Chapter 1: A rough show and a rough start
Chapter Text
Slamming the door of his small cabin open, Artful stepped into his house with a grumble and an expression of pure rage. The hinges creaked and screamed as he fumbled for his keys to lock it behind him, groaning in annoyance after dropping his keys not once but twice in an angry attempt to shove them in the lock. Once he had finally secured his home he leaned against the nearby wall before sliding down onto the cool tiled floor of the main entrance. He needed to cool off before he actually broke something important.
The reason Artful was so upset was due to today's, for lack of a better word, lackluster performance. Except it wasn't his show that he had deemed subpar, no, it was the carnage that he enacted in after. The stupid group of stupid civilians had evaded his wrath once more, somehow finding a way to get more of those stupid banana peels. His ankle still hurt from a sharp turn around a corner that quickly became a sharp turn into a wall and a not-so-elegant faceplant into the mercifully soft grass below. He swore he even saw Caretaker holding back a laugh at his misfortune. He grit his teeth at the memory.
He spared a quick glance at the small goldfish swimming around in its tank in the corner of his living room. The peaceful little creature paid him no mind as it swam happily in the circle that was its bowl. Oh how he wished he could become just like his pet, carefree and happy, oblivious to everything but the occasional handful of food or a slight tap on its glass. He sighed from his place on the floor before slowly rising to his feet and making his way into the bathroom.
Artful groaned once again as he stared at his reflection. His fancy face paint was smudged slightly under his eyes, his mask was askew, his hat was tipped too far back, and his collar had been stained slightly with the same face paint that swore on its box that it was "Smudge proof". That was a lie. After removing both his hat and mask, he snagged a rag from the cabinet before roughly scrubbing his face and neck area until he was satisfied with the results.
After removing all of his formal clothing and getting into something comfier, he was a little hesitant to exit the bathroom as he had always been. Even if he was in the comfort of his own home he was still a little worried that he would be discovered. He wasn't really worried about any of the killers, he figured that even if one of them were to figure out his true identity as a civilian, they wouldn't really care. Pursuer and Harken, he discovered, were really only acting on instinct anyways and he strongly believed that Badware and Killdroid would be indifferent due to their consistent hostility among the other killers as well as survivors. Those two never really got along with anyone else, civilian or killer. He figured that it was probably for the best to just avoid the robots all together. He was more-so worried about one of his fellow civilians coming across him and essentially uprooting his peaceful life outside of his magic acts.
Artful sighed and moved to his kitchen to begin making himself something to eat. He needed something hearty that would lift his mood before his next show tomorrow. Something to get his mind off of the devastatingly embarrassing mess up that was today's performance. Something like steak? Though he wasn't really a fan of it, or cooking anything for that matter (he wasn't a great chef), he still needed to use up the meat he had before it went bad.
Halfway through the prepping of the meat for his dinner, however, he suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that he could barely hear anything at all around the house. It was almost unsettling how quiet it had suddenly become. The rustling of the trees, the distant song of the birds that were still awake, the crickets chirping--nothing. He couldn't hear anything at all. It was almost like he was standing inside of a bubble that muffled any sounds that weren't his own. That was until he swore he heard the unsettling sound of wood flooring creaking behind him. He froze completely, his shoulders tensing up in fear as he grabbed a nearby spatula as a make-shift wand. Just as he spun around to check his surroundings, he was met face to face with a very unsettling but familiar expression fading into existence from the darkest corner of his kitchen. Pursuer.
He shrieked, the very high pitched manly sound startling the creature just long enough for him to place a makeshift wall between the two, shielding him from the oncoming slash of the creatures sword, the screech of metal echoing in the now very cramped kitchen. He gasped out the breath he didn't even know he was holding before using his makeshift wand again to protect himself from the being desperately attempting to reach him with its claws and sword. It scratched and scraped at the wall like the feral creature it was, hunger, malice, and something much darker reflecting in its cross-eyed glare.
"Pursuer!? What the hell-... why the hell are you here?" Artful cried over the screaming of metal clashing against magic. The creature paused for a moment, lowering its sword just enough to stare into Artful's eyes peaking above his protective wall. Artful swore he felt chills run all the way down his spine and through the tips of his fingers as he clutched the spatula tighter, knuckles turning white with effort.
Pursuer gave no response as it looked into his eyes, it was the first time he had seen the creature hesitate to kill something. Artful didn't dare move, already planning out his route of escape in his head just in case the creature made up its mind and decided it did want to devour him after all. A flash of recognition sparked in the creature's eyes as it stood up a little taller to meet the French man's face completely.
