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Chapter Text

"WHAT THE FUCK?! What do you mean I'm expelled!?" The high-pitched shriek that echoed down the hall made the students either raise an eyebrow at each other or clap their hands over their ears. Inside a small office with its printed label, The Principal Office, a 17 year old teen stood rigid with fists that clenched and shook. Her lips were pulled back to show gritted teeth, her aura giving off dark vibes as she glared at the man who just looked at her with half-mast and tired amber eyes.

"Uzi, this is the tenth time you've gotten into a fight with your classmates. With all the other stuff piling up on your school record, we can no longer keep you as a student here." The man monotoned and gave off no other reaction when Uzi stomped her steel-toed black boots on the carpeted floor.

"I keep keep telling you that I never started those fights, so you can bite me! Check the cameras! You have those, right?" She growled, purple eyes flickering.

The man just let out a weary sigh and rubbed the wrinkles on his forehead, "we did, Uzi. It showed that you tripped and then lunging at a student. Unprovoked I might add." Uzi's eye twitched and slammed her hands atop the desk, leaning forward to seem intimidating. The staring contest lasted about six seconds before she whirled around and snatched her bookbag next to her feet.

"Whatever! I hated this hell of a school anyway, good riddance I say!" She huffed as she shoved the door open with her shoulder and ignored the stares and snickers as she speed walked down the hall, hefting her black bag with bat wings over her tense shoulders. Uzi cursed the students and teachers alike under her harsh breath while she tugged on the collar of her skull printed t-shirt when she felt it press uncomfortably at the base of her throat. It honestly was a long time coming in her fantasy, the cranky teachers were getting on her last nerves along with the other kids that attended Silver Ten High. The building lived up to its elite status which made the rich flock to it like crows, with its pristine marble finish and golden hallways. It was also stuffy and the fresh air when she finally got out the doors made her sigh in relief and cooled her temper. Just a little, though. She'll hold onto that resentment for that school for most of her life. Pfft, who cares about those sickly prissys. They can all bite me!

Uzi took out her phone from the pocket of her dark gray baggy leggings and unlocked it, clicking on her contacts. Her finger hovered over the top icon, before she shook her head and tapped on the third icon below. She pressed it to her ear, the device rang twice before someone picked up.

"What's up, Zi?" A voice crackled through the speaker, the tone simmering her anger further until it was just an ember in her heart.

"Pick me up, Thad. We're going out." She ended the call when he gave the affirmative, leaning against the pillars as she scrolled through social media as she waited.

Out of hell, but soon into another one.

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Next day

The alarm blared in her ears and Uzi slapped at the button to click it off, she curled under the covers and pinched her eyes shut tightly against the morning light that flooded from her window. She didn't understand morning people, her energies were still low and she was soooo tired. There was no school, so Uzi can take the extra hours to sleep and forget about her troubles...

"UZI! Up and at 'em kiddo, let's not waste this day just because of no school!"

Or not.

She sat up groggily while she rubbed at her eyes and peeked between her fingers to glare at her father, Khan, who stood at the doorway with furrowed brows. She let out a hiss and pulled the blankets over her head, Uzi flopped back down on her bed and buried her face in the sheets.

"No, go away." She mumbled, growling when the blanket was ripped away from her and fluttered to the ground at the foot of her bed. Her finger twitched and the door swayed inward about a centimeter unnoticed.

"Uzi, this is not negotiable. Besides, there is... Something we need to talk about." He hedges slightly, seemingly to ignore the panic that sparks in her violet eyes and the air suddenly got heavy like a weighted blanket above their heads. "I'll wait for you downstairs, just don't get back in that bed." Khan closed the door behind himself when he left, the residing footsteps acting like the ticking of a clock towards doom.

Her hand went to her neck subconsciously to the choker that rested on her throat, nail tracing the 002 engraving on the tag attached to the crystal flowers. Uzi flinched when the lamp on her desk beside her bed flickered and blinked off. She eyed it skeptically then shook her head and got up to get dressed, Uzi paid no mind to the tingling in her palms as she unhooked a gray hoodie from her closet and pulled it over her pajama shirt. She placed her beanie with a Bisexual pin clipped to it atop her head and ran down the stairs after she exited her room.

