[PRP] One of Those Nights (Mahmud + Nictor)

[Taki-di]

You ever get that feeling like a night is gonna go horribly wrong and it's just not gonna stop?

 

[Taki-di]

The warm and delectable smells of baked goods wafted from the back of Big Beetle and filled Nictor’s nostrils, making him sigh despondently as he walked through the aisles towards the cold section. His oven needed repairing thanks to a recent mishap he would rather not think about, but he wound up with some nasty burns on his arms, charred countertops, and a busted heat coil as a result. Looks like he’d be suncooking his rice for the next couple weeks. And thanks to the beetles that was going to take to replace, he was cutting down the food budget for a month so as to not dip into other funds. It also meant he didn’t have any fresh bread. He could buy some, but, well, the bakery bread always cost more than the regular shelf bread.

Another sigh of longing and a long look towards the back of the store and Nictor was moving along the aisles. Passing through the cooler section, he looked over the cheeses, grabbing only a block of brie and some crackers to have with honey as a treat. He took a moment to stare at the cheese clutched in his hands.

This was it. That’s his treat for the month.

It’s not that he couldn’t get more, but he was saving up currently to construct an expansion on his hive where he could properly process and jar honey. Upstairs would start getting cramped if he started buying some of the equipment he needed and as he was starting to take on more responsibilities for honey production, he needed tools since he wasn’t biologically equipped to do everything Beehemoth could.

So. A block of brie and crackers it was.

Passing by the freezers, Nictor saw his reflection in the corner of his eye and winced, resisting the urge to turn and look at what he already knew was there. He knew it looked goofy and was not at all subtle about what had happened recently, the large gauze pads across the bridge of his nose and cheeks held in place with medical tape. Maybe he didn’t need to wear the stuff so much anymore, but given his aptitude for accidents, he’d rather err on the side of caution. He’d been doing a better since his relapse into his more nervous habits post injury. He’s managed to settled some of that stomach turning trepidation through continued interaction with friends, at least. It was a vicious cyclical question and fear that had trapped him in its clutches far too much the past couple weeks.

Nictor fast walked away, narrowly missing bowling over a redblood worker who bared their teeth at him as he scuttled by.

Making his rounds through the store, Nictor had two rather filled baskets on his arms at this point. He’d long since learned he and buggies didn’t get along, but it was hard to try and pick out produce when your arms were weighed down with rice and milk and crisp veggies. It took a couple minutes of fumbling and juggling until he finally remembered that he could just set the baskets down. Groaning at himself, Nictor relieved his arms of their burden and set about testing the peaches for ripeness.

skyli peep

 

[penemueIntuition]

This was stupid.
He was being stupid.
Mulling over his feelings while staring at frozen vegetables? Extra stupid.

Most of all, questioning the motives of his boss sending him grocery shopping was double stuff sandwich cookie levels of stupid. With a grumble Mahmud stuffed his arm into the freezer and pulled out a few bags of peas and carrots, placing them into the carriage. After closing the door he stared at his reflection in the glass. Ugh. He looked like s**t today. Bags under his eyes, slumped over his grocery cart... had it been someone else, he would have guessed that he hadn’t slept a wink for a while. Oh wait. That’s exactly it. Duh.

Mahmud slowly made his way down the aisles, squinting at the scribbled out grocery list Cerpin had given him. He got the veggies, got some milk, now onto some boxed stuff for himself. Despite being a guest in Cerpin’s home indefinitely, he wasn’t looking to buy a whole bunch of expensive stuff. A package of toaster pastries was fine for breakfast... or oooh. Seeds. Seeds would be tasty. Did they have a lot here? Would that be too expensive? Did he even deserve nuts at this point?

No! Stop that! He mustave looked crazy, shaking his head in the middle of pushing down an aisle alone. Yet that was the routine nowanights: shaking himself out of regrettable mental places. Whenever he had a spare moment, his thinkpan would slip in a reminder that oh yes, he killed his first flush crush. Mmm yes, he killed a midblood and also someone he cared about. Aw s**t, he was putting his boss and friend at risk by being hired by him, never mind crashing at his place. And if something were to happen to any of them, nine chances out of ten it was going to be his fault. Because that’s how it seemed to work out, nowadays. Mahmud Seshat, walking ********, he had to get some bar fruit.

Just when he thought he was going to get out of this place and back to the dark, quiet place he had been brooding residing in at Cerpin’s nightclub he remembered the most important part of this trip. What was a drink, without its garnishes? Grumbling, Mahmud trudged over to the produce aisles and jammed citrus fruits into bags. Any care he showed to the fruit seemed wasted on the sorting of them. Otherwise, who knew how bruised they’d be coming out. Once he was done, he made motion to leave except a sign caught his eye. Peaches. Sweet, juicy peaches..

Another troll was perusing them it seemed, and Mahmud stared at his back and thought. Would it be too much to get himself a peach on Cerpin’s dime? Should he forgo the fruit in favor of more self-punishment? It was only after taking a few steps closer to the display that a little voice in the back of his mind screamed ‘Treat Yourself!’. Yeah. Yeah! If his friends found out he was still angsting over the whole murder thing, they’d be annoyed, right? And it was only a peach... and if Cerp had such a big issue with buying it, he’d just let him take it out of his next pay.

Yeah, why not? Let’s get a peach.

”Uh...” Oh. There was this guy hanging out in front of them though. ”S’cuse me please.” With that vast amount of warning, Mahmud slowly snaked an arm to the left of Nictor and groped at the peaches nearby his hand, trying to find the best of the fuzzy little fruits. Damn it, if he was going to treat himself he’d do it all out and get the best one.

taki-di

-spongebob voice- ten thousand years later

 

[Taki-di]

Nictor was okay. He was relatively calm, given who he was. He was just feeling some peaches and maybe got a little distracted by the soft and slightly textured skin and started thinking about if he could make a blanket like this or maybe a pillow. It was a nice thought and while his patchwork and stitching weren't incredible, he'd made that blanket for Kolako and some other things and it was relaxing idle work.

Maybe Nictor should have been paying better attention, but should haves didn't mean much after the fact.

And the fact was that Nictor freaked.

What happened next took only a few seconds to set into motion, but it could be traced back to be the start of the mess the day would be. The situation broke down like this.

Nictor had a produce bag in his left hand, with maybe four peaches in it. His right had a single peach he'd been testing for maybe three whole minutes while he thought of fabric and colors. He was staring blankly slightly to the right and his left side was visible in his peripheral. Nictor didn't hear the first mumble that was made behind him, spaced out as he was, which is a shame as that was at least some kind of forewarning that could have helped avoid the severity of the situation to come. Instead, Nictor was jarred from his musings when words were uttered from too close for comfort and a hand was suddenly there by his left side. It was like the hair raising feeling of a hand hovering just out of sight above your neck and you know it's there but you can't see it except this was one hundred times worse as pure panic consumed him.

Nictor jerked into motion, a high pitched screech ripping from him at a pitch that hurt to hear. The left hand holding the bag swung wide, releasing the bag half way through the arc, sending it flying at another patron across he way looking at dressings. The hand continued its path to push away whoever it was that was terrifyingly too close too suddenly as his body pitched to forward and to the right in a desperate bid to get away. the right hand shot out to catch him but unfortunately, it still had that same dam peach and so when it hit surface, he ended up crushing that peach into the other peaches. And of course, little known fact but peaches don't make for a very firm hold on a surface. So. His arm rolled and he started crashing side first into the produce stands as his legs jerked and his body tried to fold in on itself.