"Art-" Artful clutched his wand tighter, if that was even possible at this point. "Artful..?" Pursuer's voice came out raspy from lack of use as if it had swallowed gravel, a low almost chilling sound. The French man paused and returned its uncomfortably lifeless gaze. Pursuer's teal-ish green(?) eyes were now more narrow as if the furry critter was trying real hard to think about what it was seeing in front of it.
"Y-Yes..?" Artful cringed as voice cracked in fear. He looked down at the wand in his hand and stilled once more in a startling realization. Of course Pursuer attacked him right away--he wasn't wearing his face paint or stage attire anymore. The creature usually tolerated him at best--growled at him at worst. He took comfort in the fact that Pursuer (and most of the other killers for that matter) at least didn't kill him the few times they had interacted between each of their respective murderous sprees. Now though, he was fearing for his life at the realization that the terrifying creature in front of him was most likely planning on killing him now that he looked exactly the same as every other person the creature consumed. The people that had hunted it.
Pursuer inched forward, eyes narrowing even more, an almost skeptical expression on its face. "Now-Now wait a moment..." Artful stuttered out, preparing to cast another spell--to make another barrier. Something that would stop the furry beast that was now leaning impossibly closer to the magician.
His accent was thick with fear and hesitation. "Let's calm down, yes?" Sure his magic made him strong--strong enough to kill the civilians and usually strong enough to defend himself against the creature crouched silently and eerily still in front of him; but this time, Pursuer had closed in, giving him little to no distance as well as this entire dilemma taking place in his kitchen . If he wanted to avoid getting stabbed and devoured he was going to need something stronger and more destructive and he wasn't really keen on destroying his place of residence.
"You..." Pursuer began before pausing to look him up and down slowly. Artful gulped, squirming slightly under the creature's wandering eyes. "Like..." Pursuer lowered its sword enough to help Artful remember how to breathe properly. "...them." A grin flickered across its face briefly--something Artful had never seen before. He found himself hoping that he would never have to see that again...It was extremely disturbing. "Like...meat."
Artful chuckled nervously "Yes. I am a civilian." His voice was hesitant and a little soft, trying to coax the creature into a more peaceful state. He waved his wand slowly and made the wall between them disappear. Just as he'd hoped, Pursuer relaxed slightly, its form visibly shrinking slightly as if it had puffed up to appear scarier. Almost like a cat would. Artful found himself laughing slightly at the thought.
They stared into each other's eyes quietly, something Artful wasn't exactly comfortable with, for what seemed like a millennium before Pursuer's head snapped to the meat seasoned and lying on the French man's cutting board. It took a second for it to register in Artful's brain what exactly Pursuer was looking at before trying to step in front of the creature and his precious meal. "Don't you dare-!"
But before Artful could make any sort of heroic attempt to protect his dinner, the creature snatched it off the counter with its teeth and promptly turned invisible after claiming its prize, much to Artful's horror and dismay. "You little bastard-!" Artful cursed under his teeth. "Scaring me and stealing my food-! The nerve of that guy." The house didn't answer his complaints, returning to its near silent state once more. Then finally, after a minute or two, the sounds of life returned. Artful let out a sigh of slight annoyance but mostly relief, before turning to grab a fresh piece from his fridge. He had just finished the last of one of his seasonings on that piece too...
Chapter 2: Intense Relaxation
Summary:
Artful decides to take a break from his usual routine to relax.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It wasn't quiet, something Artful assumed Harken would hate. However, the noise brought on by his music box almost seemed to calm said being currently 'resting' nearby. She seemed almost...content standing in her place beneath a particularly tall tree--her body swaying idly back and forth almost similar to the rhythm of the tune currently dancing through the tall grass and shrubbery. The midday sun was pooling through the gaps between the leaves of the tall trees above, decorating his painted face with slow moving shapes that dragged warm patterns into his skin, adding to the feeling of true peace . His hat was tossed aside, his wand was nestled in the grass, (still somewhat in reach) his eyes were pressed shut and he was drinking in the warmth the sun so graciously provided.
He wasn't sure how exactly he had gotten to this point.
After his show, he made the decision to switch up his usual routine and head to a nearby clearing to relax and destress. It seemed like a perfect place to unwind--quiet, uninhabited, beautiful . He wasn't exactly picturing company. After setting up his music box and placing himself lazily under the soft sunlight, the stress of the day finally left his body leaving a deep feeling of exhaustion lingering in his bones. Artful found himself struggling to stay awake with the music playing, struggling to resist the temptation to succumb to the clutches of a peaceful, undisturbed nap.
When he finally stirred from his dreamless slumber he was met with her, with Harken standing nearby his place of rest, seemingly calm...? The constantly aggravated killing machine that he found himself consistently wary of incurring the wrath of was now stood no more than fifteen studs away from him, similarly drinking in the melody currently playing from his music box. He swore he felt himself get dizzy from how long he held his breath after waking up.