Uzi hesitated at the bottom step and held onto the railing in a white-knuckled grip and her skin buzzed with nerves at the thought of what her dad wanted to talk about. Khan was making breakfast at the stove when she finally stepped into the kitchen, she pulled at the drawstrings of her hoodie as she stood at the counter beside one of the tall chairs. She took the offered plate of eggs and a cup of water when he finished cooking, she took a seat on the chair.

"I might as well come out with it, I guess." Her father spoke and waited until she met his eyes hesitantly as she took a big gulp of water. "We're moving to the Copper District and–" he was suddenly interrupted when Uzi spit out her drink in surprise and sprayed water on his jean jacket with a blue shirt under it. He looked unimpressed while Uzi just stared at him, and then jumped up off the chair and clenched her fists at her sides.

"The hell, dad?! Why are we moving? The Copper District is on another whole continent!" She screeched, grasping at her hair as she breathed heavily. "I-I, we can't just move! What if my stuff gets lost and never turns up again?! Oh my god, what if my manga gets crushed under something?" Uzi shook her head after that small rant and breathed in deeply before she looked down at her feet. "And what, what about mom-" her voice broke a little and she blinked back tears that pricked at the corner of her eyes, because she doesn't cry.

"I- w-we can't just, leave the place that mom loved so much." Uzi kept her gaze trained on the floor, her hands slightly shaking as she got overwhelmed. Feelings swirled around, some confusing and unknown while others felt all too familiar. She snapped her eyes to look at her father when he cleared his throat, his silver-gray eyes squinted in worry.

"Uzi, I know this is quite a shock. But, this morning the company called and said they needed me at the Copper District. The storms have been becoming more frequent and intense, they need me to start reinforcing the domes and that takes years to do." He scratched at the back of his neck nervously, "so I decided instead of taking a trip where you'll be by yourself for who knows how long, it'll be best just to move."

Uzi huffed and crossed her arms, grumbling in a small weak voice. "Of course, but that hasn't stopped you from leaving before." Khan winced at that but does not speak up about it, he rubbed at his eyes when he let out a breath.

"Just, start packing up your stuff. We will be moving in about a month or two, the moving truck is already on its way to be loaded up." With that he takes his own breakfast to his office located by the kitchen and dining room, he closes the door behind him which he usually does when he's in a meeting.

She just stands there for a whole minute before she starts running up to her room. She let out a curt yell and then slammed the door closed, then put her head into her hands. Her chest felt heavy with too much emotion that accumulated like the storm clouds outside, her gaze lingering on a mirror that hung above her dresser.

"The freak is here. C'mon, we need to get away or she'll hurt us!"

"Get it together freak! No one wants to be around you when you're being like that."

"Uzi, sit normally please! It makes you more dignified if you sit in the chair."

"My god! What a problem child, can't imagine what her dad has to go through with her."

"You're a freak-" snap!

Cracks appeared in the shattered glass that reflected her eyes.

Chapter Text

The sky darkens to a stony gray above the unfinished dome and thunder flashed, lightning striking the ground outside it soon after. A huge eagle soared above the storm clouds, its feathers fluttered in the winds as they brushed over and under its wings. The eagle tilted its body sideways and flapped its wings as it changed direction, screeching when thunder rumbled beneath it and illuminated a shadow in the clouds. The symbol was visible for only a second before it vanished completely. 

Class Schedule - Uzi Doorman

Periods        Classes       Times 

1st Period - English 3 - 8:30 am to 10:05 am

2nd Period - Probability and Statistics - 10:10 am to 11:45 am

Lunch - N/A - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

3rd Period - Physics - 1:40 pm to 2:15 pm

4th Period - The Metal Districts History - 2:20 pm to 2:55 pm

The paper crinkled as she folded the schedule in half and tucked it back into her bookbag, her grip tightened on the straps that pressed into her shoulders and felt much heavier on her back. Uzi stood before the entrance of the new school she was going to start attending, students that surrounded her spoke loudly and laughed and shoved each other as they jested. Her body felt frozen in place and her feet seemed rooted to the cement like a flower that sprung in the soil. The breath in her lungs was shallow and fast, her muscles felt tense and constricted. She jerked forward when someone bumped into her and she whipped her head around to see them jeer at her, talking in a harsh tone to say "hey, move it! You're blocking the way!"