The aftermath wasn't going to be pretty. The peach bag victim jerked as a bag of peaches of all things impacted with their face and oh, that wasn't a customer that was a worker and they looked pissed except their expression soon transformed into a furious sort awe, like some one who is unbelievably mad but unable to process what they're seeing until it's over.

skyli peep

disaster strikes

 

[penemueIntuition]

WOAH. Woah woah woah woah--

“s**t, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Mahmud wasn’t stupid. This guy was pretty damn well built, and taller than him. The fact that he just terrified someone like him in a grocery store was a one way ticket to a death sentence. Or at the very least, a guaranteed knuckle sandwich. Were Mahmud in a position to watch from a distance, perhaps he would have simply regarded this as both a miracle and a disaster in motion. Yet being on the receiving end of this troll’s ire? Terrified. Probably more terrified than what was necessary, but that screech passed right through his brain like a brown note through bowels.

And that’s where the hand came in.

Were he in any position to realize that Nictor was running away, and not trying to assault him, Mahmud would have reacted differently. But given that there was an open hand pushing right towards his face, his fight or flight reflexes kicked in as they mistook that for an attempt on his well being. ”Don’t-- I’m so sorry!” ******** this. ******** this, peaches weren’t worth getting a faceful of fists, or palms, or whatever this maniac was going to throw his way s**t s**t s**t.

Scrambling backwards, he only made it a few steps before slamming hard into a shelf holding some apples. Now, while Nictor was discovering that round fruit (like peaches) didn’t make good purchase to catch one’s fall, Mahmud found that out in regards to his respective fruit. Both hands shot backwards into the display to catch himself, and immediately his hands sank into them. ”A-aaah!” Nothing was stable enough in that display to hold him back. Instead, he fell into the apples. Hard. There was no way he wasn’t going to feel that tomorrow.

Just when it couldn’t get any worse, it totally did. Impacting with the frame sent apples tumbling at Mahmud, pelting him as he fell gracefully onto his rear end. Falling like that jerked his arms out, and he gave a loud cry of pain as he hit the ground. First instinct after falling, Mahmud hugged himself to grab at his shoulders and rub them. ”OW, ******** looked to Nictor and shrunk back the best he could, eyes wide and breathing fast. His heart was pounding out of his chest. Did he just... overreact? Or was this guy really a threat?

Oh ******** he threw some peaches at a passerby. This guy wasn’t ******** joking around! There was his bag over there, with that shop attendant! Better not ******** with him! Understandably the attendant looked pissed and dumbfounded, a notable interesting combination of emotions.

Fruit was everywhere, mysterious attacker’s body was akimbo, and an apple just hit Mahmud on the head as it rolled off its shelf. Yet the only thing he could do was call out to either party "You okay?" Some night this was turning out to be... he knew he shouldn't have left the hive tonight.

taki-di

I hope this is enough to go off of if not let me know I can edit!!!

 

[Taki-di]

Nictor blanked. He couldn’t hear, couldn’t think, he could only react to the perceived threat that was close close too close until it wasn’t because his hand didn’t hit anything which mean sit back off or moved and he needed to find it now.

Nictor’s shoulder smashed into the stand, jarring his whole frame and starting an avalanche of produce as he jerked around. The momentum of his wild swing sent him spinning around until it was his back crushed against the fruit set up and his hands scrabbled wildly to regain purchase as he slipped down the side of the stand because he’d kicked his own legs out from under himself like a dingus as he’d tried to scramble away. Eyes were wide and wild, his braid was half wrapped around his neck and he was wheezing for breath because he’d winded himself somewhere in there with throwing his rib cage against a not at all smooth hard surface.

He traveled across the peaches and into the nectarines and almost hit the starfruit when he jittered to a halt.

There, across from him, was an orangeblood who was very clearly also recoiling away and had the apple selection falling apart around them and he was in the supermarket oh no. Oh no noooo.

It was at approximately this time that awareness deemed fit to grace to reach past that adrenaline and rush of blood in his ears, the pump biscuit pounding in his throat. He remembered that he was in a grocery store. A place of business where you were typically not attacked for arbitrary reasons and his reaction was wildly out of control in comparison to what that had called for. Having his hand hit thin air had caused it to be worse because he thought it was something dangerous that had avoided him and would be coming back and of course it wasn’t. Of course it was just a hapless shopper that was bearing the brunt of Nictor completely flipping for almost no reason. They were too close and too suddenly there and stupid stupid he knew better than to space out like that in stores because this was certainly not the first time an incident of this nature had occurred, and it probably wouldn’t be the last because he got distracted far too easily.

He’d really made a mess, hadn’t he. The thought was maybe the only clear thing as confusion and lingering terror and resigned despair jangled around in his head as he tried to process what was going on in full.

And so Nictor was reminded that the fun part of stopping in trying to hold yourself up is that you fall.

Nictor’s feet, which were not flat on the floor and were not properly positioned, bent and crumpled when his weight dropped on them rather suddenly and his back hit off the edge of the stand as he went down with a thump. And what drop to the floor after such a magnificent display of grace would be complete without a head smacking painfully in the last possible corner as you go down.

So there Nictor sat pathetically on the floor in what could best be described as a mess. Littered around him were the victims of his accidental assault, peaches and pears crushed and smeared and rolling around. A couple plastic partitions used to keep the fruit separated lay broken sadly on the ground, struck down in the line of duty. Across the battleground was a fine layer of pollen, the distinct and dreaded calling card of a disaster a la Nictor Sabbat.

The culprit himself looks a sad sad state, with slightly muted but pitifully torn expression on his face that seemed to ask ‘what just happened’ as he stared at the orangeblood that was surrounded by apples, still trying to regain his breath. The expression began to twist a bit because the pain was starting to register and oooooooh boy did Nictor manage to bang himself up this time.

This was. This was not how his day was intended to go, but he couldn’t say he was entirely unsurprised he’d managed to screw up getting groceries this badly. He’d attacked another troll that was just trying to get a peach and that hit Nictor hard, making him wheeze out a keen. He’d struck out at someone because he was startled and well he didn’t know for sure that they hadn’t been trying anything funny but the fact the other troll, another teen, was sitting on his butt in an aisle full of runaway fruit, certainly told Nictor that he’d made a mistake. And his expression, Nictor knew that kind of expression with painful familiarity and his guts were twisting his his throat was tight because that was fear. A concoction of fear and adrenaline and confusion, an old friend of Nictor’s it was staring him and the face and he’d caused it.

The spiralling disaster that was going to be his despair over causing another bodily harm was slightly waylaid by the calm resigned acceptance and bracing for impact as a worker approached, eyebrows furrows and lips pressed firmly into an unfriendly line. Dangling from their hand was a bag of bruised peaches. Four peaches to be more specific.

Nictor’s bag of peaches to be exact.

The sinking feeling that started since seeing the orangeblood didn’t seem like it was going to stop. As each ominous step took the Big Beetle associate closer, Nictor pulled in tighter into himself, a feeble attempt to become smaller. To maybe brace himself, to hide, to for a moment make this not be what was happening but he already knew where this was heading and he just. He just needed some groceries he didn’t mean to he didn’t mean to he didn’t want to hurt anyone he didn’t want to cause a scene he didn’t want anyone to be upset but that seemed to be what he did, didn’t it.

The worker gave the scene a long sweeping look as they made their way through the downed produce to stand over the crumpled yellowblood before giving the orangeblood a long look.

“I’m fine,” they bit out, still looking caught between being impressed by the terror these two had wrought in a matter of seconds, or completely blindingly furious. They dropped the peaches pointedly in front of the yellowblood, waiting a second after they’d smacked onto the ground and the rustle of the plastic bag was silent. “I’m getting the manager. Both of you had better be here when we get back.”

Nictor winced when the peaches, the nice fruit he’d picked out, bounced off the floor. He wasn’t even sure how the worker had gotten a hold of them, but Nictor kind of lost track of them but apparently they had travelled and returned home to mark his sentence.

It took a few seconds after the worker had started stalking away from him to drag his vision up from the floor, a trembling frown on his face. He could already guess where things were going to go when the manager got there and he was fairly resigned ot his fate. Moving to try and leave would make this situation infinitely worse. At least though he could try and fix the other emss he’d made.