After a couple very quiet short breaths and nearly ten minutes of tense labored breathing, he finally accepted that she wasn't actually as disturbed by his small noises as she usually was. It was like the music was keeping her calm in a way that even the most silent of areas couldn't. The image was baffling if not utterly insane . He wasn't complaining though! If his little magic trick could keep her from tearing him to shreds, so be it.
The sky that had been a beautiful light blue when Artful first arrived was now painted with oranges and pinks that bled together. It was getting dangerously close to night time and at some point he was going to need to get up and go home, taking his music box with him.
His plans for departure however, were quickly interrupted by a small rustling of grass next to him. Glancing over at the source of the strange noise he did his best to hold back another yell as he was once again face-to-unsettling-face with Pursuer who had somehow silently come from the forest and sat itself next to Artful. Without him noticing.
Pursuer quickly covered his mouth with its clawed hand turning what might have been a disaster inducing yell into a strangled gasp instead. Artful whipped his head around in fear and was met with intense and frankly terrifying eye contact with Harken who had heard his gasp. He froze, unsure if he had messed up and bothered her, only to shrink with relief when she slowly closed her eye and turned back toward the music box. She didn't seem super angry...which was good.
Artful then sent a nasty glare to the creature that was still way too close to him and it responded silently by removing its hand from his mouth and placing it next to his in the grass. It curled down slightly under the shade, nestling into the tall grass like a makeshift bed. Pursuer also seemed to relax from the sound of Artful's music box which only seemed to add to his confusion. Why exactly was Pursuer here again? Why was it just sitting next to him so nonchalantly? Scratch that--Why were *both* of these instinctual killers just suddenly...okay with his company!? Especially after his run in with Pursuer and it discovering his identity.
The mix of thoughts bouncing around his brain were promptly cut off when he felt something very furry place itself on his legs. Pursuer was now sprawled over his lap lazily like a very terrifying and slightly smelly cat. Artful scrunched his nose, trying to stop the invading disgusting scent of rotting meat from filling his senses. Did Pursuer even bathe!? He tried to shove it off of his lap but was met with sleepy resistance from the foul smelling creature that had decided to take up his personal space. He sighed, quietly this time, and slouched back further into the tree behind him, giving up on moving the heavy beast.
Locking eyes with Pursuer, Artful did his best to send his message of discomfort to the pest resting on his lower half but was met with a sly smile instead. It's almost like the stupid overweight cotton ball on top of him knew that Artful couldn't do much to protest while Harken was right there and was reveling in the fact that it could do whatever it deemed necessary right now. Artful grit his teeth in response to its toothy grin yet it only caused Pursuer to smile wider than before, which was still slightly disturbing despite the context.
If he was being honest, he'd never seen Pursuer smile, he'd only ever seen Pursuer briefly between its hunts with a scowl, frown, or at best something neutral. Maybe it was just him (It definitely was), but at the thought and the sight of the creature being this smug, he decided that he didn't exactly despise the small amount of contact he was now on the receiving end of. It made him a little more at ease. Maybe he was just touch-starved and the creature was just what he had settled for. Maybe the thought that Pursuer had smiled not once but twice around him made him feel a little bit prideful, fueling his ever growing ego. Maybe the sun (That was now long hidden behind the horizon) was making him feel warmer inside while staring into those mischievous cyan eyes. Or maybe he was just overheating due to how angry he was. Definitely.
Notes:
Fixing spelling mistakes is hard like wdym I didn't see allat
Chapter 3: You're not welcome here
Summary:
After another awful show, Artful needs a break from everyone and everything before he loses his mind. (might've gotten inspired by art I kept seeing on twitter)
Notes:
You guys are actually so nice its making me sob bro...
Thank you to everyone who has been supportive it means the world to me!!!
Also future updates will probably take longer (The chapters themselves will also be longer) I just got excited to share with you guys again ❤️
Chapter Text
Artful was pretty used to an ungrateful audience. For as long as he has been performing his magic acts, there has never been a single crowd that supported him completely. He's had his fair share of supporters and loyal fans, sure, but not once has he gone an entire performance without a multitude of hecklers and aggressive members. Today was no different. As usual .
If anything, today had been somehow worse than his previous few shows. It was like the civilians present had decided that today of all days was 'take your anger out on the poor performer that so graciously decided to stand in front of you on stage and try to make you feel better through magic acts' day. He slammed his fist into the wall next to him before flinching in pain and regret, the walls groaning with the aftershocks of his fury. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he shook his now aching hand and began moving towards the comfort of his bedroom.
He scraped a banana peel that had turned a disgusting shade of brown off the front of his suit coat with a grimace, plugging his nose at the scent of the biodegrading piece of filth. He was probably going to need to take a shower to get the entirety of this rancid smell off of his person.