Uzi snapped out of her daze and leaned towards them with hands on her hips as she snarled out, "Bite me! I wasn't in the way, you just weren't looking where you were going!" With that she whirled around and finally shoved her way through the front doors. She ignored the pissed off look on their face as she weaved through the crowds that loitered in the lobby. Gray tables were set up against the brick wall, loose papers littered their plastic surfaces. When she arrived at one of her classes down one of the hallways for her first period, the place was deserted and the teacher was not present yet. 

She let out a breath and placed down her bookbag beside a desk situated at the back of the room next to a smudged window, which looked out at the staff parking lot. Her violet eyes stared off into the distance as she waited in complete silence, she didn't acknowledge anyone as the desks filled up quickly when the students finally arrived. The teacher walked in and everyone quit talking and paid attention as the teacher greeted the students with a smile on their face. Uzi kept an ear open while she continued to stare out the window, her finger tapped on her desk soundlessly. It was boring stuff about the syllabus and what the teacher expected of the students, things she heard a million times before from those fancy schools back in the Silver District.

The next class was much the same and faded into the background easily as she doodled in her notebook she pulled out. The sketch of a railgun took up the whole page, the written words about how it worked were small and barely readable from a distance. By the time she got to her third class period, she was already dead on her feet from boredom and rested her head in her arms atop her desk. The teacher, Mrs. Jenson, or Johnson or whatever, droned on about one of her rules regarding the use of phones during class when Uzi felt something in her hair. She rolled her head to the side to look behind her, violet eyes narrowed at a student that looked away and started whistling. 

A quick glance downward to see a crumpled up piece of paper lying on the ground made her groan out loud, then bent over to pick it up and throw it at them. The ball of paper hit them in the center of their forehead, which then thumped harmlessly onto their desk. They glared at her and she stuck her tongue out childishly before she turned back in her seat to face forward, her eye twitching when the crumpled paper hit her in the back of the head again.

This is going to be a loooooong day...

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"Did you see her? She looks freaky!"

"Ew, what is she wearing? Ugh, please don't tell me it's another goth freak."

"Shh!! Keep your voice down, or she'll hear you!"

Uzi's face twisted into a scowl and twirled around on her foot, the students jumped back and two others hugged each other out of fright. 

"Bite me! And no comments on my gothic attire, it's none of your business god damnit!" She snapped at them, eyes flashing and the students scurried away from under her scrutiny. She huffed in satisfaction and continued on her way to her fourth period, fiddling with the zipper of her jacket with the spray painted crossbones and empty battery design. She adjusted her beanie that sat crooked on her head, she felt an non-existent weight that pressed down on her and gave her a slight headache. She was two feet away from the classroom door when she suddenly felt hands shove her out of the way, the unexpected force made her trip on her ankle and she fell to the tile floor which sent a shock up her arm. Uzi grimaced in pain and looked up, an eyebrow raised. A girl with blonde hair in a ponytail, outfitted in a bright pink tie front dress, white sleeves and folded collar looked down on her with a judgemental stare. She cocked her hip to the side and placed a hand on her waist, another girl with long purple hair standing beside her silently and her red eyes glinted with interest before they dulled back to a bored look. 

"So, you're the new kid on the block, huh?" The girl sneered, flicking her hair over her shoulder with her chin held up high. Uzi got to her feet, the soreness in her arm already fading to a dull ache in the back of her mind. She brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes, rolling her shoulders and she bared her teeth at the girls. 

"Yeah, so what are you gawking at? Want me to punch you for the warm welcome, Pinky?" She seethed through her clenched teeth, violet eyes flicking nervously at the crowd forming around them to watch. Pinky flinched away dramatically at the threat and Red Eyes, the girl next to her, put a hand on her shoulder and sent a glare in Uzi's direction.

