fwhup~ fwhup~
Her hair, softness embodied.
"Huhh..."
She closed her eyes, her mouth slightly agape while she dried her hair with a cool towel—rubbing in a circular manner, her tufts dancing with each rub before pulling them gently.
She blinked a few times, staring at her reflection—a tired face with a cool expression. A few white and blue strands drifted over her vision, unfocused. Sierra wiped the mirror once and her unruly hair came into view. She set the towel on the open cabinet beside her.
Sienna grabbed the hair dryer and pressed the power button. It blew to life and aimed it at her wrist before twisting its knob.
Her band-aids long removed, the little crystals gleaming under the light, each one reflecting the bathroom. Both hands covered in an abundance of them with one reaching her forearm.
She ignored the crystals and lifted the hair dryer to her head, shutting her eyes and lips tight. The warm rush pushed across her scalp while the pain in her hands eased under the noise.
A necklace rested on her neck, simple in every respect—something straight out of any animation. A thin brown cord held a small vial that swayed lightly with every move.
Running her fingers through her hair, untangling the mess with each pass for several minutes.
She shut it off, placing it on the counter before her before heaving a sigh out.
Sienna dug in the small basket directly under the mirror, shuffling past expired medicine and old recipients. Her hand finding what she needed most—pain killers.
She twisted it open before popping two, no, three pills onto her hand and discarding the now empty bottle. Her head tipped back, covering her mouth, with water following a moment later—courtesy of Coagulation.
Her hands grabbing onto the counter while she stared back into her reflection.
She turned around before opening the door, her slippers padding her steps as she walked to the bed. Her clothes levitating off the floor, following her out.
The driver and the rest of her discarded attire laid onto the mattress haphazardly, while her white medical bag laid aside—her hands grabbed the jacket, rummaging its two front pockets for anything inside.
Once she was done, she grabbed her shorts—they were a faded dark blue, with the faintest of green and white but shorts none the less.
Loose enough to not cause a distraction, and long enough to not cause her embarrassment.
When she finished unbuckling the brown pouch, she grabbed the belt from one side and yanked all at once. The belt causing whiplash across her arm.
The belt carried a deep brown tone, glossy and firm to the touch, with a black buckle that caught a sharp flash of light.
Once the jacket and shorts rested folded in her arm, she looked beyond the bedroom's window that glowed with the city afar and took the staircase down—a straight shot to the first floor.
When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she pivoted one eighty degrees. Her eyes settling on the spacious laundry room.
Sienna walked around the island dead center and found herself staring at a washer hard at work, she took a step to the side towards an unused one.
She opened it before walking away, the dirty clothes tossing themselves inside before a few detergent pods laid on the island launched themselves into it well.
The washer's door slammed shut before it powered on. She moved through the open doorway and took a right turn, passing the garage on her left.
Taking a few more steps before hitting a left, passing a small furnished lounge and another left.
The turn brought her past a set of stairs on her left with a living space to her right. She cut through the pantry in front, sidestepping the island with ease before opening another door.
The smell of food hit her nose—rich, savory, warm, just like the person who made it.
There sat Ikade, perched at the dining table, eating with one hand while doom scrolling through her phone with the other. The TV played somewhere further back in the main living room, its light flickering over the walls of concrete, stone, and wood.
Sienna pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. The wooden squares of the ceiling above gave the room a cozy texture. She clasped her hands for a moment—giving her blessings and asking for others—and then, without hesitation, she began to eat.
Sienna dug into the bountiful harvest of food in front of her. She grabbed her fork and her other hand reached for a few slices of homemade bread, dipping one into the sauce.
Her utensils clattered, and she took a swig of red sake with real gusto. The pasta waited below, covered in a heavy sauce that supported the chicken on top, sprinkled with a few greens.
She ate and ate until her chest felt heavy from the food, Ikade peeked at her every once in a while—the smile on her face never fading.
"Hic!"