He stood silently in his room for a moment eyeing himself in the mirror. His entire suit was stained with either the sludge from the banana peels, dirt and mud, or blood that he had torn from the bodies of the civilians himself. He tried his best to hold back a gag at the mix of the pungent metallic scent and the awful stench of rotten food and trash now surrounding him as he stood still, his body simmering with unbridled anger and fury.
Artful scowled and tossed his hat and mask angrily into the corner of his bedroom before stomping into the kitchen to throw away the remainders of garbage that still clung to him. He threw open the trash cans lid with a grunt and cringed as he picked off piece after piece of junk off of his clothing and tossed them into the bin.
"Unbelievable! What a waste of time." Artful cursed under his breath as he continued cleaning his suit. "Why do I even perform if they're just going to-" He trailed off, his brain failing to find the words in his livid state.
Between his grumbling and shuffling of the bins contents he just barely picked up the sound of what sounded like crunching(?) coming from behind him causing him to freeze in place, clutching the sides of the bin tighter than before. Unfortunately and somewhat fortunately, Artful found himself putting the pieces together all too quickly as he whipped his head around with a glare, sending silent death threats to the thing that he found was currently raiding his fridge. His assumptions were proven correct when he rounded the counter and stood in front of his refrigerator, looking over the furry critter pawing at his food ravenously. He felt his eye twitch in irritation.
Artful seethed. "Pursuer I swear on everything I have, if you don't get out of my damn fridge right this moment -!" The creature gave no response, opting to continue its near silent assault on the poor contents of his already almost empty fridge. Artful groaned, leaning against the counter behind him and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
This had become somewhat of a regular occurrence after their initial encounters a few weeks ago. He wasn't sure what exactly triggered this change of pace but it was certainly not welcome and the creature was especially not welcome in his home right after another one of his bad shows. Artful wasn't exactly happy with the idea of fighting with it to get back his precious food before it was all gone again.
Pursuer seemed content with just showing up and raiding his house looking for some of the meat he had left out, digging through the contents of his kitchen and pantry like an insect desperate for any kind of sustenance. It was like the creature had somehow felt comfortable enough with Artful now that it preferred stealing from him instead of hunting for its own nourishment.
At first, obviously, it had scared him, driven him almost insane every time Pursuer showed up unannounced or decided to take refuge on his kitchen counter while devouring its meals. (Which had been a nightmare to clean up after). But now? Now Artful was just unsettled by the fact that Pursuer was too happy with making itself at home. Whether it be Artful's fridge, his stove top (thankfully not while it was on or hot), his pantry where he kept his cans of food, or even somehow on top of his fridge like some kind of rodent. Like an infestation. A very large, fluffy, and violent infestation.
Today however, Artful was not in the mood to deal with the pest inadvertently letting all of the cold air out of his kitchen appliance.
"Pursuer!?" Artful snapped. No response. The creature continued chewing happily. Artful groaned loudly and grabbed Pursuer by the arm, tugging it out of the fridge and slamming the door closed. An unidentifiable piece of meat was hanging from its teeth. "Do you even hear me-!?" Pursuer's head slowly and creepily shifted to face him as it continued working on the piece of food stuck in its mouth.
"You....smell." Pursuer spoke after a few seconds, its tone damped by the chunks of protein in its throat.
Artful swore he could feel his blood pressure rise. "I know ! Now get the hell out of my kitchen-! Go get your own food." His voice was sharp and unforgiving as he glared down at the critter sitting on his tiled floor. "I don't have the patience to deal with you stealing from me right now..." He felt a pang of sudden guilt as it frowned deeply at him and a regretful sigh slipped past his lips. He almost felt bad scolding the guy. Almost.
"I need a shower." He muttered the last part under his breath while he began slowly making his way to the bathroom, talking to no one specific. Pursuer paused, the remains of the meat falling from its mouth and on to the floor.
"...Good." The creature finished. Artful stopped walking towards his bathroom.
"Excuse me..?" Artful questioned, whipping his head around to face Pursuer as it spoke. He felt chills run up his spine, suddenly uncomfortable with its presence. He flinched when the creature got up from its place on the floor, towering over him now. Artful felt himself shrink a little, his anger and confusion replaced quickly by fear as he pieced the creature's sentence together. Had Pursuer finally decided to devour him?! "Wait hold on-! You...You can keep the meat if you want!" His anger was now utterly gone as the creature grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned down towards his face. Artful tried to pry himself free to no avail, its hot (and disgusting) breath contrasting the chills making their way through his body. "I'll-I'll give you more! I have more!" The vile grin that stretched across Pursuer's face as it got closer made Artful's brain short circuit momentarily, too many possible fates coursed through his mind as he stood frozen in the beast's grasp. Breaking out of his trance, he quickly fumbled for his wand still in his suit coat pocket, fearing the worst as he continued to struggle in its strong and persistent grip.