“Ah…” except of course he doesn't realize until he’s already opened his mouth that he has no idea how to fix this. Building anxiety and guilt bubbled up uncomfortably and he was forcing himself to breath evenly but it did little to steady his voice. “I-i-i….uh. I, I’m s-------orry. Sorry.”

It seemed that was all he could manage because what else was he even supposed to say to make it better that he’d swung at someone and gotten them caught in this absolute disaster.

skyli peep

it was enough

 

[penemueIntuition]

Silent as could be, Mahmud could only watch as the other troll’s sentence was given. Stay here, manager coming, or else. Wait... given the way that Blue Beetle worker was talking, was this geared at him as well? Oh hell no. For that split second the employee bore their eyes into him, he shuddered from head to toe. Then, as ominous as their words had been, they walked away to find a higher authority.

Dread slammed into him like... well, like he had just fallen a** down onto the floor. Which he did. But the dread felt just as painful. ********, they were going to kick their a**. Not just Mahmud’s a**, but this other chucklebucket’s a** too. Both their asses were going to be grasses... not the best rhyme but to be frank, his brain was a little too preoccupied to string words together carefully. It sounded more like a loud “NOPE” and “NOT GETTING MY FACE SMASHED AGAIN” because surely there’d be a security drone to escort them out. Security drones were cruel, given his history with them back a couple of sweeps. His butt already ached, he didn’t need a repeat of the train yard.

Once the Blue Beetle employee was out of sight, and the other person started stammering apologies, Mahmud slid-scooched on his butt across the floor till he was next to them. Gog, if he could see just how panicked he was! Eyes wide, trembling slightly, hair all wild and messed up... he must have been a sight to behold. ”We gotta get outta here.” he half hissed, half whispered to Nictor. ”Both of us, let’s just leave!” For a moment his hands raised slightly, ever so slightly, instinct telling him to grab Nictor’s hands and make a mad dash for it. Logic dictated however that after having his hands even a little close to this guy caused all this, maybe holding hands for emotional support was not the way to go. ”They’re going to grab a security guard, and they are going to... well... we don’t know what they’re going to do, but if we stick around we could get... you know...” With those awkward hands in the air, Mahmud made a motion that was quite frankly indiscernible. Was it supposed to be a head-smashing motion? A chucking of a cantaloupe? Who knew.

taki-di

SHORT but I think Mahmud’s actions and motivations are quite clear pfffft.

 

[Taki-di]

A little bit of white edged into his vision and the bandages on his face felt loose and likely suffered some juice damaged but he didn't feel like picking at them right now. Nictor’s fingers twitched nervously from where they clutched his pants, arms half-heartedly hugging his legs. His palms stung from all the impacts that had been made, crashing and slamming and scratching at plastic and fruit. Peach meat was stuck under his nails, squishy and gross. They were sticky and unhappy hands for now, disaster hands.

Why were his hands like this.

Basically everything ached unhappily, tender and bruised like the poor soft fruit he’d wrecked the home of. Innocent bystander fruit like the innocent bystander he’d almost assaulted and said assaultee was now coming towards him after his apology oh hey what now.

Nictor tensed at the scuttle shuffle being done towards him except ow ow that was very much a bad idea, his face immediately twinging in response to the upset ringing out from every stupid limb he had. So many bruises. Just another day really but still, having so many at one time from one incident? It’s been a little while, so he guessed he must have been due for a great fall. Though this was more of a frantic slip and scramble than anything else. So just another frantic slip and scramble would be more accurate. This was his lot in life and he accepted that.

Nictor only jumped a little when he realized that between the start of the approach and the end of it he’s managed to space out again and the orangeblood was right there but he was better prepared this time and made no other move than the dig his fingers into the fabric of his pants tighter. Better to be safe than sorry and he didn’t want another accident. But then again, the teen hadn’t responded to his apology so Nictor really wasn’t sure what the guy was thinking other than he was looking more upset than before if possible?

Nic jerked slightly, pulling away a little and staring wide eyed as the orangeblood started speaking with a fevered undertone that spoke of panic. In response, Nictor could feel himself getting keyed up, his fingers twitching more, making his pants pull because the juice had dried more and they were sorta stuck to the fabric and eugh. He couldn’t help how his eyes jumped down and his shoulders hunched when the hands came up, but they didn’t seem to be doing anything but hovering and existing and what...what was this troll getting at?

Did he just suggest that they leave.

It took a few moments for the works to really sink in, but when they did, Nictor was staring at the orangeblood as though he’d suggested they tear their own feet off and use them to do combat. In short, horrified and confused.

Was. What was this guy suggesting even? They might what? What was going to happen? Nictor was prone to anxiety, easy to work up, jumpy to a fault. This was not good for him in any way because the hushed and frantic tone, the trailing off implication, and that hand motion of, what even was that? Did he just mime a decapitation? No, none of this was okay and Nictor was almost caught up in the panic. He could feel himself starting to gear up to flee but he caught himself before anything really happened except a few seconds of his breathing starting to pick up.

This guy was nervous, he was so so nervous and Nictor felt bad because he got caught in this because of him and for once, for once, Nictor might be the more calm on in a situation because that level of panic was actually improper for the situation. He hoped.

“T-t-they, ah. N-no. I-i-i kn---ow w-what they’re g-g-gonna d-do,” Nictor eventually managed, his breathing still a bit fast because just looking at this guy freaking out was making him freak out because it was a panicked troll that was right next to him, closer than Nictor would typically allow for strangers, and he had that wild panicked look and Nictor still didn’t really know what to think of this troll at all so. Yeah, he might still be a bit off kilter. Point though, maybe he could clear up this misconception because unless this guy had gotten in trouble with them before, Nictor was the expert here. And as long as they hadn’t changed hands or policy it should be fine? So. So he was going to try and calm the orangeblood down.

Wow. That. That was certainly a new one.

Imagine, Nictor Sabbat calming anything down.

After his shaky start Nictor paused and braced himself, breathing a few deep breaths and looking away as he gathered himself to try and do the impossible. Calm. Calm. He needed to be calm and he wanted to try and calm the other guy down because he deserved at least that much and it would be fine. Unless it wouldn’t be. Then it would be bad but no! No it would be fine! He faced the other teen and tried.

“Th-the m-m-manager i---s j-just g-g-going to t-----ake your n-name and, ah, well…” Nictor trailed off halfway through his attempt at an assurance, realizing maybe telling this orangeblood that he was about to get booted from the store when it was pretty much Nictor’s fault was not the smart thing. But also the guy was so panicked that stopping mid statement cryptically would make it worse and nictor didn’t want to lie so. Oh dear this might have been a mistake. Nictor’s tone had quieted dramatically and his eye contact wavered as his eyes skittered nervously from the orangeblood’s face to the floor to over the shoulder and back again. “Th-they’ll uh, g-g-give us a b-ban. Y-you’ll b-be f-f-fine, b-but y----ou w-won’t be allowed t-t-to sh---op here f-f-for, uh. A while. At l----east th-that’s what h-h-happens to m-----e. U-u-usually.”

Nictor was getting just a bit more unsure as his explanation continued but he tried to remain firm that it would be fine and that nothing had changed and that there wouldn’t suddenly be a squadron of drones bearing down on them with taser tridents and spiked boots to bring the pain of punishment for crimes against peaches, apples, nectarines, and some assorted other produce caught in crossfire. He hoped at least this time wouldn’t be the time they got so fed up with him they decided to kick the pus out of him in the backlot after dragging him through the store by his thumbs and dump compost out on him for giggled.

No no no it would be fine! The worst he was going to get was a lifetime ban, which would be wildly inconvenient but fair, Nictor was sort of waiting for the day where he was banned indefinitely from every shop on Alternia.

skyli peep

nic attempts to be calm, results to be determined

 

[penemueIntuition]

Hunh wait what? As Nictor started to pipe up, Mahmud slowed and then finally stopped his mock execution to listen to him,drawing his knees up closer to his chest as he did. Despite still being wide eyed and a little shaky, he was oddly polite; not once did he interrupt Nictor during his explanations, despite desperately wanting to give his input. Once in awhile he’d shift in place and scooch to a more comfortable position, but as he watched the other guy talk and explain he slowly relaxed in place.