Hiccup echoed softly throughout the living room. Her head resting on Ikade's lap, her eyes half-open and glossy from food and exhaustion. The feline absent-mindedly focused on the TV while her tail curled lazily against the couch.
On the screen, a drama was reaching its climax.
「You promised you'd come back!」
A woman cried, her voice cracking as rain hammered against a window.
The camera cut to a man standing under a sign, bleeding from his side and trying to smile.「I did come back…just not the same way.」
"That line was shitty—" Ikade muttered, flicking a chip crumb from Sienna's cheek.
"Who writes this stuff?"
"Hh-hic! Don't be mean…"
Sienna slurred, reaching for the bowl beside her and missing by a few inches before finally grabbing a handful. "He's…dying. Let him be dramatic."
"He's been dying for three episodes." Ikade adjusted her sitting position, lowering the volume a notch.
"If I ever take that long to die, just shoot me twice."
Sienna didn't respond, a mouthful of chips already in her mouth, her voice muffled while she chewed. Crumbs rolled down her chin and onto Ikade's thigh.
「Don't you see? You were my reason!」
The woman on the screen shouted, clinging to the wounded man.
"Agh, now she's crying again!" Ikade groaned, reaching for the remote.
"No—no—leave it!"
Sienna flailed a hand weakly toward the screen, crumbs falling down to the floor. "I wanna see if he actually dies this time."
"No."
The screen went black, and her hand dropped limply, hitting the sofa. Ikade stood and finished the remaining chips.
"I'm going to bed. I'm too tired to stay awake any longer."
The feline waved lazily at her while she walked away, stepping on the two steps to the dining table. Her tail almost touching the ground.
Sienna stretched her limbs and stared into the ceiling, feeling the blood flow to her head.
For a while, she just stared at the ceiling, caught between rest and the pull of her afterwork. Doing nothing would only make it worse—
Pushing herself off the sofa, her feet carrying her through the dining room. Her eyes lingered on the wall of bushes and foliage running parallel to a stone wall. She moved through the pantry stocked with goods, then took a right turn at the first staircase that led upward.
Sienna walked to her old bedroom upstairs, a short mission to grab the driver still on the bed.
Quickly, she walked into the room before she grabbed a circular device loosely clothed, still laid in her bed.
In the blink of an eye, she found herself typing in a passcode. The garage door unlocking after a week of nothing.
The cool air from the large garage rolled over her, too much for comfort. Even without a certain thing, Sienna could manage and the temperature warmed to a comfortable degree.
Her fingers found a switch on the wall and flicked it up. Light flooded the space, revealing her prized possession in full brilliance.
Her eyes adjusted to the light, finding her most recent project on a lift—it was low, sleek and black and its front was gutted entirely, only the wires hanging from its chassis remained.
Even its front suspension was missing, and under the car laid said missing piece. Part of it at least, its steering rack laid on a pallet—the wheels covering the coilovers.
Other parts lined the wall on her left.
Her gaze shifted right, and finding her most recently completed project—a glossy lime-green beast with silver rims. Its rear tapered into the shape of a wagon, even though it wasn't one.
A wider body than originally before she looked further down.
In the soft glow, sat Ikade's own—a bright orange car missing its rear bumper, wide wheels jutting from its low stance, planted to the ground, it's fitment impeccable.
But we couldn't forget the shitbox in front of it, the small truck parked parallel to the garage door with its rusted passenger door.
On the wall sat a large CNC machine, occupying the center. Hoists, chains, clustered boxes, and a welding machine bolted to the wall filled the rest, its cable running up the wall and hanging from the ceiling.
She walked toward the machines and glanced left, where her equipment for all the different assignments hung on the wall, doubling as storage for other fabrication pieces.
Separated by a thick sheet of glass—the bottom two thirds an opaque, the room stood in silence.
Sliding the door open, a table covered in dismantled bits revealed itself.
She grabbed the rolling chair to her right, spun it around, and dropped onto it. A push from her foot sent her gliding across the floor, riding the smooth concrete, stopping before a laptop.