Just as he grabbed his wand and shot his arm up to protect himself, Pursuer stuck out its tongue and dragged it across his face slowly, its tongue staining with white face paint and the civilians blood he had forgotten was splattered on his cheek, mixing into a sickly pink.
"..."
"Wha-?" Artful choked out in surprise. " WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? " He shrieked as he shoved Pursuer back with terror, disgust, and something else . His wand clattered to the floor, long forgotten by its handler.
The terrifying smile plastered on the creature's face was quickly replaced with one of disgust as it recoiled in horror at the taste in its mouth. Its tongue was now a mix of the regular cyan and the pink mixture coating the inside of its maw, a color that was also extremely present on Artful's cheeks. "Not...good." Pursuer said plainly, as if it didn't just LICK the blood off his face. "Tastes...bad."
Artful shuddered, wiping the slimy spit off the side of his face. "Of course it didn't taste good !" his voice cracked. "This is old-...I've been-...W-why would you...?" He stuttered trying to get the words out. Pursuer tilted its head in confusion, almost completely oblivious to the chaotic thoughts it had created in the French man's brain.
"Get out! " He hissed after a moment of silence, pointing to the door. Pursuer only blinked in response. "OUT! Go find your food somewhere that isn’t my fridge!"
After finally understanding his message, Pursuer frowned and began sulking as it walked towards his back door. Artful grumbled to himself furiously, his face burning, as he watched the critter slowly trudge out of his home, its head tipped downwards shamefully. He really needed that shower now.
Chapter 4: Two's better than one, after all!
Summary:
Artful is interrupted by a familiar face during a round.
Notes:
Sorry this took forever!!! Im moving soon and ive been so busy trying to make sure everything turns out ok! Apologies for the short chapter 💔
Chapter Text
It was hard for Artful to concentrate right now. No matter how focused he tried to be, he couldn't get his mind off of the events that had transpired over the past few weeks (And the events of last night). His strange yet peaceful interactions with his 'colleagues' had stuck in his thoughts like glue, never fully letting him relax enough to keep his mind fixed on the more important things--such as the show he was currently participating in. It was making it even harder than normal to keep his calm as the crowd screamed obscenities and hurled rotten food at him, staining his suit and subsequently his pride as usual.
After a couple more minutes of trying to focus on the task at hand to no avail, Artful snapped--deciding to end his show early and start the process of ridding the crowd of haters a little sooner than he would have liked. He was desperate now for the chance to drag the screams out of those ungrateful throats that had been so quick to spread hate and negativity, using the carnage to hopefully relieve himself of these concerning thoughts that had been plaguing his mind since late last night.
Although what had started as his routine post-show slaughter had somehow turned into something completely different. Something he wouldn't have expected at all. A fairly uncommon scenario that he and a few of his companions called 'double trouble'.
To put it simply, 'double trouble' was the silly name that his ally Devesto had come up with to describe the unlikely appearance of more than one of the killers in one small area. Artful wasn't the biggest fan of the name--it was childish and made the whole scene seem like something akin to a video game--something you didn't necessarily have to take seriously. However that had proved to be quite the opposite, with how dangerous the situation was, it was almost shocking how unfit the term was.
'Double trouble' usually only occurred between Pursuer and Killdroid as they both actively hunted civilians--the two inhumane murderers often showing up in the same place with the same goal: Kill everything in sight. However every once in a while it just so happened that Artful would be in the right place at the wrong time, earning the unfortunate opportunity to interact with someone else who was also hunting the poor robloxians down like cattle to be slaughtered.
In the past Artful has found himself beside Killdroid the most. The most unlucky and dangerous option if he were to be honest. He could tell the robot had probably picked up on the fact that he might be a civilian but it seemed more focused on eliminating the ones that it could pinpoint the face of. He found that he was mostly safe from the robots wrath if he kept to himself and stayed out of its way, except during the few close calls in which a civilian had landed one too many punches on him, the occurring damage starting to wipe away some of his makeup. It drove him mad at how dangerous it could have been had they been able to scrub off even a little bit more. So what if he was actively trying to kill them? The least that they could do is avoid hitting him in the face and stripping away his face paint with their...violent tendencies!
Ever since he began killing people in the first place, Artful had only ever participated in a 'double trouble' scenario with Killdroid, Devesto (Which turned out to be surprisingly more interesting and a lot less dangerous than he expected), and Badware--subsequently becoming the virus's 'underling' for the duration of the day. But hey, if it prevented the magician from being brutally torn to shreds just for existing in Badware's vicinity...he wouldn't complain.