Given the way his... erm... would companion be the right term right now? What did someone call a dude they scared half to death in a Blue Beetle? This person. Given the way this person was stammering, and looking away he must still be shaken up. Awww. Aww man, was he an a*****e. Frightening some poor person out of their wits, what kind of troll was he? s**t first he killed a guy, now he was terrorizing a grocery store... wait, ‘usually’? What did this guy mean by ‘usually’?!

”So uh...” Slowly lowering his hands into his lap, Mahmud took a deep breath and tried to take in what these words meant. ”This... happens often to you? Then?” Naturally, there were quite a few feelings rushing through him at that moment. Fear? Awe? A little bit of anger even? Whoever this person was, they weren’t a stranger to this rigamarole. Did this mean that he wasn’t the first guy to scare them into a big ol’ display of fruit? What the hell! All this time he felt bad and... and... aahh s**t, he still felt bad. Must suck being so easily scared. Truth be told, Mahmud looked back metaphorically to his own life and thought about how he could have ended up the same kind of person. There were tons of reasons to be scared in this world. Whoever this person was... they may be on the right track, being startled so easily. Instincts being higher and all that.

... this was stupid. Again. So much of his time was being wasted when they only had a few moments before they were out of here, supposedly.


”I’m Mahmud. Sorry for scaring you. Let me make it up to you somehow once we get out of here.” Slowly (perhaps a bit too slowly for what was necessary) he held his hand out to Nictor for a shake, trying hard not to startle them. ”I unno how, but... I feel wicked bad and I want to make it up to you. I’m sorry.”. As he said that last part he looked away, using the other hand to rub the back of his head a bit. Maybe they could go to another grocery store, get different peaches. Maybe he’d use some of his payments from Cerpin to treat him to lunch or something.

There was a pause after that before he awkwardly continued ”You sure they aren’t going to like... beat us up or something?” As he muttered that last phrase he gazed back to the side at Nictor and gave a weak little smile. ”Lets just... I’ve been beaten up by some before so...” Go on ahead, Mahmud. Just lay your life story on the table. That was a way to stop from scaring someone off. Not.

On cue he looked around for the staff, checking to see if any of them were coming any time soon. Not that it'd change their fate or anything. Just... best to be aware of the situation. Yeah. Aware.

taki-di

Another short one but I didn't wanna steamroll you or anything ; v ; Give me your word abilities Taki bless me with them.

 

[Taki-di]

Nictor held his breath after he was done, hoping that this went over well because he really wasn’t sure what else he would say but it looked like. It.

It was. Did. Did that actually work? Did he actually manage to calm this guy down? Nictor blinked, fairly well befuddled, as the orangblood actually seemed to settle a little after all that fidgeting. Not that he was complaining, oh no. It was just. Nictor was kinda taken aback that it worked. Some of the stress leaving his cohort in grocery store destruction helped him relax a bit, shoulders loosening and head perking up just a bit. He curiously watched as the hands that had hovered about and pantomimed some sort of grisly death retreated to their lap.

And then Nictor flinched again, ducking his head and glancing away. Understandably, most trolls did not have nearly as much experience in getting kicked out of shops, or if they did, it was normally for misbehavior and not unintentional damage of property.

“I, uh, y-y-yeah,” Nictor murmured, pressing his lips together and looking down. Often. Yeah, often was a fair assessment of how much he’d been through this kind of incident. Enough to be familiar with their common practice of dealing with store incidents and to be on the list of customers to keep an eye out for that new employees are given the rundown on. The last clerk to catch him was new and rather chatty…

Nictor almost started spacing out again when the other teen, Mahmud as it turns out, started talking and Nictor’s eyebrows started climbing high in befuddlement.

He was. Mahmud was apologizing for scaring him. Mahmud was apologizing to the yellowblooded disaster that had taken a swing at him over trying to pick out a peach and basically caused a mess that was going to lose both of them the ability to buy groceries here. Ne wanted to “make it up to him”? Nictor had also apologized but he, he really hadn’t expected to receive the same. He knew he’d overreacted, even if he did think Mahmud had been far too close in general. Nictor should have been paying closer attention, shouldn't have caused such a fuss, should know better because he’s always been this way and this isn’t the first time but dammit it kept happening.

Normally he’d expected anger, maybe frustration, at least frustration. In this case, he would have expected something like disdain or mistrust after the fear that had been on Mahmud’s face. Instead he was getting an apology and a name and a thoughtfully careful hand offer.

It was touching. It was kind. It was nothing he felt like he deserved from someone he’d managed to help frighten and yet here he was.

Nictor opened his mouth but he really didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t expect Mahmud to be nice. Not after that.

It took Nictor a moment to gather himself, feeling rather humbled and vulnerable at that moment. He tried to look at things in a more positive light these days, tried to hope for the best and not think the worst. He still didn’t think things would go like this though. It was too good and there was a tremulous knot in his throat as he stared at the gently offered hand because he realized he really really didn’t want this to be a trick and it so easily could have. Mahmud had every reason to dislike Nictor, that was a terrible introduction to someone, but he was reaching forward carefully and was apologizing and felt bad about scaring Nictor even after the fruit reckoning they’d enacted and the looming consequences.

All Mahmud needed to do to make it better was for this to be genuine.

Nictor looked in what was almost awe as he pulled his hand off his leg and haltingly reached forward to take the handshake. The grip was hesitant at first, but grew firmer, and he was reminded of Kolako for a moment, how they sealed the deal of their friendship with a handshake and a similar spark of something settled in his stomach.

“Nictor,” He introduced, feeling maybe a little short of breath, maybe a little more emotional than he should over something so small, but he was anyway. It was the steadiest word he’d uttered since he met Mahmud. He stared at him with wide wide eyes and a still parted mouth and he quietly withdrew his hand.

“I uh…” It took Nictor a moment to gather himself, still feeling nonplussed and odd without the nerves of retribution hanging over him. “No, i-it’s okay. Y-y-you don’t h---ave to do a-anything.”

Nictor grimaced a little when their impending punishment was brought back up. But also he wasn’t entirely sure why or how Mahmud wasn’t more displeased at him about this.

“N-no, uh, yeah, w-we should b-be f---ine. Y-you’ll pr-probably get off ea---sier than me. T-this has, uh, y-yeah, th-this isn’t the first t-time I-i’ve b---een i-involved in s-s-something l-like, ah, this,” Nictor said. Yes he was kind of reiterating what he’d said earlier, but he wasn’t sure how else to put it to alleviate Mahmud’s nerves. He was well familiar with anxiety and fear of punishment, and knew it wasn’t likely to go away until it was just over with. He felt, well, he felt bad. Mahmud seemed nice and Nictor had landed him in such a sticky mess and he didn’t seem like he deserved this at all. Nic’s face took on an edge of distress as Mahmud continued because uh, what? What?

Drones had beat him up? If Nictor hadn’t felt bad already he would have started to because oh wow, oh man, this guy had an actual reason to be flighty and nervous about this and this was all Nictor’s fault and he was still being nice to him?

“I, that, n-n-no, no, th-they w-won’t!” He tried to insist, feeling shaky again but grasping at that resolve he’d taken to try to shoo away Mahmud’s fear. He really really hoped he was still right and things would be fine. He felt awful and Mahmud didn’t deserve to be worked up over this and Nictor just wanted to help now. “It’ll, it’ll be f-fine.”

Nictor was trying to think of anything he could say to make this better and his hand came up to rub at his face in a nervous tic he’d been half failing in avoiding the past month and yep okay there it was, his fingers caught in the loose bandage and he looked a fool. He flinched when his fingers scratched the scarred flesh, the skin no long quite tender but the edges were still sensitive and the muted sensation of the scar itself strange. He pulled his hand away and it wasn’t a very thought out motion because the medical tape stretched and now he awkwardly had it tangled in his hand and half hanging off his face and he knew this looked all kinds of ridiculous.