Sienna unplugged its charger and pointed toward the clustered workstation beside the table. Her driver tossed itself onto the surface, and she rolled her way toward it.
Shoving part of the mess aside, a few items dropping between her feet before kicking them out of the way and opening her laptop.
Her hands reached for a smaller cable hanging from the front of the station, pulling it out from a half broken container.
She leaned to one side of the laptop before plugging in the cable, Her finger finding the power.
The screen loading later a second. Her button mashing echoed in the room, its background taking over. She then scrolled around to find a program.
Its icon was that of a paperclip as she pressed it twice, while it loaded—
Sienna stood up, her hands moving over the driver, moving to the micro rig fixed to its side, fumbling her way to a pin under it, then pulling hard.
Clnkk!
She set it aside, digging again and pulling another one towards her—her knuckles bashing into the metal bracket holding it.
Hija de—!
Repeated the motion six more times, working through the rig and the trauma bag next to it. Both brackets began to slide off so she grabbed them and hung them on a nearby hanger, moving the cover to the side.
Wrapping her finger through a hoop and pulling hard to left side, a panel lifted off the driver's chassis slightly.
Sienna grabbed the panel and pushed left until it disconnected completely. She ignored the wrinkled sky blue cloth—focusing on the three dots blinking near the right corner. Two dots, a steady green glow while the third flashed red.
Her humming filled the room before she leaned over her laptop, clicking the music icon twice and letting her playlist appear.
A song sat paused mid way, tapping the first track with little hesitation. It began with silence, then connected to the speakers in the room, the music rising to life.
Let me wake up in your arms, you say it's not alright~♪
She pressed the volume close to its limit. Her hand wrapping around the cable and sliding her palm down its length.
Peeking back at the open panel, she inserted the end of the cable into a port right under the glowing lights.
Sienna sat back down and scrolled past a handful of programs and useless files until she found the one she wanted.
It offered a few options while Sienna checked several boxes, scrolling back up and hitting the run button.
The screen blacked out for a moment before a loading bar took center.
Her hands holding onto the stock of the driver, pulling it towards herself. Its weight making it difficult, stubbornly scraping her workstation—adding another dent.
Once the stock slid past the edge of it—an opaque arrow with its tail forming a circle appeared over the driver, glowing red.
PSHHHH—! CLUNK!
Something extended from its stock, prompting her to grab its hilt—a faded yellow with black lines. Sienna pulled on it, and the crumpled white cloth near the hilt began to decompress, rough like stiff fabric.
Once removed, a thin trail of brownish-black liquid dripped from the exposed end.
Snapping her finger.
Rrr—Rrt—Rrk!
Plastic wheels rolled across the ground and a cart slammed into her leg.
Sienna set it on the cart, letting the droplets paint the plastic instead of her workstation. Two minutes of the song already slipped by. She could hear the sound of liquid moving about inside the driver, barely audible air bubbles running through its length.
Her eyes drifted to the container hanging from the workstation, rummaging through the bundle cables until her fingers closed around a small box.
Opening the box—a single chips laid in place, inserting it in the laptop.
A soft sweetness drifted into her nose, her mind barely registering it.
She pulled up another program before a green drop painted the table. A prompt blinked into view between before accepting the terms.
A few lines of code flickered across half her vision before compressing into a single line, sliding up and over to the side.
Her laptop screen began to fill with lines of information before another window overrode it, pulling her eyes.
Those two should be fine. I only replaced them a few weeks ago, lubricant's fine too I guess...
But it keeps losing coolant pressure...
Drip—drip drip drip.
Glancing at the half-dismantled driver, green fluid still slipping out of it.
"Whut?!"
If she'd had water in her mouth, she would've done a spit-take. Sienna rolled closer to the cart and snatched a handful of shop towels from below, wiping her workstation and stuffing a few under the leaking tube.
"Auuh! I literally changed you before I left! C'mon...Hahhh..."
She grabbed her head with both hands, fully aware she'd already tried to fix it once and knew exactly how much of a pain it would be.
Sienna glanced around her workstation, looking for her cheater bar to provide some leverage.
