this boot-licker would be gone in a heartbeat.
As long as everything went to plan.
˚⊹ ‧✩⋆⁺₊𓆩✦𓆪⋆⁺₊✩‧ ⊹˚
Grian and Scar are hanging out on the couch, the sun shining brightly through the window when a soft 'Tap tap tap!' sounds on the door.
"I'll get it!" Scar calls, getting up and leaving Grian on the couch.
Grian wonders who could it possibly be, after all, it was seven-in-the-morning and last time he checked, paper boys were a thing of a very long time ago. His thoughts are cut off when Scar gasps. "Gem!"
Grian looks up, locking eyes with Gem, who was in airport attire and lugging a small suitcase behind her. "Scar! It's lovely to see you!" She exclaims, letting go of her suitcase to hug Scar. "You too Grian!"
"Gem! You're finally back! I thought I'd die of starvation without you." Grian jokes, laughing heavily when Scar glares at him with a cute, barely menacing look. Gem laughs as well, patting Scar supportively on the back.
"He's doing his best, really. But hey, I got the raise! Aaand , guess how much more I'm being paid."
Scar thinks for a second before opening his mouth to answer. He's cut off as Gem covers his mouth. "Rhetorical question. An extra two hundred dollars a month! I've already had it added to my paycheck as well!"
"Two. Hundred. Dollars?! Shit, that's a lot of money! You're amazing, Gem" Scar shrieks, shaking the shorter by her shoulders.
"You never call me amazing... I've saved your life already and I've only helped you for a week." Grian mutters half-heartedly. Scar quickly lets go of Gem to spin around and ruffle Grian's hair.
"Don't worry! I think you're the best." He says, smiling and playing with Grian's hair. His heart nonconsensually skips a beat and Grian giggles, waving Scar's hand off.
Gem pulls out her phone to take a photo, snickering, but stops once she processes what Grian had said. "Wait... You went on missions without me?! And Scar almost died?!"
"Well-" Scar starts, he doesn't get far as Grian stands on his tip-toes and presses a finger to Scar's lips, shutting him up effectively.
"He was stabbed by the Assassin Bug. Scar claims he's okay but I have a sneaking suspicion his wound will reopen if he keeps risking his life like that." attests Grian, tracing the spot on Scar's shoulder where the wound would presumably be. He raises his eyebrows at Gem when Scar visibly grimaces and steps to the side.
She sighs, finally wheeling in the luggage and closing the apartment door behind her. "All that matters is that he's still alive. Thanks for protecting him while I was gone."
Gem yawns, four pairs of wings fluttering under her sweatshirt as she starts walking towards her bedroom. "Well, I'm gonna go take a quick power nap; I didn't sleep well on the plane. Wake me up in thirty minutes please, I've got a surprise for you two."
˚⊹ ‧✩⋆⁺₊𓆩✦𓆪⋆⁺₊✩‧ ⊹˚
Thirty minutes later, Scar knocks on Gem's door. "Mm.. I'll be up in a minute.." sounds a sleepy voice from inside the room. Sure enough, Gem pops out of the room in exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds. Her wings are seemingly bandaged tight under a green t-shirt and a denim jacket.
"What's the surprise?" Scar asks eagerly, his eyes sparkling in curiosity. Gem opens her phone and pulls up a confirmation of a reservation, showing a table for three at a restaurant called 'Solar Diner.'
Grian feigns excitement. Don't get him wrong, he was excited to spend time with his friends . He just had zero idea what kind of restaurant this would be. He looks up and sees Scar wrinkling his nose in half-worry half-confusion. "...That place is really expensive. Even with your raise, that's a lot of money to spend in one day."
Ah, an expensive restaurant, that makes Scar's reaction make more sense. "What Scar said. That place is really good but I don't want you to blow it all in one day." He pretends to not hear Scar whisper 'That's what she said~!' in his ear.
"It's alright! I just thought I should treat you two a bit, considering I left for a whole week." Gem shrugs, reaching into her pockets. "You two should change, I'll wait for you outside at Door One, 'kay?"
They both nod and Scar walks off into his room. Grian sighs, realizing that he'd have to wear his red sweatshirt at a fancy place. After a second, he processes having his dismantled Watcher uniform. Combined with his shiny obsidian pendant, that would look good enough for any fancy gathering.
Wait.
He can't hide his wings under the thin fabric, that would be virtually impossible.
When Scar walks out of his room, wearing a jacket that made him look unfairly pretty on him, Grian begs Scar for a jacket -- preferably black to match his outfit. Scar nods with no hesitation and sprints back into his room, coming out with a black denim jacket which was so long that it looked more like an oversized hoodie than anything. Still, Grian accepts it graciously and throws it on, hiding his wings when they were fully concealed.
The two dash down the stairwell, meeting Gem next to her car and hopping into the backseats.
The car ride to their destination was particularly calm, a couple of words being exchanged as Grian listened to pop music flowing through the radio. Eventually, the trio make it to the Solar Diner. Scar points out a couple of posters that say; "Bdubs approved!" on it with a picture of a man with a green wool jacket holding two thumbs up, eyes eerily wide and smile white as a fresh blanket of snow.
The exterior of the restaurant was fancy; paved with bricks and little monstera plants fluttering in the wind. Gem swings open the door and chats with the hostess before she leads the three to a table in the middle of the restaurant. Grian and Scar sit together while Gem sits on the other side of the table.
Grian takes a peek at the menu and wow , the prices were insane for what seemed to be small cutlets of meat and such. From experience, the food still tastes excellent despite the portions and could compare to whatever the Watchers dished out daily.
"Anything you guys wanna order?" Gem asks, glancing at the menu while talking.