“Aah! S-s-sorry, sorry,” Nictor stuttered, feeling his face begin to heat up when he tried to yank his hand away again and all it did was stretch the tape more and the cotton bandage was pulled half apart and oh no some of his hair was getting in the tape. Ahhh, why was he even apologizing? He wasn’t sure but he felt like he should and he just wanted these bandages off now please, even if the scar was an unpleasant mark on his face he wasn’t really ready to deal with yet.

“No, no, n-no, stoooop!” He whined as his other hand joined the fray, trying to unstick his hair and get the tape away and the manager would be here any second now and how was Mahmud supposed to trust the reassurances of someone who got themselves caught in their own bandages?

Skyli Peep

ahhhh, don't worry about it man. you do not need my words friend, yours are lovely enough already u vu but iF YOU INSIST

 

[penemueIntuition]

Calm probably wasn’t how Mahmud was feeling right now. Were there a word that could convey "Not ready to trash the place upon running away, but not willing to give up the notion something terrible was bound to happen" that’d be it. Cautious. Yeah, he was feeling cautious, in certain aspects. However in regards to the other troll, he was ninety nine percent positive though this guy couldn't hurt a lusus about to eat them. Yet being calm seemed to help them either way, so Mahmud considered this a win.

Now Mahmud felt he knew a little more about Nictor... for one he was astoundingly clumsy, or so he assumed, if he constantly got kicked out of grocery stores. Two, he was just… such a nervous fellow. Enough to make Mahmud feel jittery again. Speaking of which, Nictor managed to stammer again. Meanwhile, Mahmud glanced around, looking for the clerk to come back with some burly jackwagon of a guard and whatever counted as the store manager in this place. Some lady in clicky high heels? That’s what he was imagining.

Given the dumbfounded expression he was given, Mahmud couldn’t help but crack a little smile that grew slowly into a wide grin. ”Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll like, walk into a new store and get you some peaches there or something at least. S’probably been a long night.” Every night must be a long night when you were a living cyclone--- oh. Oh that’s right. So was he. s**t. In that moment Mahmud had a smidgen of self awareness, enough to realize while he wasn’t breaking furniture or damaging property, he was sort of… the emotional equivalent.

Maybe that’s why he wasn’t more pissed. Maybe.

For the first time in a little bit, Mahmud felt a little more… awake? Was that the right term? For sure if he was to write one of his poems, he’d equate the feeling to waking up. It was refreshing, talking to someone for once who wasn’t waiting to drive a nail through their own skull. Or you know, whatever his poor boss was feeling at that moment. s**t, what was he going to say at this point? To be real, Cerpin would probably be glad that Mahmud had a wild night.

”Besides,” he added, a little later than he should have, ”You made me smile. That’s sayin’ something.”

And it was. It truly was. Something that was supposed to have been a ******** ended with him meeting someone, someone he assumed was probably a nice guy. Nice guys, as opposed to “nice guys”, were people he was relieved to meet. Seriously nice, Nictor was just spending time trying to assure him they would not face mutual destruction as sinners at the hands of an angry store manager. This felt… pleasant, just sitting here like this… and all it took was for them to both be clumsy oafs.

Somewhere around this time would have probably been the point Mahmud had some revelation about opening up to people and experiences, yet instead he just blinked as Nictor tangled himself in his own tape. Woah. Scratch clumsy, this guy… was on some level of slapstick comedy waiting to happen. ”Dude just—“ As he leaned forward a little to get a better look at the damage done, Nictor managed to stretch the tape even further. Woah. ”Wait! Just wait!” For a small, silly moment Mahmud flapped his hands a little, looking around as if someone would come to help them, and then realized oh duh. ”Hang on. I’m going to help you okay? I am going to touch the tape and your hands okay?” Ginger as could be, Mahmud reached up and tugged at the tape tangling Nictor up. Ah… wow. This stuff… ”S’real sticky…” Too sticky, in fact. As Mahmud tried to pull the tape off, he found himself unable to properly peel it off his fingers. Instead he could only transfer from one finger to the next. ”Come on…” Really, he didn’t want to hurt Nictor but… Out of desperation Mahmud started to smoosh his fingers into Nictor’s cheeks, albeit still gently. ”Get… back… on… his---“

”YOU.”

Now, despite the tough act he tried to put on, it was easy to make him s**t metaphorical bricks. Come at him too close, mention his rebellious tendencies… yet this was a special kind of chill. A certain kind of butthole clenching terror that could only come with what one prays to be déjà-vu, but proves to be daymares come true. Who? Who was you? Him? Nictor? Could have been any of them! Y-yeah! Any of them! Almost comical, Mahmud dramatically turned his head to look at who was approaching.

One was the understandably annoyed clerk that had been pelted with peaches earlier. Another was an older, stern looking troll in a pair of flats (damn, wrong about the shoes). Finally, there was a troll about the same age as who he assumed to be the manager. They looked about ten million degrees tired of their collective s**t, and were built like a brick shithouse. What was someone like them doing in a place like this? They should have been out and about guarding like, he didn’t know, the queen’s royal jewels or something like that. Or be a bouncer at a nightclub.

That troll began to approach, clearly angry… and with a limp. A limp…

”No.”

He didn’t mean to say that aloud, but he found himself stupefied and terrified somehow at the same time. ”NO.” As a reflex, Mahmud quickly (drat, and he meant to be slower around Nictor, too) yanked his hand away from the bandage tape and point at Nictor, his eyes growing wide. Please. Please for the love of who raised Regina, let that anger be for NIctor. Was that bad of him? Yeah but… the alternative at this point was grim.

The clerk and manager approached as well, looking to where Mahmud was pointing. ”Hello again, Nictor.” Miss Manager drolled, clearly having done this rigmarole before. She made a beeline to the clumsier (marginally) of the two boys, along with her smaller cohort. The Clerk sported a smug look on their face but said nothing, standing cross-armed next to their boss.

Security Drone couldn’t give a damn what the other two were doing. Oh no. No, they were limping to Mahmud. ”Well, well ,well, who do we have here?” Again, out of instinct, Mahmud found himself scrambling backwards into the shelf he and Nictor had been leaning up against, both hands now planted firmly on the ground, ready to propel him backwards into outer ******** space if need be.

”You little s**t.” Giving an academy award-winning sneer, playing into their role as antagonizer perfectly, the security drone walked menacingly towards him, hands clenching and unclenching. Were they debating whether or not to do him in? Was the choice really such a hard one to make? Perhaps maybe, just maybe, this shitty grocery chain job would be enough to save Mahmud’s life tonight. Luck-wise though, he wasn’t really batting a thousand tonight. ” I remember that hair anywhere.”
Meanwhile, over near Nictor, the Manager seemed caught up talking to him, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. ”How many times… And you brought someone else into it this time. Oh Nictor…” She sounded less angry, and more tired, as if she was speaking to an old friend who just kept going to the wrong troll over and over again. Exasperated, would be the term Mahmud would come up with if he could afford himself the luxury to concentrate on that. She looked to the clerk next to her, and seemed unmoved even as they sputtered out ”He nailed me with peaches, ma’am!”

”What else is new?”

While those two were busy debating the boys’ sentence, the Drone was far too close for comfort to Mahmud for his tastes. ”You little s**t.” Each word was spat out as a crack came from their beefy fists. The way they laughed was out of joy, though tinged with rage built up for sweeps. ”You little s**t…” By this point Mahmud was quaking in his place, attempting to scooch back farther. Sadly, there was nowhere to go at this point. Maybe the side would have been a viable option but JEGUS CHRIST THE DRONE SLAMMED THEIR HAND RIGHT WHERE HIS EYES DARTED TO OH GOG.

”Something out there must really love me, if you just dropped into my lap like this.”

Yeah, ******** that ‘something’ right about now. The only thing Mahmud believed in at this very moment was the warm body to his other side, as he pushed backwards into Nictor in another ill fated attempt to get away.