Quickly, she grabbed them and put them in front of her, slipping on a fresh pair of latex gloves. The next song already playing loudly throughout the garage.
She stuff a few towels under the fitting before grabbing the wrench and carefully catching the hose.
With a push, using her weight—the fitting loosened, bashing her knuckles onto the desk. The glove doing little to help while she rubbed the forming bruise.
"Dammit."
She calmed her nerves before walking to a few boxes flat against the wall, opening them to grab some O-rings.
Sienna unscrewed the fitting while the leak began to get larger, with a sudden pull—it came loose, but having to yank the old ring stuck inside, both gloves coating quickly in coolant.
Their was no need to lubricate it since the spilling coolant was enough, She set the fitting back into position and tightened it to her limit.
She took a couple of moments to tighten it with the wrench, then looked toward the other end of the fitting, sitting barely an inch from the cable.
She pulled one glove off and freed the cable from the port.
The cover would hide the fitting, so there wasn't much more she could do.
Another hose was shoved under the one she'd just fixed, wedged deeper inside, while the other end was covered by another panel—that fitting and panel was one piece.
Sienna's eyes flicked toward the two blinking yellow chip icon in the corner, dismissing both after reading what they were.
Sitting down, she grabbed the flash light from the cart and illuminated the empty spot at the back of her driver.
The fluid looked clean with no flakes anywhere in sight, promptly sliding the tube back into place—a tube full of potential, a battery pouch.
who was the guy who named it this? its not even a pouch.
She stood up and reached higher toward the back wall, her fingers closing around the hose coiled on its hoist. She pulled the lever near the nozzle and brought it closer to where the scope would sit—if the driver had been a firearm.
She pressed down, forcing it in despite the awkward angle. If Sienna had checked her neck, she would've seen a small green light rapidly flickering when the driver's inner barrel begun to spin.
Both the lubricant and coolant pumps whirred to life. Sienna squeezed the lever parallel to the ground, listening to the pump overhead pushing coolant through the driver.
The hose moved sharply with a metallic click, a drop down appearing on the white wall, lines of information flashing through.
The pressure began to climb for both, only removing the nozzle once it had enough coolant in it.
She stared at the fitting for any new leaks, the hose rising back up on its own after letting go.
The spinning barrel begun to change to a glossy dark brown like oxidation, it was nothing bad so she ignored it.
Sienna waved her hand like swatting at a bug with the information collapsing into a smaller form.
mmhaa…what...time is it? Ah, its just past midnight.
With her gloves removed, she recoupled the metal panel back onto its body.
Sienna grabbed her rig and trauma kit still stuck on their brackets, giving them a firm yank after attaching them to the driver.
The barrel soon stopped spinning, she unzipped it and removed the useless waste that remained inside.
Further to the left, a container was attached. One of metal, the main shape colored matte black—slimmer than a briefcase.
A slim handle rested near the bottom, tracing the gunmetal inner frame with a finger.
The back of her head thumped briefly, and her driver levitated, flipping to the other side then slammingthe desk with—thunk.
A crossbow crossed her view, worn and battered. Its container was slightly different, only just holding onto its stock, distorting the overall shape.
She grabbed the cases handle and pulled harshly, un-collapsing it a couple times.
"Oh, thank Terra! It didn't break!"
Under it, the other two battery pouches remained firm against it. They looked fine, so she pushed her focus somewhere else.
Her gaze flicked to the two particular objects angled forwards, a dull red with a black matte handle at the top with their flattened bodies.
"Extinguishers are okay too."
"Hahhh..."
Leaning back onto her chair, she covered her face with one arm.
Her mind ran to somewhere and nowhere, the exhausting creeping in. Sienna spun around with the chair, her hair catching the wind while she slowed down.
"I can't do this forever."
She said to no one in particular, the music drowning her voice out.
Sienna reached over and closed her laptop, the music stopping at the same time. Her fingers grabbing the chip in her neck and yanking it out, tossing it next to the laptop.