Grian and Scar shrug at the same time. Before Grian can actually answer Gem's question, the waitress walks over to the table, notepad in hand. "Welcome to Solar Diner, My name is.." The waitress seemingly hesitates, a key sign that she's lying. Then again, why would someone lie about their name? "Opal. My name is Opal and I'll be serving you today. Can I get you started with anything to drink?"
The waitress who claims to be Opal is wearing a uniform that seems to be slightly too big for her, the top a little too large and pants looking a bit more like sweatpants than anything else. A bucket hat with the Diner's logo was sitting on her head. Grian would think this kind of clothing was a bit informal for such a place, but who's Grian to judge? She also has shoulder-length brown hair, a prosthetic on one arm, and warm ruby eyes, the right one covered with an eyepatch.
The three agree on everyone getting a glass of water. 'Opal' nods before quickly walking off to the closed-off part of the building.
"She seems nice," comments Gem, making idle chatter as they all waited for their drinks to come around.
She's lying to your face, Gem.
Grian bites his tongue, holding back any comments that could potentially ruin the comfortable atmosphere. "Sure does. She's also quite pretty." He says, trying to shove any suspicions to the back of his head. Maybe Opal was just private about her life?
Scar's smile slowly turns into a slight frown and he silently nods at Grian's comment.
"..Scar you alright?" Gem asks, a little bit of worry washing over her face.
"You've seemed a bit out of it since Gem came back." agrees Grian, turning to face Scar. He didn't exactly want his friend? to be in any sort of distress on a good day like this. Maybe he could talk it out with the latter later.
He shrugs before a small, almost forced-looking smile appears on his face. "Just thinking about stuff."
All of a sudden, Scar perks up and leans closer to Gem. "Y'know, she kind of reminds me of Pearl, don't you think?"
Gem bites the inside of her cheek before sighing slightly. "Yeah, she surely does look a lot like... Yeah."
Grian tilts his head slightly, the obsidian pendant around his neck shifting on his chest. "Pearl?" Though he didn't know who Pearl was, the names Opal and Pearl were eerily similar in a weird way.
Call it out.
I don't want to.
Don't you want to help your friends?
...
"Oh, Pearl is my past-girlfriend. She still considers me her significant other, I think." Gem says with a look of reminiscence. She quickly shakes herself out of it, though.
"What happened?"
Scar glances at Gem, silent confusion passing between the two. "She won." Gem laughs, almost bitterly.
"Ah," Welp, can't be with someone who tries to cut your head off, he thinks to himself. Grian wonders if Pearl knows that Gem is Gemini.
He doesn't get to ask as Opal comes back with three glasses of water in her hands. She places them in front of the trio before pulling out the notepad again. "Anything you three would like to order tonight?"
˚⊹ ‧✩⋆⁺₊𓆩✦𓆪⋆⁺₊✩‧ ⊹˚
After the three finish eating, they start chatting again, bringing up topics like the missions Grian and Scar went on and just daily life in general. Eventually, the conversation goes back to Opal.
"I think she's pretty," Gem says, fiddling with a metal fork. "but I'm not gonna disturb her work or anything."
"Who knows?" Scar chirps, his hand resting on his chin. "You don't have to be in a relationship, you two can just be friends!"
Scar looked lovely in the dim lighting, dark-brown hair and emerald eyes catching the gold lights in such a way that Grian started to the urge to take a photo and frame it on the wall. He had only realized he was staring when Scar looked over and smiled slightly. Right, talking about Opal, not staring at Scar… Staring at Scar?
Grian blinks a few times to rearrange his thoughts before jumping back into the conversation. "Yep, getting over Pearl could be a good thing. You should totally ask Opal to meet sometime."
Gem doesn't respond, seemingly thinking before Opal comes back, scanning over the three slightly before talking again. "Anything else I can help with?"
"No. Uh- You said your name was Opal, right?" Gem asks, staring at the brunette softly.
" Mhmm.. Why?" asked Opal, an almost smug smile tracing her lips.
"Can I have your number?" Gem blurts, inhaling sharply after she finishes her sentence.
Grian holds his breath, this could either play out as a sappy romcom or absolute rejection. He was personally hoping for the former, just for Gem's sake.
Opal's smile lifts, hints of excitement and something else flickering in her eyes. "Sure!"
Grian cheered in his head, and judging by Scar's massive grin, he was doing the same. The two nudge each other playfully, snickering lightly.
"I didn't catch your name, though. Mind telling me?" Opal prompts. Gem laughs, realizing she had been so caught in up talking about Pearl, she had forgotten that Opal didn't actually know who she was.
"Gem, Gem Tay. Nice to meet you."
Opal hums, smirking slightly. She suddenly jumps when someone yells at her from the cash register. "You. Get back to work! Your paycheck doesn't make itself."
Opal clicks her tongue in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "I'll be back."
She walks towards the cashier and leads him into a backroom, almost forcefully. Grian loses sight of the two after a few seconds.
"Oh my Watchers, that was soo cute!" Scar says, clasping his hands together excitedly. Grian quickly agrees and Gem giggles slightly shrugging.
A few minutes pass and Opal finally walks out of the back, shaking water off her hands like she'd gone to the back just to wash her hands. Weirdly enough, the cashier doesn't walk out after her. Opal grabs a check and comes back to the table, placing it on the table. She watches as Gem puts her credit card into the leather pocket and hands it back to Opal.
Opal hurriedly walks away and comes back in record time, giving Gem the customer a copy of the check. "Have a lovely day, you three." She winks at Gem before going into a staff-only section of the diner. Grian leans over to look at the check, a phone number with a heart scribbled hastily on the bottom of the paper.
Scar smiles and starts blabbering on about something, though for once Grian isn't exactly listening. He's watching Opal slip something shiny into her pocket while walking towards the backrooms.
Yeah, something tells him that Opal may or may not be a sociopath.