Post by Zuyuri on Nov 2, 2017 19:51:23 GMT
WINTER IS COMING TO LAFAYETTES: Elsa Crispin gives voodoo family the cold shoulder.”
The headline went up into pelts of burning bullets. Once again, reporters were exaggerating truths. One family had more money than the other and were exploiting their side. They didn’t even bother mentioning the welfare of Weiss. The quotes that were claimed to be hers sounded fake. As that newspaper fell into a pile of ash, another headline came into view. This one was a gossip magazine
VOODOO PLAYBOY SETTLES? The shot turned into Swiss cheese. It fell again, crumpling and revealing the third report.
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your deeds. The inside scoop of Lafayette fiancée...
Shadow lowered the gun. He had been so busy collecting reporter bullshit he had no idea this was up. It wasn’t the gall of reporters prying into her life that stayed his hand. It was the word “fiancée”. A reporter wouldn’t put a friendly word on it. They would have done a nasty comment. Something like streetwalker or worse. That wasn’t all. He got a sense the page had been altered by something. Seelie glamour maybe?
A knife hitting the word like a dart both startled him and answered his question. “Fiancée” wavered and revealed “Hook up”
“Oh, sorry, Shadow!”
The homunculus turned. Riku Lafayette was apologetically waving, a voodoo dagger in hand. A few tiny pincushion dolls were escorting him. Shadow didn’t know whether to laugh or be annoyed.
“I guess you got the news?”
Shadow blinked. So the whole thing was true. Riku and Sunshine were engaged. He had noticed she had been in high spirits. Looking like she was flying while still walking. He hadn’t even gotten a good look st her hand to see a ring. Hesitantly, he tore down the magazine that had been impaled. A few flips showed a picture of the couple. Riku was on one knee presenting a ring to a wide eyed Sunshine.
“We were going to tell you,” the voodoo cop said hestiantly.
“I know why,” Shadow shut the magazine and threw it violently. Loose pages fell like snow, getting fluffier as nine chaos spears tore it asunder. “You didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
“No.”
The denial made Shadow lower his hand. It was still in a fist, but looser. “Your sister?” he asked.
Riku nodded. “Yeah. I warned Sunshine they would start talking. Turns out my sister’s stunt was roped in, too.” He looked at the pile of pages. “I used glamour to make it all seem less cutting. Sunshine and Weiss don’t...” He groaned in frustration.
“...They don’t deserve reporters making up lies,” Shadow finished, equally bitter. He looked at Riku long and hard. It wasn’t angry or frustrated. Well, it was, but not at him. It was at the one thing they had in common aside from loving Sunshine; their bitterness to the press. “So is it true? The whole engagement?”
Riku nodded. His face became serious, but not the stoic seriousness he had when investigating a case. Even the dolls looked solemn. “Shadow, your her best friend and I should have come to you sooner. I still kick myself about it. I love Sunshine. I really do. She’s made the darkest parts of my time a bit...well, sunnier. I want to spend the rest of my life with her because of what she’s done for me. She made me find joy, joy my parents couldn’t even buy.”
Shadow said nothing for the longest time. It was weird hearing someone sound so...vulnerable. Maybe that was it. The cop who had come from a rich family wasn’t arrogant or obsessed with money. He was using money for good...heck, he sacrificed a big position to pursue a dangerous dream. The l word came up, a word he had told Yang Adrien felt. In his heart, Shadow knew Riku was telling the truth. All of it. Sunshine had seen the kindness in him, and Riku had been nothing but good to her. Saving him from the darkest places...the best love did. It was the reason Shadow loved Sunshine; she had given him hope in a dark town.
“Riku Lafayette...I misjudged you.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to say that...”
“Let me finish,” Red eyes locked into blue. “When Sunshine started dating you, I let my overprotectiveness of her get in the way. I thought she was going to have her heart broken. But you stepped in when I disappeared and made sure she didn’t lose that light. Her happiness is more important than anything. She loves you, and...yeah you pretty much admitted it, and damn it, using your magic to protect her is a huge sign.” Pride went down like a thick salty oyster. “I was a dick, and for that I’m sorry.”
The two cops just stood in understanding silence. Unspoken approval and respect was cutting through the tension. The training grounds was suddenly open to them both. The crumpled magazines hit the concrete.