Her mind and heart already aware how much she needed to sleep properly, her muscles still sore but better than the past week.
"I'll... do the rest tomorrow." She muttered. "I just need sleep."
Sienna stood up, already done for the day as she walked out the door, dragging her feet along.
The silence inside was heavy, the garage would soon cool down.
She passed through the secondary living room—more of a lounge now than anything else, and crossed straight toward the hallway opposite to the stairs. Each light she turned off plunged another piece of the house into darkness.
The room was split in two with a bathroom joining both sides, but she didn't care for the layout. She moved through repetition alone, brushing her teeth half-asleep.
Her eyes drooping shut before she even rinsed. When she lifted her head, her reflection looked back with cool eye. She stared for but a breath, then shut the lights.
Her feet carried her to Ikade's side.
She slipped off her slippers and crawled beneath the covers, wrapping her arms around the feline's waist. Her face finding those fluffy feline ears, the faint scent of warmth and home filling her lungs.
Her spirit yearned for the warmth of something familiar, closing her eyes.
Sienna shoulders relaxed, joints stiff and in pain like every other day. Who needed pain killers when Ikadium was a thing.
"fhh—hh..."
Sleep.
More sleep.
Hours of sleep.
"Mmhh..."
Her eye's fluttered open, her pupils slowly adjusting to the light with the bedroom around her was blurry, something that had becoming increasingly common these past few weeks.
She burrowed herself deeper, with Ikade no longer at her side, her heart turned slightly blue.
I can sleep in right? I'm...too...
A pillow landed softly on her face, its padding offering some relief.
She pushed the soft pillow away with her head, her tufts becoming unruly and uncomfortable while Ikade perched above her.
It was the mischievous feline in the flesh, her half lidded eyes with a soft smile. Wearing a simple, long sleeve knitted sweater—cream colored with a light brown skirt that reached her calves.
Ikade backed away before pushing a bit of hair behind her ear.
"So?" Ikade asked, voice light with mild amusement.
"What's the verdict?"
Leaning over a bit, showing off the gentle curve of her charm when she clasped one hand over the other.
Part of her hair covering her an eye.
Sienna voice came out muffled, covered by the blanket weighting her down.
"Thanks...for the treat."
She rolled her legs, the blanket sliding off her form while the sunlight hit her face. Ikade had wandered to the restroom, rummaging through drawers for something.
Pushing herself up to her wrist feeling tired, Sierra rubbed on it before getting off the bed. She swung her feet off the bed to catch her slippers.
Sienna stood up once both feet caught their prey, walking to their closet and opening it up. The doors swung open.
She pulled out a big blue and fluffy jacket, having to pull its side that barely fit the drawer. Sienna scrimmaged for a pair of pants, which she found rather quickly.
Its was a straight fit with some wear and fade from usage, She crouched to open another cabinet, fishing out a crop top the same color of her eyes, though a little duller, the fabric rough to the touch.
The clothes landed on the bed in a soft pile. She slipped into them quickly, tugging her jacket straight before she checked herself out. The crop stopped just above her belly button, her necklace still resting against her chest, the faint glint of the vial catching the light.
Ikade appeared behind her, brushing her hair with lazy intent while she walked closer. Without shoes, the difference in their height was obvious—Sienna had her three inches over her.
They both sat on the bed when the mattress dipping under their weight. Ikade hummed softly to the brushing of the tufts above her head, bundling them back into their own bundle.
Her eyes flicked downward for a moment, catching the faint curve of skin peeking under the Sienna's jacket before looking away.
Sienna lifted her wrist, tapping the screen that quickly showed a date.
January 14, 1635 CE
It did not take much time for Sienna to find herself brushing her teeth, washing the toothpaste out her mouth, applying some deodorant and put band-aids back on her wrists and left forearm—already injecting herself with her lifeline.
Sienna took her ass to it dining room and grabbed one of the bread slices. The two of them chatted about nothing on the way to the garage, the feline already holding the keys and handing them to her.