"When I’m done with you, y’all won’t have to worry about limpin’ like me. “

What did that even mean? Did they think that sounded cool?? Because they SUCCEDED IN MAHMUD’S EYES, s**t.

“P-please don’t hurt me!”

taki-di

an essay on how to not deal with drones, by Mahmud Seshat

 

[Taki-di]

It’s not that Nic meant to stretch the tape out or keep yanking on it, it was just an automatic reaction to thing stuck to hand get off now please okay get off, get off, gET OFF.

Interestingly enough, that reaction did not help the situation at all and ow hair ow ow ow.

The whine he made did nothing to dispel the image of a sad mess from his person.

He hated when that happened and always felt bad whenever he ripped any hair out. His poor scalp trusted him and he betrayed it, whether from passing too close to metal corners on shelves in the store or his fingers snagging a knot he missed when brushing it out. Or in this case, getting it stuck in very powerful tape. Why did he have long hair again? It was certainly something he’d questioned as smart before but always wound up not getting far on the idea because he liked his fluffy soft hair, he just wished he could be kinder to it.

Nictor pressed his lips together and furrowed his brow, trying to figure out how to take care of this tape based mess when Mahmud cut in. Nictor took a quick breath in surprise, but didn’t jump, fortunately. He’d. Forgotten for a moment that Mahmud was even there, caught up as he was.

Wide eyes looked over at Mahmud and his flapping hands as Nictor remained very still. Obviously his own attempts at freeing himself were getting him nowhere, so best not to interfere as Mahumud too a crack at it. There was still that strain, the ever present tingle of anxiety, but he felt oddly settled and complacent after Mahmud clearly stated what he was going to do. Now all he had to do was, uh, trust that that was what he was going to do.

Yeah. That worked out great last time he let someone be barely know get their hands near his face.

“O-okay,” Nictor said, eyes tracking Mahmud’s fingers but otherwise he remained motionless save his elevated breathing. Actually, Nictor really wasn’t sure how Mahmud was going to try and fix this without cutting the tape somehow. But no motions were made to pull anything of the sort out of some hidden pocket, just careful motions. There was still a pull here and there that Nictor’s mouth twitched at, but was pretty well negligible. He was more taken by the fact that apparently it was the right decision to trust Mahmud. Not that, uh, not that he was actually making any progress on this tape dilemma he didn’t think. Actually it was looking more and more like his fingers were also getting tangled.


“M-maybe, uh, you sh-should...uh,” Nictor trailed off, mild frowning as Mahmud’s hands were now on his face. Yeah, Nictor was pretty sure they were both caught in the tape. Well. This was happening. Plus side though, Mahmud was not taking the opportunity to exact physical revenge despite ample opportunity, which only lent credence to the sincerity of his kindness. But that also kind of made Nictor feel worse for causing him so much trouble.

“YOU.”

Nictor’s chest jumped with a sharp intake of breath, eyes darting to the side at the approaching figured. Well if that wasn’t ominous and threatening, Nictor didn’t know what was, nerves immediately ratcheting back up despite a valiant attempt to still remain collected. He really really shouldn’t be starting to get keyed up again, except he was pretty sure he’d never seen the security guard look anything other than annoyed and tired. But that, that was a truly evil look on his face, a look that should have Nictor scrambling away, away, away, as quick as he could, but instead he remained firmly rooted to the spot, momentarily experiencing a full body jolt of adrenaline that he did absolutely nothing with.

At Mahmud’s absolutely terrified utterance, Nictor’s eyes snapped back around to his face. That was. This. Something was wrong. Had...had he lied to Mahmud when he said it’d be okay? Somehow, that was more distressing than anything else right that second. It was a very close contest, just to be clear, but it still won out. But, but it should be fine, there’s no reason for this to go any different than usual right? This was Mahmud’s first offence too, and it wasn’t even really his fault so, so, so there shouldn’t be that big of a problem!

Right?

This was getting confusing fast. He was past getting so fearful over this, but the sheepish apologetic acceptance he felt was quickly gaining an edge of panic.

“Euaah!” Nictor couldn’t help but yelp when the tape was suddenly yanked harshly, his hands quickly clapping over the stinging places on his cheeks. What was that!? Mahmud had been nothing but gentle since they’d actually started talking! Confused, and quickly feeling like he might have made a mistake, Nictor peered over at Mahmud, only to find that horrible mirror of of terror clouding Mahmud’s expression once more. And a finger being pointed right at him.

What, uh-

The physical reaction to hearing the manager’s greeting was incredibly telling. A small distressed noise as he huffed out his nose. Nictor’s shoulders hiked up by his ears near immediately, eyed locking onto those well worn but well cared for business flats. Old companions he’d spent long minutes mulling over before. Their first meeting he remembered expecting them to be the last sight he ever saw. It had been quite a while. His lips pressed themselves into a line as he bit the inside of them, hands dropping to clutch at his pants, an upset flush starting to creep onto his cheeks. Overall, a picture perfect example of a guilty child who had been caught and was gearing up for the dressing down the of century to which he’d respond with a thank you.

The flats tapped closer and he watched them approach. There was a time he’d flinch at each step. Now he just felt his head trying to duck lower, but he knew by the time she stopped next to him he had best be looking up. It would go faster. And the manager wasn’t a bad troll, she was just trying to run a business and Nictor was just a problem customer that she gave a frankly astonishing amount of allowance to. She didn’t want to be dealing with this anymore than he did.

He peeked up at her, looking distinctly regretful and frankly just as pathetic the first time this had happened. He may not have been openly wearing panic on his face and on the verge of a total breakdown, but dang did the medical tape tangled and stretched on his hands, hair, and cheeks and the resulting resigned look leave an impression.

All he received in return was an expectant eyebrow raise.

Oh right, jeez, they’d been over this.

“I, u-uh, sorr- no, w- uhhh,” Nictor stuttered. She expected a greeting, a proper greeting. He could do that, he could do that. Deep breath and go. “Good evening, Miss Laurke.”

“No stutter, but work on that tone. And I wouldn’t say it’s a good evening per say if this is what I’m being greeted with,” the manager shot back immediately wasting no time in bringing Nictor’s attention to the mess once more.

“R-right,” He mumbled, wincing and glancing down, before looking back, all the more sheepish.

“No, not right.” Her sigh was was weary as she shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “How many times is this going to happen? How many times has it already happened? And you brought someone else into this time too. Oh, Nictor. What am I going to do with you.”

Nictor shrunk into himself a bit more, feeling worse. He didn’t mean to. He didn’t want to. He just, it happened. It happened and it was his fault and he wanted it to stop too. He would answer, he nearly did, but the gross feeling clogging his throat told him maybe don’t try right now, she wouldn’t appreciate the half formed nervous word vomit.

She sounded tired. That was his fault too wasn’t it.

“Alright, we both know how this goes, Nictor. We’ll assess damages and get back to you on the charges, is your address still the same?”

“Yes!” Nictor spoke quickly, face twisting as his voice broke, nodding quickly while the clerk watched, self satisfied expression started to crumple into confusion and then disbelief.

“You will pay for everything you lost us today, but I doubt you have more on you than what you needed for groceries, so we’ll send the bill to your hive. This can’t keep happening Nictor. You know that."

“W-what!?” The clerk sputtered, looking between their boss and the yellowblood disaster on the ground.

“What what?” Miss Laurke asked, tone distinctly less friendly. Nictor grimaced slightly. She didn’t like to be interrupted.

“We’re just going to trust him?”

“Yes, I am. What about it?”

“I, he, I mean, you,-”

“Speak clearly and concisely.”

The clerk blinked at their boss, open mouthed, completely off guard. They glanced down at Nictor and their brows creased once more as they looked back to Miss Laurke.

“All due respect ma’am, he’s in trouble, wouldn’t he try to weasel out of it?”

“You clearly have no clue who this is. Did you even attend training when you got hired?”