He has yet to encounter Pursuer, Harken (Not that he would want to anyways, he was incredibly terrified of her even if he had found a way to calm her down), or Mequot during his post-performance practice. Artful's hesitation and fear were validated when he learned from Devesto of all people about how otherworldly violent and terrifying Harken was during her self defense murderous spree. The thought of being there to witness such a thing gave him chills on the spot.
Today, Artful was expecting a completely normal (If you could call murdering a dozen civilians normal) day with no deviations, not whatever this was. His mind was swimming with thoughts and skeptical feelings about Harken and Pursuer's interactions with him. He was so unfocused that he barely had time to react as a loud shot rang out across the field, the sound snapping Artful out of his trance instantly .
Loveshot had taken the opportunity to shoot directly at him while he was distracted, encouraging him to finally focus and move to quickly dodge behind a rock to avoid the next few shots. When he heard the sixth shot sound, he rose from his place behind the rock just to see his prey--a stupid taunt--had used the chaos to vanish completely, probably getting their wounds treated by Caretaker by now. He scowled and conjured a wall behind him, sealing off their escape route and closing in on their hiding spot.
When Artful finally caught up to the place he believed they were taking refuge in, he was suddenly met with a bloodcurdling shriek coming from behind the corner a few studs in front of him. Did the civilian get startled by his presence somehow? He turned the corner sharply and skidded to a halt as he took in the gruesome sight at his feet.
The Taunt that he had been chasing--or the remains of them--was currently being devoured by none other than Pursuer as the few stragglers around scattered in different directions all to get away from the beast enjoying its meal. The noises of the flesh ripping and tearing from the poor robloxian made his stomach turn a little while watching the creature consume its prey in front of him. He found himself counting his blessings silently–grateful that Pursuer seemed fairly passive around him now–grateful that the beast's gluttonous nature seemed quelled even a little in the French man’s presence.
Loveshot was shaking as they reloaded their gun and immediately took off in the opposite direction, desperate to get away from the pair of killers. Artful swore he heard them mutter something akin to a curse as they rushed backward almost aimlessly in their panic, stumbling and tripping over loose rumble and junk as they made their escape.
That was how he found himself currently running next to the very subject of his distracting thoughts while searching for civilians to kill. It was something he never thought would happen--Pursuer of all things, coming out during the day to hunt and eat the robloxians alongside him. This was definitely something new.
"Did you finally get bored of stealing from me?" Artful gasped--the words coming out slightly shaky and exhausted from the constant running. He was doing his best to make sense of the unusual situation while maintaining his stamina, which proved to be harder than he thought.
His companion was silent for a moment, occasionally glancing back and forth between Artful and the fleeing silhouettes of its prey. "You....are mad." Pursuer muttered after a moment, surprising Artful with its impressive ability to talk very coherently while running for a long time. How much stamina did this beast have!? "At...me." Its expression changed from a manic blood-soaked grin to a small frown as it spoke.
"What...?"
Pursuer's frown became much more prominent as it stared into Artful's eyes. "You are mad...at me."
"Why would I be mad at you?" Artful's voice cracked in shock, finally slowing his pace to catch his breath as they continued talking. He leaned over, placing his hands on his knees almost doubling over in exhaustion (To be fair he had been running for a while now). Pursuer seemed to almost give up on its fleeing prey as it slowed to match Artful's tired walking speed. "What's the matter, Pursuer?" He swore he felt his heart shatter a little as the large creature next to him deflated (Figuratively and literally) in sadness.
"Yesterday...you are upset..." It finally clicked in Artful's head what the creature was alluding to.
"You think I'm still mad about the...uh.." Artful's brain malfunctioned slightly remembering the events of last night. "...the tasting thing?" The creature solemnly nodded in response and Artful chuckled a little.
“Sorry…” Artful swore he got whiplash from just hearing the genuine apology come from the violent creature hovering near him.
"It's...fine.” Artful said after a moment of stunned silence. “If you're feeling bad about it then just forget it. It's not that big of a deal--I understood your intentions." He wouldn't be lying, however, if he said that he'd prefer to never have to experience that again. He still shivered at the memory.
Pursuer's beady eyes met his and the grin returned to its face, seemingly happy with the magician's response. Then, as if it had gained a second wind, it cracked its neck backwards, leaned forwards with its arms extended, and slowly vanished from sight--scurrying off somewhere to resume the hunt for its meal.
Artful sighed and began moving in the original direction the two were heading, silently hoping that he was going the right way. "You couldn't have even bothered to point me in the right direction...?" He complained angrily under his breath--a tone that was lost on even himself as he hurried forward, smiling to no one in particular. Maybe this whole 'double trouble' thing wasn't so bad.