They passed the door, Sienna eyeing the small dot in the middle of her vision, opaque like every other thing as she focused on it—it had a car silhouette in its center. And not a moment later, the garage began to push open outwards.
"Let's take mine."
Sienna said, already walking ahead.
"I haven't had much time behind her lately."
They both climbed in as they buckled themselves up inside the lime green car, its tan interior a tease to the eyes.
Pressing the clutch and pushing handbrake down, she turned the key as it cranked to life in all of its six hundred and ninety two horsepower. The car idled for twenty seconds as she crept forward, bleeping the throttle as it front lifted slightly.
Once out, the light bouncing off the concrete below—she passed her Alfi parked at an angle near the front door, the garage closing shut when they passed the gate.
Sienna coasted forward, her foot pressing deeper, and deeper. The RPM climbed, the growl of the engine swelling through the cabin until the exhaust screamed back at the world. Ikade's ears flattening, covering her ears with her hands.
The stutter of her set up tickled her ear with its distinct tone.
The car rolled onto the street when she found the chance, annoying everyone else while a few people recorded their car.
The flames leaving the rear almost touching the front bumper of another.
What was once supposed to take forty minutes, double as they drove around the car—fooling around and they'd had gotten carried away, which eventually became bloody.
Spitting rubber and punches, even finding herself be pushed onto the ground.
But that was a story for another time. Ikade sipped through her straw while music played inside the car, the two of them waiting for traffic to budge. They were barely five minutes from their destination, so Sienna made the executive decision to pull into the parking lot on her left.
She paid ahead for an hour and let the car roll into a corner spot. Shutting the engine off and slipping it into reverse, before pulling the handbrake.
They got out and started walking to the familiar building which took five minutes.
"More police this time huh?"
Ikade took the last sip of her drink before tossing it in a nearby bin.
"Mmmhm."
Sienna lifted her jacket, scanning the line of parked cruisers.
"All these festivals been making everyone rowdy."
Their feet took them to their destination, walking through the normal looking building and getting closer to the receptionist.
"Sup."
Sienna waved at the receptionist, walking past him without stop. Only getting a grunt back when she pressed the elevator call button.
A chime rang out when the elevator doors slid open. She stepped inside while Ikade pressed the button for the fifth floor. The first time Ikade had seen what was above nearly gave her a heart attack.
"Cant you take us up there Ikade?"
Sienna asked while staring at the number in front of them increasing, her tone flat and bored.
"Nope!" Ikade said, drawing the pause out on purpose just to make her wait.
A sly grin tugged at her lips.
"How can I go through something that isn't there?"
Sienna sighed softly at the response.
The door opened up to a rather normal looking place, looking to some degree better than a semi prestige hotel.
If it weren't for the number of people sprinkled around—others like her who'd only recently returned and were using the time to breathe—she would've felt the weight of the place even more.
Most people wore regular clothes, a few dressing a little flashier. But no normal person would wander in here—not once they looked past the glass wall on the right, lined with weapons.
If they even managed to get on.
A few short blades, a handful of different modeled crossbows, three firearms consisting of two pistols and a rifle, but mostly populated by modernized staves of all makes. Most of them recreational but still functional to some degree.
A few disassembled weapons and older pieces of gear leaned against the wall like a set piece. Nobody paid them any mind—no one here needed to pretend.
She made her way through, nodding or offering small smiles to the familiar faces scattered around. At the end of the hall, she slipped through a door and stepped into a small bar where food sizzled on the stove. She gave her quick hellos before following the curve of the building and pushing through the next set of doors.
What stood before them was a handsome man in a neat suit, and beside him a much larger man with black hair. Both were of the canine variety, their tails swaying lazily. Sienna was sure she'd heard their names before, but there was no shot she was going to remember them now.
None of them said a word when she walked past them, her eyes flicking to the bushy beard covering part of the taller man's face. He wore a chest carrier, his rifle tucked under his arm and resting along the length of his side.
Sienna ignored the sturdy shield rest on the well dressed man's leg, a faded color with deep marks and depressions riddling its center.
