Broken Machines Week 2020 Day 3: Books

Broken Machines Week 2020 Day 3: Books

A lil AU thingie i did for private detective Whitley Schnee and the dame that’s helping him on the case, Penny Polendina.

Broken Machines Week 2020 Day 1: Isolation/Together

Guess what week it is? It’s Broken Machines Week! So excited to get this show on the road!!!!

Broken Machines Week Day 4: Touch

No Place to Die

T/W: Blood, death

This was no place to die, in the midst of a siege by grimm, inside the cold space of the headmistress’ office overlooking the chaos wrought, without friends or family. And yet here, Emerald Sustrai was, lying on the floor, and dying. 

Ruby sighed. Ruby was the one who broke through her aura. Ruby was the one who slashed Crescent Rose across her chest. She sighed, folding Crescent Rose into its compact form, its blade still dripping with blood and picked Emerald up. 

Emerald, breathing out her last breaths, was too weak to do anything against Ruby. The flame from the Fall Maiden’s power was extinguished. Ruby set Emerald against the wall, sitting up. Ruby gingerly drew the Emerald’s scarf over her bleeding chest, the other girl’s top having split in half when Ruby dealt the killing blow. 

“Do--” Emerald’s voice tumbled out. Her hazy eyes struggled to stay on Ruby. “Do you believe in destiny?”

Ruby thought about it, of a path set out for you, of promised power and promised misery, and ultimately shook her head. “I don’t. I wouldn’t be here, otherwise.”

“Oh … I think -- I think it was m-my destiny to c-come here.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes. “To die?”

“No …”

“Then what?” Ruby’s voice lost that gentle edge, growing steely. 

Emerald didn’t answer. Her eyes fluttered close, a gentle smile spreading her on her lips. 

Ruby bit down on her lip. Emerald was only slightly older than Ruby, or so looked like it, and she was such a loving girl. She didn’t deserve this sort of fate. But sacrifices had to be made in order for everybody else to reach their happily ever after. 

Odd. The Fall Maiden’s power … Wasn’t it …

The elevator dinged behind Ruby. Ruby stood up, turning around to face the opening door. Cinder, the leader from Team WTCH stepped through, cautious and wary. Her dual swords, glowing with fire dust, were tightly gripped in her hands. 

It didn’t take long for Cinder to realise what had happened, a shocked sob coming out of her when she saw the body of her friend and Ruby standing by it. 

“No …” Cinder said. Her knees staggered. 

“I’m sorry,” Ruby replied softly. “But I needed the power of the Fall Maiden if I wanted to stop the deaths of more innocents like her.”

Cinder’s swords clattered to the ground as she brought her hands to her face. “She -- She wasn’t the Fall Maiden,” she choked out. 

“Excuse me?” But Ruby saw Emerald come out of the vault, she saw the flare of the Fall Maiden’s power, and Ruby kept the girl’s attention as she died. Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose from her back, slowly approaching Cinder. 

“She was buying time for the next one ...”

Emerald’s semblance, Ruby realised. 

Emerald’s semblance was to trick the mind.

Ruby quickly changed into a defensive stance, pulling her aura around her protectively. 

Emerald was never the Fall Maiden. 

Cinder ripped her hands away, eyes flaring with angry red fire. 

“SHE WAS BUYING TIME FOR ME!” 

Fascination

There were odd qualities to Maya Amano that held Saregant Katsuya Suou’s attention.  

At first, when Katsuya first saw her, walking into the faculty room of Seven Sisters High, he wasn’t sure what made her stand out from the dull imagery of the airless office space. Yes, Miss Amano was beautiful, no doubt, but there was something more than that …

Was it the painted quality of her smile, artistically crafted to lull others into a sense of security? Was it the too-knowing look in those amethyst eyes, sparkling if you looked at it from a certain light? Or her voice, the instrument she used to sow rumours and comfort others? Or was it the air around her, that although her feet seemed to be touching the ground, it felt as though she was somewhere else. Perhaps it was the positivity she preached and practiced, a light that seemed almost unbelievable in the murky darkness around them. 

What was it about Miss Amano that held his stare, caged his mind and ensnared his very heart?

For all his years solving puzzles and thinking through situations with a calm mind, he had no idea. 

“Ka -” A voice. 

“Tsu -” The whimsy lift of a hand. 

“Ya.” The curving of red lips. 

Katsuya snapped out of his reverie in a jolt. His surprised gasp broke the serene lull of the bar. It wasn’t enough to halt the pianist playing in the background, stringing a soft melody in the background, but it was enough to make him feel ashamed of his display, cheeks flushing. 

Miss Amano made no sound, containing her mirth and showing her amusement through the mischievous curve of his life. She made a rather soft image, under the dim lights of the bar, and leaning forwards on the table. 

Katsuya had spent hours analysing that free-spirited, seemingly care-free attitude to find if there was an answer to his … unending fascination with Miss Amano to ultimately no avail. If anything, it made finding the answer to this certain mystery more difficult.  

“You okay?” came the careful low murmur of Miss Amano's voice.

“I--” Too loud. “I’m fine,” Katsuya tried to say as softly he could with his frayed nerves. 

Miss Amano studied him for a brief moment, betraying nothing through that carefully constructed well-meaning mask of hers. He could only tell thanks to his experience in interrogation and tried to control the jackhammer beat of his heart. 

When Miss Amano was done with her judgement, she tilted her head to the side and leaned back on her chair. “I think it’s time to order,” she said, holding her hand up at eye level to hail a waiter. 

A quick, silent intake of breath hidden under the guise of fixing his glasses. “Yes, that would be a good idea, Miss Amano.”

Miss Amano’s eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceivable in the darkness of the bar, all the while keeping that same poker smile. She was thinking of something, but like always, ever since he first met her, Katsuya had no way of knowing. 

Hiya Ez! Not sure if I’m early, late or just in time but it’s June 12th in my part of the world so HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU EZ!!!! :D From one June Gem to another, I hope you have a fantastically wonderful birthday along with many, many, MANY more awesome ones to come. Also look out for a belated b-day gift from me at some point before the end of June. In the meantime, have fun and enjoy your special day to the MAX fam!

Thank you so much, sweetie!! I hope you’re doing great as well!!