Chapter 5
Summary:
A continuation of the Double Trouble chapter
Notes:
WARNING! This chapter will have some descriptions of violence that are a little heavier than previous chapters!!!! Please read with caution!
Thank you guys again for the support btw it means so much to me ❤️
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Is that all of them?" Pursuer snapped its head in the direction of the voice, pausing its feast to meet Artful's eyes. When Artful finally found Pursuer again, it had been in the middle of devouring what looked like three different civilians, all of them torn into smaller chunks--an image that Artful found himself nauseously turning away from. Sure he killed people just like the beast, but the sight (and smell) of Pursuer's infinitely more violent and brutal way of eliminating threats never really got any easier to bear. In fact, he probably put civilians out of their misery a little quicker every time he witnessed another one of Pursuer’s unlucky victims.
"I think a few of them got away but I'm not too sure. That Block was a pain to kill." Artful cringed as he spoke at both the massacre in front of him, and the pain in his forearm before rolling up his sleeve and glancing at said arm--there was a large mark where he had been punched particularly hard--the spot turning a dark blue-ish purple. "It was so obvious too-..." He grumbled, rolling his sleeve back down. "-I could have dodged that."
He continued to step forward towards the mess, his nose filling with the scent of metal and leftover fear and he struggled to hold back a gag at the pungent scent. Pursuer, now completely distracted from its meal, got to its feet and crept closer to the magician. "You are...ok?" Its claws dug into its teeth removing bones and flesh alike while its beady eyes flicked back and forth from Artful's face to his injured arm.
Artful sighed. "Yes. I'll be fine. It's definitely going to leave a nasty bruise for a while though. Maybe a week if I'm lucky." He muttered angrily to himself as he remembered the events of earlier. It seemed so obvious in retrospect--they were literally running up to him! He berated himself mentally for not noticing in time to dodge the very transparent attack.
Pursuer tilted its head and leaned forward to grab at his sleeve again. "Ow-!" Artful hissed in pain as the creature's claws grabbed harshly at his sleeve and tore it down, revealing the bruise that was definitely going to last for more than a week at this rate. "Do you mind?" The beast opted to give no response as it stared at the mark on the magician's arm.
Artful looked up to gauge what exactly the creature was doing--looking for--but was met with another expression he hadn't seen before. Pursuer's face was almost completely blank, a sight that made Artful slightly more uncomfortable with the proximity than before. "You alright there Pursu-?"
But before Artful could make sense of what exactly was wrong with Pursuer(and subsequently its expression) he noticed a flash of hot pink move quickly in the corner of his eye.
The Loveshot from before was still alive and they were aiming their gun directly at the pair, and Pursuer hadn't noticed them yet.
Before Artful could even fully process what he was looking at, his body moved instinctively, shoving himself and Pursuer forward just in time for the shot to ring out in the dimly lit cavern. It just barely illuminated the area enough for Artful to see the bullet had hit the rock wall next to the two, the casing cracking the stone enough for it to start crumbling next to them. His ears were ringing and his head was pounding as the two killers fell to the floor.
Artful quickly conjured a wall between himself, Pursuer, and the assailant, blocking the next few shots just in time for the creature next to him to pick up on what was happening. He felt his mask crack and fall off his face before shattering on the stone floor like glass. His throat was burning and he clutched his chest, struggling to breathe and heaving slightly in relief as the magic wall refused to bend under the pressure of the gunfire.
Pursuer's head snapped so quickly to the source of the shots that Artful found himself flinching alongside the Loveshot. It scowled at the civilian and with a speed faster than he had ever seen the creature move at before, it lunged forward past the wall he had created and straight towards the poor Loveshot that was reloading its weapon with trembling hands. A fatal mistake. It roared in triumph as it pounced on the civilian, its claws violently scratching and tearing at anything it could get its blood-soaked nails in.
Artful slumped to the floor with another shaky sigh of relief as the screams of the poor Loveshot echoed eerily throughout the cave. The sounds of flesh tearing and bones cracking barely registered in the French's man mind as he tried desperately to get air back into his lungs. That was too close.
When the screaming finally stopped, Artful looked over at the unfortunate sight next to him with a frown. His poor mask was now laying right next to Pursuer's sword on the ground and the porcelain disguise was beyond repair. He probably could've fixed it if it had just shattered but there was a line running through the side of a few of the pieces. It looked like the bullet had just barely grazed his mask before incasing itself into the cavern walls. There probably wasn't going to be any way to make it look half decent again if it had a massive scratch running along its length.