“So...” Shadow shrugged to cut off the awkward silence, “ever use that magic to change sports scores?” His lip twitched up before a silent deep chuckle, a small laugh he shared with Riku, resounded.
The headline went up into pelts of burning bullets. Once again, reporters were exaggerating truths. One family had more money than the other and were exploiting their side. They didn’t even bother mentioning the welfare of Weiss. The quotes that were claimed to be hers sounded fake. As that newspaper fell into a pile of ash, another headline came into view. This one was a gossip magazine
VOODOO PLAYBOY SETTLES? The shot turned into Swiss cheese. It fell again, crumpling and revealing the third report.
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your deeds. The inside scoop of Lafayette fiancée...
Shadow lowered the gun. He had been so busy collecting reporter bullshit he had no idea this was up. It wasn’t the gall of reporters prying into her life that stayed his hand. It was the word “fiancée”. A reporter wouldn’t put a friendly word on it. They would have done a nasty comment. Something like streetwalker or worse. That wasn’t all. He got a sense the page had been altered by something. Seelie glamour maybe?
A knife hitting the word like a dart both startled him and answered his question. “Fiancée” wavered and revealed “Hook up”
“Oh, sorry, Shadow!”
The homunculus turned. Riku Lafayette was apologetically waving, a voodoo dagger in hand. A few tiny pincushion dolls were escorting him. Shadow didn’t know whether to laugh or be annoyed.
“I guess you got the news?”
Shadow blinked. So the whole thing was true. Riku and Sunshine were engaged. He had noticed she had been in high spirits. Looking like she was flying while still walking. He hadn’t even gotten a good look st her hand to see a ring. Hesitantly, he tore down the magazine that had been impaled. A few flips showed a picture of the couple. Riku was on one knee presenting a ring to a wide eyed Sunshine.
“We were going to tell you,” the voodoo cop said hestiantly.
“I know why,” Shadow shut the magazine and threw it violently. Loose pages fell like snow, getting fluffier as nine chaos spears tore it asunder. “You didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”
“No.”
The denial made Shadow lower his hand. It was still in a fist, but looser. “Your sister?” he asked.
Riku nodded. “Yeah. I warned Sunshine they would start talking. Turns out my sister’s stunt was roped in, too.” He looked at the pile of pages. “I used glamour to make it all seem less cutting. Sunshine and Weiss don’t...” He groaned in frustration.
“...They don’t deserve reporters making up lies,” Shadow finished, equally bitter. He looked at Riku long and hard. It wasn’t angry or frustrated. Well, it was, but not at him. It was at the one thing they had in common aside from loving Sunshine; their bitterness to the press. “So is it true? The whole engagement?”
Riku nodded. His face became serious, but not the stoic seriousness he had when investigating a case. Even the dolls looked solemn. “Shadow, your her best friend and I should have come to you sooner. I still kick myself about it. I love Sunshine. I really do. She’s made the darkest parts of my time a bit...well, sunnier. I want to spend the rest of my life with her because of what she’s done for me. She made me find joy, joy my parents couldn’t even buy.”
Shadow said nothing for the longest time. It was weird hearing someone sound so...vulnerable. Maybe that was it. The cop who had come from a rich family wasn’t arrogant or obsessed with money. He was using money for good...heck, he sacrificed a big position to pursue a dangerous dream. The l word came up, a word he had told Yang Adrien felt. In his heart, Shadow knew Riku was telling the truth. All of it. Sunshine had seen the kindness in him, and Riku had been nothing but good to her. Saving him from the darkest places...the best love did. It was the reason Shadow loved Sunshine; she had given him hope in a dark town.
“Riku Lafayette...I misjudged you.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to say that...”
“Let me finish,” Red eyes locked into blue. “When Sunshine started dating you, I let my overprotectiveness of her get in the way. I thought she was going to have her heart broken. But you stepped in when I disappeared and made sure she didn’t lose that light. Her happiness is more important than anything. She loves you, and...yeah you pretty much admitted it, and damn it, using your magic to protect her is a huge sign.” Pride went down like a thick salty oyster. “I was a dick, and for that I’m sorry.”
The two cops just stood in understanding silence. Unspoken approval and respect was cutting through the tension. The training grounds was suddenly open to them both. The crumpled magazines hit the concrete.
“So...” Shadow shrugged to cut off the awkward silence, “ever use that magic to change sports scores?” His lip twitched up before a silent deep chuckle, a small laugh he shared with Riku, resounded.