”Wh- but, but, he nailed me with peaches, ma’am!” It was clear the clerk was getting flustered, their uppity attitude dissolving into clutching at straws.

“What else is new?”

Miss Laurke was unmoved and the peach victim was floored. Nictor’s eyes bounced between the two of them, wondering if it was really that smart to be getting worked up with Miss Laurke who seemed even less impressed with the clerk than she did with Nictor. From the looks of things, this clerk might be facing some attitude readjustment lessons from Miss Laurke later on too. Nictor’s attention was very much focused on the two in front of him, but something was worrying him, something was making him grow tenser and tenser, but he didn’t know what. His body was winding tighter and tight because he was hearing something that wasn’t registering, so he didn’t know it, but his danger senses were tingling, prickling at his skin like the brush of thousands of tiny threatening needles.

He fully body jerked when something slammed into his side, nearly swinging out and hitting it, but, well, there was kind of a body pressed into the arm that would have moved so. That kind of made that a little hard.

Nictor’s attention was ripped away from the ping pong verbal fight that Miss Laurke was absolutely dominating to Mahmud and that bitter tired body guard with a limp that was absolutely looming over them and maybe that would explain the horrid anxiety that had been building because he might not have been listening but he still heard things that were setting off warnings. Nictor had literally no clue what was going on between those two since his attention had been elsewhere but he caught one thing and it was a heck of a thing to catch.

It was a plea. A terrified plea and Nictor heard nothing but desperation, raw unadulterated desperation. He felt those words, metaphorically and literally. He could feel the heaving spine digging into his arm, pressing against him like it wanted nothing more than to disappear into him. He could feel the words rattle on his skin and then choke and grip at him, his ears going fuzzy because he knew that feeling, he knew it so well, too well. It held him prisoner, trapped him everyday, threatened to trip him and hold him and smother him. It was visceral and it never struck him quite like it did right then.

Nictor had never heard someone sound so scared before.

He didn’t like it.

It was the actual worst. Terrible in a different way than it was to feel fear for oneself.

He was shaking.

Nictor honestly did not know how it happened other than he was full body shaking, could feel tears stinging at his eyes, tape was still pulling at his skin and hair, but he was between Mahmud and the security drone now.

Ah.

Hm.

He had moved, without thinking, without thinking for a second, he’d grabbed a hold of Mahmud and pulled him back and away, swapping their positions and it was not graceful but it did the job. Now he had the arm that had had Mahmud trying to morph into it half wrapped around the orangeblood’s shoulder and clavicle and holding him away and behind his person, leaving him angled as he faced the drone, but the point is that Nictor was physically between them now.

It was an out of body experience, like he’d clocked out of reality for a few seconds and something else drove his skin because he was pretty certain he would never put himself directly in harm’s way like this. Which kind of made reality crashing back around him that much worse.

The alarms screeching in his head reached an all time high, absolutely appalled at this turn of events. What was he doing. What did he think he was doing? His whole body was quivering, eyes popped wide and mouth agape in horror. Mahmud had just said please don’t hurt me. That meant that he was about to be hurt, or at least he thought he was about to get hurt. And, what, Nictor had just put himself in harm’s way? He was, he was facing down a drone.

Oh hell. He was facing down a drone.

The clutch Nictor had on Mahmud might have a bit more to do with keeping himself upright than offering comfort right now. Because this was. This was unprecedented. Nictor didn’t do this. He wasn’t defiant, he was a soft as a peach. Bruised easy and you could crush its flesh in one hand.

He wanted to run. He wanted to run and never ever have to think about this again, didn’t want to remember it happening, wanted to move, wanted apologize. Instead, here he was rooted in place, unable to do a thing, absolutely rigid and every muscle in his body stretched tight, a low key ache already started to ebb through him and he was definitely going to get a headache. Nictor was pretty sure he couldn’t hear anything but white noise either, could only focus on the livid malicious expression in front of him.

That was it though, wasn’t it. It was too late to run. Too late to opt out. He’d already done it, even if he didn’t know why, he was directly between this furious monster and someone who was absolutely terrified for their life, he knew that tone too well. Panic was pumping through every inch of him and it had nowhere to go because it was too late, his grave had been dug. He’d put himself into the line of fire and backing out now somehow didn’t strike him as how to fix this.

“D-don’t.” It was barely spoken, more like breathed, small and scared but there and it just got worse because apparently that was the floodgate as he got louder and shakier. “P-please, p-p-pl---ease, d-don’t, i-i-it was, it’s m----y f-f-fault. I-I, h-h-he, he didn’t, I-I-I d-di---d it. L-let h----im go, p-please, p-please. D-don’t! I-I. I-I-I pr--uhh, I pr----omised. I. Don’t.”

Nictor’s voice broke and he fumbled horribly on the desperate nigh incomprehensible groveling that wasn’t for him but Mahmud. He’d promised. Maybe not promised, but, but he told Mahmud it’d be okay. He told Mahmud nothing bad would happen. Which, if Nictor had more presence of mind right about now, he might be asking why Mahmud, a first time offender, was being menaced over peaches. Something the manager already identified, and rightly so as Nictor’s fault.

As it was, here he was, almost mindlessly pleading and shaking and he might be starting to cry and Nictor had no idea what was even going on anymore. Why was this happening?

Skyli Peep

communications between body and brain break down leaving nictor in a position he very much did not expect

 

[penemueIntuition]

Pure, unadulterated fear ran through Mahmud’s blood as he realized that, right there and then, could be the last moments of his freaking life. A troll whose life he ruined (something that looking back, he felt absolutely awful about) was standing in front of him, and it was about time he paid the piper, right?

”Please don’t hurt me! I-I was a kid! I’m sorry!”
”You practically maimed me you little s**t!”

Nothing was working. This truly was going to be the end for him. As he gazed up at the security drone, tears ran down his face and he shook. Already he could feel his arms not belong to him anymore. It was a weird feeling, really. Something that had to do with his anxiety, was what Cerpin told him. Sometimes when it hit critical mass, he didn’t feel like… like his body belonged to him anymore. Mahmud became a mind strapped into a meat puppet that felt horrifying when it moved. Literally, it was distressing. Even moving his arms up to cover his face was agony.

This was the end, this was the—

Mahmud felt pressure on his body, and a yanking, and the first thing he did was scream out in terror. The drone was moving him! As he was jolted Mahmud felt the nausea that came with this not-his-body come forth, and the rolling, sloshing in his stomach was far too much. This guy was really-- wait hunh? Why was he farther from the drone if he had been moved? Another warm body was close by, and a shape appeared between him and his opponent, like a guardian on the precipice. It took some time for Mahmud to realize that this shape belonged to a troll, and not just any troll but… the one he just met. Nictor. Nictor was the one saving him. Wait, saving him? Yeah! Yeah this was saving!

Stunned, the drone halted right in place and stared at Nictor in awe. ”Boy…” Even his tone of voice had shifted to a gentler one, they took a moment to try and register what the hell just happened. After they took a few moments to collect themselves however, a sternness returned to their voice. ”Nictor… this doesn’t involve you. Let him go.”

”Who does it involve then, Idaado?”

A familiar voice cut the conversation and before they knew it, swift and careful as usual, Miss Laurke was by their sides, now standing between the two boys and the drone now known as Idaado. ”Miss Laurke, I—“

”No, you listen.” There was a sharpness in her tone that could have cut her worker in half. A shape moved nearby Nictor and Mahmud, and it took a few dizzying moments to register that it was, indeed, the previously pelted clerk. From the look on their face, they were in just as much shock as everyone else in this situation. Or at least, that’s how Mahmud registered that. After all, he couldn’t really concentrate at all on anything except keeping his lunch together in his stomach. ”Despite having caused this ruckus, these two are still customers. Correct?”

”Well, yes but—“

”And at Blue Beetle, customers come first, correct?”

