F R A C T U R E D

“It’s just one of many” Delphine replied raising a brow. She noted his tone but moved on for it. She liked it when people were surprised by her. “ And  I like the way you think when it comes to the money thing, but why not have it be a good drink for free when it seems like you need it.”

               “I have a feeling that your idea of decent beer and shitty music isn’t the same as me. Although there’s a bar not far from here that has that whole grumpy gills feel to it with busty women as waitresses and old-time rock playing,” she said before letting her smile radiate her lips.

“This place isn’t satisfying enough for your highness?” Jonah questioned. He’d be fine with leaving, but he wanted to be rude. 

                    Blaze had to hold back a scoff listening to his reply. “Sounds depressing.” He commented before finally leading the way. A normal person would have shown at least a little bit of concern. But then, Blaze had broken a long time ago, enough to shut out any kind of sign that he actually gave a shit about other peoples problems. Everyone had problems, sure, Blaze just didn’t want to be the one to hear them.

“I haven’t been really out drinking since an incident that happened a few months back.” She chuckled softly though what happened still followed her after everything. “Do you know if any new places opened recently? Maybe we could check them out.”

“So I am frequently told, but the artists I like are called classic for a reason,” Arthur replied with a light chuckle, purposefully not talking about what Arthur was sure was on both their minds. “I wasn’t,” He joked. Despite his jovial manner there was clearly something missing from his usual cheerful self. “Come on, it’s just around the corner.”  

                   “That’s what you say.” Jackson jested without the tone sounding all that whimsical as it should have, but he was trying his best. It was difficult in this moment to not let the flood gates open, to not ask about Devon and how they were all doing --- they had always been connected but now they were connected in a whole new way that felt like a huge hole was ripping through each of them he was sure. “Great. --- Saw Addison yesterday; she wasn’t all too pleased to see me.”

Addison had been awake for about two hours now. And she was still processing her parents’ words; the new reality they’d ushered into her life within a matter of seconds. She’d just sat there, staring as they explained what had happened. What they’d had to do. Replaced the bones. And as much as she could see it broke their hearts to have to tell her, to have to see her go through this, it devastated Addison in a way she couldn’t explain. It felt like instead of cutting of her leg, they’d cut off an entire part of herself. And she didn’t have a say. The ache of the blow settled in her chest, ballooning to point of feeling too big for her rib cage and somehow crushing it at the same time in a way only Devon’s death had before. It hurt to the point of numbing her all over, even more than she already was. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t feel her legs, Kels would fix that, but the rest? She was stuck. And Addison couldn’t take that. Not now. Trapped in a hospital with nowhere to go and her parents’ words on loop. Replaced the bones. Replaced the bones. Replaced. The. Bones. 

But maybe her lack of mobility was for the best because the moment she heard his voice, the Vale froze. It was almost immediate, the shift from a stunned silence to a quiet anger few every truly saw. One he’d never been on the receiving end of until now. Addison might’ve still been groggy from the anesthesia but not groggy enough to ignore this– her breathing slowing picking up as her heart rate did, chest rising and falling as she balled her hands into fists, finger monitor be damned. His quip fell flat and silence was the only thing between them for a solid minute as sharp eyes contained an ire that couldn’t be expressed. It took her a moment to speak, voice rasping, actually shaking from anger. “Get the hell away from me.” Even though he was standing by the door, it was still too close for the Vale who’d have flown across the room in a fury were she able to and not stuck in a hospital bed. 

It felt strange, the cemetery was almost crowded in contrast to how eerie and silent it usually might have been, a testament to those lost in what she could only describe as an attack on the city, because questioning it any further left her head spinning with the uncertainty of what she didn’t know, which by the sounds of things, was a lot. The palms of her hands began to sweat the longer she stood feet away from Devon’s grave, side by side with Matt’s. She didn’t understand the premise of how any of it had happened. How her best friend, as well as her fiance had..— No they hadn’t, that’s what Teddy said. They hadn’t done this to themselves, Cinda and everyone else hadn’t missed the signs, and yet she still couldn’t swallow the thought that someone else had ripped them; both of them, and Dylan from their lives. Nothing was meant to be this complicated, it wasn’t her life and it wasn’t at all how she’d ever imagined anything working, but there she stood; over two of the most important people in her lives buried six feet below, wrapped below the light fabric of her clothing so thick with bandaging it was almost stifling, Cinda was expected back at the hospital soon, only given the afternoon after one of the nurses agreed to come with her. Blank stares only turned to something more when she heard nearing footsteps and recognition flared in eyes that previously held nothing but a hollow confliction of grief, “— Jack.” It hit her like a wave of relief, but it felt like anything but, Cinda wasting no time in ignoring her body protest against too much movement that blossomed in pain as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, heat becoming a deep discomfort she refused to care about. “I thought..– When… I missed you.” 

@jackscnking​ 

“I can guarantee the good beer, but most the places I know have shitty music,” Arthur responded with a slight shrug. “But then I don’t listen to almost anything that’s considered modern so that might be why I don’t like it.” 

           “Its because you have shitty taste in music, Art, always have.” Jack teased while giving the eldest Vale his best attempt at a warm smile; something that didn’t come all too easy these days. “Eh, the good beer is enough to sell me at this point so don’t worry yourself too much.”

“I always know the bet places in town to drink., it’s kind of my thing. Follow me, I’ll take you somewhere you don’t have to pay for drinks” Del replied throwing any sort of rivalries any species have for the added benefit of drinking. She started off in the direction and glanced back at him.

                 “Yeah whatever, this way.” If Blaze had his way he wouldn’t have even gone with anyone. Yet, here he is trying his best to not be the natural asshole that he was. “Why? Got somewhere to be?” That lasted.

          “If you really want to cop an attitude I can always go without you.” The other retorted in light jest. 

“You’re not going to find any place like that here, the only thing you’re gonna’ find down this way is dive bars you’ll get stabbed in. Six blocks over. I’m off duty in twenty so I’ll just meet you there.” He shrugged, “Think you can handle that all on your own, King?”

“Don’t think you’d like my kind of bar, mate.” Grinning, John skipped down the way and barely managed to pass pedestrians walking along rather than knock right into them. “Not really your kind of place,” based on the smell of his blood anyway, “you should go to Sanctuary rather than the Red Cross.” 

                    Never one to shy away from danger, or perhaps it was just pure stubbornness and not liking when other’s told him what to do (a King family trait they knew all too well) Jackson found himself scoffing at the advice from the other, eyes looking in the direction of the infamous Red Cross that he had in fact frequented more than he card to admit. “If I was looking for a fight, I’d go there but tonight, no, tonight I think the Cross is perfect.”

CJ shot him a look because he should’ve known he was asking the wrong person but with all the shit going on between half her siblings landing in the hospital, no leads at work or on their mother, she could use another drink. “Ohara’s isn’t shit. That’s two blocks down.” She and the King weren’t exactly friends but they were amicable enough. She remembered his family’s condolences when Oliver died and she knew while his parents were going through the motions as people did, his were actually sincere and for someone who saw through bullshit like a crystal glass, CJ appreciated that.