Artful glanced up just in time to catch Pursuer standing up and moving around the wall towards him, its fur completely drenched in blood, torn flesh, and tiny snippets of hot pink fabric. Its face was still dark--a crimson soaked scowl, yet even with all the blood covering its features, not a single droplet was near, or in, its mouth. Did Pursuer not even bother eating the civilian like usual...?
Artful froze as the creature crouched down in front of him. "Are they-...Are they dead? Did you get hit?" He asked quickly, scanning the creature for any signs of pain or discomfort--an action that seemed almost pointless considering how much blood was on it. Any injury would be nearly impossible to spot past the coat of red liquid at this point.
He felt his face warm and his breath hitch involuntarily as the creature placed a furry claw on his forehead, wiping at a cut that he hadn't even realized was there until he felt the familiar painful sting. Pursuer stilled as Artful flinched away from its hand subconsciously. "Dead." Pursuer spoke suddenly, pushing back some of Artful's hair to look at the minor injury closer, careful of not brushing against it again. "They…are...dead."
Artful glanced past Pursuer as the wall vanished. Sure enough, there was barely anything left of the civilian anymore. Just a revolver sitting in a pool of blood and a shredded hat dyed red sitting atop the battered pile of flesh and sinking into what he could only guess was organs. The only way you could even tell it was still a robloxian was that torn hat atop the mush. Artful quickly looked away from the gore--unable to stomach the sight anymore. It seemed...excessive--the state the civilian was left in. Even for Pursuer.
"Are you...uh...not going to eat them?" Artful's voice cracked uncharacteristically with the remnants of fear and the creeping feeling of exhaustion now very prominent in his limbs. He had probably worn himself out more today than any of his previous shows (killing sprees)--both mentally and physically.
Pursuer removed its paws from the magician's forehead and turned to grab its sword, sheathing it quickly while offering Artful a hand. The magician took it and stumbled to his feet, his body almost lagging behind as the last bits of adrenaline left his system.
Pursuer seemed to ponder the question for a second too long for Artful's liking. "...No."
"No!?" Artful clasped his hand over his mouth, suddenly self conscious of the volume of his voice. He really didn't need any more civilians stumbling across the two of them.
He wasn't even intending to sound so surprised; it just seemed so out of character for the beast to decide against indulging in a meal like that. Although considering what was left of the poor Loveshot, he couldn't really blame the guy.
The cavern was silent for a few seconds longer as Pursuer stared down into Artful's eyes. "Not...fresh..." Pursuer's voice had an undertone of malice--of pure hatred, it was a little more chilling than he would've liked. Artful would unpack whatever that meant later. "...bad."
"I see," Artful sighed softly. "Anyways...I should really be home by now--a bath sounds divine--and uh...thanks for the help today." He said awkwardly with a thumbs up as he dusted himself off--a bad idea in hindsight. His hands were now covered in the sticky residue from the banana and blood mixture. "Eugh...forget the bath. I need to be thrown into the washing machine myself." He chuckled before nodding a farewell to the creature and turning to leave.
Unbeknownst to Artful, however, Pursuer crept close behind him as he stepped out of the cave and into the blinding sunset covered city. He shielded his face as the sun blinded him, almost tripping over some loose rubble as he made his way home. It wasn't until he realized the creature was still following him that he turned back around. Pursuer, however, seemed almost excited that Artful had acknowledged its existence.
"Do you need something?" Pursuer shook its head quickly. "Then why are you...?" Artful trailed off. Did it really matter if Pursuer was just going to show up at his house sometime soon anyways? He looked at the creature's blood-soaked state and frowned, a foreign feeling of guilt rising in his chest. "I can wash you off if you'd like. I'd rather not find you in my kitchen again, trailing blood everywhere." Pursuer smiled a toothy grin and nodded, stepping uncomfortably closer as the two walked in the general direction of Artful's home.
"Can you-..." He tried to create distance between himself and the creature but it proved pointless as whenever Artful stepped one way--Pursuer would follow. "Whatever. I'm too tired to care. Just don't make a mess of my house when you come in. Again." He reluctantly grabbed his keys from his pocket. "Go straight to the bathroom."
He silently hoped that his searing headache would go away even with the beast's presence in his house. Although, even as he angrily anticipated the mess that was to come, a small part of him felt a little bit safer while next to Pursuer, even as the sun crept slowly over the horizon and the shadows grew longer with each fatigued step. Even as he growled at the bloody footprints trailing through his house straight towards his bathroom (wait-how did Pursuer know exactly where his bathroom was?) he felt lighter than he had in a long time.
"For the love of-" The footprints had made a sharp turn into his kitchen before going into the bathroom. "Pursuer. You better not have taken my food again-!"
Notes:
Dude college is kicking my ass rn omg 💔💔💔💔 but magic monster comes first they make me sick I need them dead and buried