”… correct.” there was a defeat in their tone, as they dropped their threatening pose to a far more calm one. ”I’m sorry, it’s just…” And the drone then looked at Nictor, then a nasty glance to Mahmud, then back to Miss Laurke. ”He um…” It was strange, seeing a drone become sheepish around his boss. Had he not been ready to s**t his pants, Mahmud would have remarked on that more. Instead, he watched as the drone waved their hands in his direction. Gog. Even that was making him sick to his stomach to watch. ”He’s the one responsible for the accident I told you about, the reason I limp. As I stated in my interview.” Again, it was real strange to watch them become essentially a kicked woofbeast.

Miss Laurke pondered on this for a moment, only a moment, before stating ”I will speak to you about this incident afterwards. In the meantime…” Wait, was she turning her attention to him now? s**t. ”You, young man, have caused emotional hardship on my employees, and have made a scene. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Mahmud whimpered. He then tried to squirm away from both her and Nictor, glancing at the door.

”Aah. I see.” She tapped her nail against her lip as she contemplated what to do. ”Well then. Seeing as this is a first offense, and you are a loyal customer… I will let you off with a warning. As well, I will be speaking to Idaado about their behavior. However.” Her gaze turned a little cold, as she narrowed her eyes at Mahmud. ”Should I find you purposefully harassing my employees, the punishment shall be swift and severe. Understood?” Mahmud was stunned. ”I said, do you understand?” On that note he rapidly nodded his head, despite the nausea this dragged up. ”Good. Nictor.” Again her attention turned to Nictor and she nodded to him. ”I will send you the bill. I expect you both know the way out.” On that note she turned on her heel and walked towards her office again.

”What…” The clerk was probably more stunned by this turn of events than anybody here. ”Who are you people?” For a moment they stood there in stunned silence before finally shuffling off to continue their duties.

There was a long time before Mahmud said or did anything. Instead he stayed frozen in Nictor’s embrace, and as Nictor was only held up by Mahmud, he was only held up by Nictor. In a few minutes a stranger saved his life, after also wrecking a grocery store with him. This was too much. Everything was too much. Everything---

Turning his head away from Nictor, Mahmud finally let loose his lunch all over the floor. There was a small, distressed wail in the background (likely the clerk who had to clean this mess). After a few moments of silence, his head still turned away, Mahmud turned back to Nictor with a sick look on his face.

”Lets go…” Sounding glum, Mahmud attempted to wiggle away from Nictor now that the feeling of illness when he moved had passed. ”I’ll… I’ll get you something. But we gotta talk.” It was only when he managed to get to his feet that he looked at the troll, misty eyed, and whispered ”Thank you.”

taki-di

 

[Taki-di]

Nictor heard his own voice breaking with startling clarity, the world brought into a sharp and grating relief in the moment of truth. His vision was blurred, liquid staining his cheeks, breathing harsh, feeling the burn of adrenaline in his think pan and pump biscuit. He could smell the drone’s breath and it would make Nictor dizzy if it weren’t for the panic that had risen to control him, somehow keeping him rooted in place, rooted in this moment and not spiraling off onto tangents. Nictor heard his name, heard the tone lose some of its edge, but meaning did not register until the drone was withdrawing. Instead a new form was between them, and Nictor’s startle was delayed, but the drone was farther away now and Nictor could not tear his eyes away from the fearsome figure.

Miss Laurke was nothing if not efficient, dressing down her employees as she would unruly children. The drone was visibly cowed, but the fear that had tugged him into position in front of Mahmud was still trilling. What if the drone lunged past her anyway, what if they were still mad, this wasn’t over. Except it was. Somehow, inexplicably, the danger had passed but Nictor didn’t feel any better.

His eyes were still blown, hooked on the drone until they had retreated, turning around some shelves before there was a voice cutting into the developing static in his thinkpan, one he had gotten good at responding to. Nictor jerked to look at Miss Laurke, wincing as an ache blossomed behind his eyes and pulsed down through his body, leaving him somewhat dizzy in its wake.

“Yes ma’am,” Nictor uttered, somehow steady, sounding distant to his own spongeclots, the clarity from moments before ebbing into a cloud of confusion. She was already striding away, leaving them to collect themselves, but his eyes trailed after her, feeling lost. Nictor had tensed some as the addled clerk had stomped away, but they were forgotten quickly when out of sight. Nictor just. Sat there. Stunned. Unable to parse what had just occurred. The string of events made no sense. The visceral urge to run, to flee, had withdrawn back to usual levels, muffled the farther the threat got away, but the tension still remained, the dredges of adrenaline still making his kin feel funny. Something was settling in place of the panic, a calm that wasn’t a calm but he didn’t know how to phrase it but he felt like his fingers and thoughts were going numb.

He jumped slightly, delayed, as Mahmud suddenly jerked in his hold and Nictor belated realized they were still plastered together, and gave a mild sort of frown at the pool of bile. That. Made sense. Sort of. Still, Nictor mad no motions until Mahmud was standing up and murmuring softly, somehow managing to filter in with the growing fuzz in Nictor’s senses.

“O-okay,” Nictor managed, staring up at Mahmud for a few moments too long. His brow crunched a bit at the soft words, uncomprehending. They made sense but didn’t make sense for some reason but that’s oaky Nictor needed to get up now. Come on, up. Up!

Clumsily, Nictor made his way to his feet, swaying dangerously, his shaking having withdrawn, only to leave him looking horribly unsteady. Outside, leaving, they needed to go, they were supposed to…

Nictor visibly swallowed, giving a slight nod at Mahmud before moving towards the door in an almost trance. The calm that had briefly settled over Nictor held tenuously for the trip to the door, bumping off a produce bin and stumbling slightly, but managing to not knock anything else over.

As the automatic doors slid shut behind them, the brisk night air cut against their faces and the noise of city life washed over them. To Nictor’s spongeclots it was muted though, growing more meaningless by the second because the moment the doors closed he had frozen on the spot, staring into the distance. If Mahmud has said anything else, Nictor didn’t here him as the static drowned out everything else unti-

It had taken a few minutes for what had happened to catch up to him, waiting for the self-preservation panic that would not let him do nothing in face of true danger to abandon him before reality stuck.

Nictor gasped, feeling like he’d just been dunked in ice water, the thread calm breaking as a different panic set in.

{i]That had actually just happened.

Nictor stumbled, his legs crumpling under him, and he barely made it to a wall without braining himself as he slid into a fetal position, pressing his face against his legs, eyes wide open but unseeing as he kept dragging air in but it didn’t feel like it was enough. The shaking was back in force, hands fisting his pants tightly to hold them still and keep them from digging into skin, every breath sounding like a whine being squeezed out of his lungs.

It didn’t feel real, it shouldn’t have been real, Nictor had never put himself on the line like that and it was terrifying but apparently he had-

This was not the panic of social anxiety gone wrong, this was true mortal fear, the belated understanding that Nictor had thrown himself between a real threat and another troll without knowing why the threat was there, just that it was. The drone had been about to choke him. No, no not him. Mahmud. The drone had been reaching with arms thick as tree branches, hands like a shovel, thick and powerful and dangerous. Mahmud was going to be choked to death and Mahmud has seen it coming and had been scared. The kind of scared that had dogged Nictor so often, but it wasn’t just an overblown reaction, it was real. Real real real, the malice has been palpable, the motion violent. The drone was going to choke Mahmud until he wasn’t because he was going to choke Nictor because Nictor was in between them and the drone had stopped no choking had occurred except-

A full body shudder passed through Nictor.

In this moment, all he wanted was to curl up against Bee’s side and pretend the world didn’t exist. It was so hard to stop thinking what almost happened and what did happen which was he was okay, Mahmud was okay, it was fine. That didn’t make him not scared though.

It took- well, he didn’t know how long it took for the attack to release him, the height of the panic pass and letting his surroundings filter back in, stiff and uncomfortable and achy and there was still tape stuck to his damn face and hair wasn’t there.

Skyli Peep

I would like the record to show that u did in fact ask for this