She knocked once and, without waiting for a reply, pushed the doors open. Ikade at least had the decency to announce herself.
"Yo!"
"Hello."
Ikade said, waving with both hands like a polite student trying to balance out her partner's ignorance. Sierra waved her hand lazily, not even raising her arm all the way up.
Their voices overlapped, the difference in tone vast as their personalities.
There sat a man in a cluttered but spacious room, a few folders sat on his side while he clicked on a keyboard. The interior was furnished rather well if not aged in a way that pleased her eye.
Two children darted out from behind a couch, rushing past Sienna and wrapping their arms around Ikade instead.
"Y'know...can you at least let me respond before you barge in."
His voice was slightly hoarse, his once navy blue hair had started to become grey. His canine ears still greyed out.
"Why would I ever do that?"
Sienna titled her head slightly, the grin forming on her face made the man wish he could wash it with soap.
The man looked at them—eyes that were painted with a dull green and full of experience, his physique had thinned down but was otherwise healthy for his age.
"Why cant you be like little Ikade?"
She clenched he teeth when her grin faded, her pointy canines glared at him in a rude manner.
"How has your day been, Edo?"
Ikade started talking while Sienna muttered to herself, but the two men kept their conversation going, brushing right past her that left her faintly wounded.
"Its been well, Maria is shopping today so she wont be back till later."
Edo's accent was barely even a thing anymore, all these years and it was no longer the same—it was a nightmare to talk to him when she had first started dealing with him, every word becoming a puzzle she did not want to solve.
"I'm your daughter you know? You could at least pretend to care."
She let out a protest, turning her head aside, cool and exhausted eyes boring into him, her hand rising to her chest. Sienna wondered how far she could get away with pushing it this time.
"I'm sorry—which one again? There's so many of you that I cant be bothered to remember everyone's name."
Edo stared right back, their gazes clashed like a well oiled machine, one she had contributed years of her life to.
Sienna clicked her tongue and reached for Ikade's bag, yanking it open before the feline could react.
She pulled out a folder and tossed it him way, ignoring the kids still clinging to Ikade's legs who was struggling to contain their childish energy.
"It's the guy's packet." Sierra shrugged, pacing in a small circle. "I wasn't able to catch him, so I just gave up."
Her voice turning matter of fact, going an octaval lower with each word.
She threw her hands up, leaning to her left as her arms stretched out forward—her hands opening up like the jaws of a beast, Edo's head in the middle. "I don't even know how he managed to survive down there without anything to help him."
"I was so—close!"
Her voice rose with frustration before snapping her hands shut with a clap, Edo's head disappearing behind her hands, her eyes focusing on the makeshift jaw.
Although Sienna complained, their was nothing left she could do when Ikade pulled out a small bag of goodies before handing them to the two kids who swiftly ran away—the boy taking off with the little girl chasing after him.
Edo grabbed the packet before adding it to the pile next to him, the space becoming quiet until he opened his mouth.
"So—" He said, looking up at her. "Are you okay?"
Sienna blinked, her eyes looking his up and down behind the wooden desk.
"Hhah? Why wouldn't I be?"
"You just look tired, the greying hair you wish I never noticed—" Edo gestured, pointing at a grey patch of hair. "—you're turning into...me."
She looked absolutely disgusted with his words—mortified even, her whole body recoiling and she took a step back.
"Ew, please don't say that."
Her eyes bore into him like if he were but an insect, no—a pile of shit was what he was.
He leaned back in his chair with that old man look that made her want to disappear into an alley and throw up.
"You know, if I were thirty years younger—"
"Stop. Stop right there."
Ikade looked away, pretending to cough into her hand.
Sienna threw her arms up to her side, pivoting anywhere but in his office. "I'm leaving before I throw up."
"I'll see you in a couple months."
She pulled Ikade who waved one last time, twisting her body around to their eyes meet through the closing gap—the smile on his face gone, the only thing sitting down on the worn chair was an old dog.
"Old man."