"Feisty little bugger, aren't you?" Pinky commented while she examined her painted nails as if she didn't react just moments before, her pretty glittering lip gloss painted on a smirk as she shared a look with the other girl. "Attitude like that can't go unpunished, don't you agree Doll?" She snickered when Doll nodded her head in silent agreement, looking at Uzi up and down with a cold gaze that made her shiver. She shrunk into herself when Pinky stepped forward with a cruel look in her eye, clutching at the straps of her bookbag like a lifeline when her beanie was yanked off her head. Uzi yelped and tried to grab it back with desperate hands, her breathing picked up as the memento was taken from her. Pinky only spared a glance before she ripped the bisexual pin from it and let the beanie flutter to the ground with a sizable hole that teared open from the careless handling. Her violet eyes widened and she felt her throat close up, the choker around her neck seemingly tightened its grasp. 

"Ooooh! I love this pin, I think I'll keep it. You can have the nasty thing it was attached to, though. It's too clashing and tacky for my taste." She drawled with pure disdain coating her words, tucking the pin into her purse and she walked away haughtily. Doll followed after her and the crowd finally dispersed, leaving Uzi alone to stand motionless as she stared at her beanie still lying on the ground. It was like time stopped before suddenly it started all over again, the air around her felt charged with a chaotic energy that pressed down on her with overwhelming pressure. She got on her knees and reached a shaking hand out, her fingers curled weakly into the fabric and she brought it close to her chest. An unexpected light touch on her shoulder startled her out of her stupor, violet eyes looked up unseeingly as a soft voice spoke in a low tone.

"Hey, you good?"

Uzi picked herself up from the grimy tile and slapped the hand away. She backed up until her back hit the wall and stared up into bright, golden eyes. Her breath quickened and the boys' mouth was moving but no sound came out, for her blood roared in her ears as she felt her chest constrict and her airway felt tight. Tears pricked at her eyes that now looked down but she refused to let them fall, she did not need to be a fucking crybaby on the first day of school. She counted to three and breathed in slowly before she let it out, her eyes flicked to the boy and nodded her head. She walked away without sparing a word, the eyes on the back of her neck made her skin prickle with unease. She couldn't help but look back and she swore she could feel something spark in the air between them. A pang in her heart that somehow felt familiar went unnoticed in her haste to get to her final class and get this sucky day over with.

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Three feet of snow crunched underfoot as Uzi walked down the sidewalk of her neighborhood, her face tucked into the high collar of her thick winter coat with thermal heating that dwarfed her small and short frame. The faux fur that lined the edges of her hood tickled her cheek unpleasantly that was pulled over her beanie that adorned her head. Her violet eyes trained on the ground and admired the endless glitter that twinkled under the sliver of light that peeked behind the storm clouds overhead. The street was quiet because the road was blocked by the heaps of snow, only a few people out and about in this eternal winter to shovel up the white powder from their driveways. She shivered under her coat as a particularly strong breeze blew past and she let out a yelp when she got a face full of freezing water that stung her cold skin. Ow! Jesus Christ, I've only been here for six months and I'm already so done with this godforsaken place! She quickened her pace as much as she could through several feet of snow and sighed in relief when she reached her house. She pushed the door closed against another strong gust of wind that tried to force the door open. She slouched on the wood when she finally got it shut tight, her head thumped against it and she winced slightly. Her eyes blinked the snowflakes out of her eyelashes and squinted them with a frown that tugged at her lips at the sight that welcomed her.

Her father was passed out drunk on the couch in the living room, the multitude of takeout boxes that lay around on the carpet and table made her groan in annoyance and frustration. Uugh! He's already made some gambling friends. That's... great! She sarcastically grumbled in her head, straightening up and removing her stuffy coat as she stomped past her father to head to her room. Uzi slammed the door behind her and threw her bookbag in the corner, she then plopped herself down on her spinny desk chair and turned on her desktop computer. She logged in with ease and clicked on the Skype icon at the top of her screen, clicking on Thad's icon in her contacts. She waited patiently until he popped up on the call.

"Hey, what's up Zi? How is 'life in the city' or whatever, I guess." Thad greeted as he leaned forward with crossed arms atop his own desk, his light blonde hair mostly hidden under his cap. Uzi rolled her eyes and rested her head on the palm of her hand, tipping back as she closed her violet eyes as if she was tired. 

"The city is.. great so far! The wonders never ceased, as well as the hundreds of pounds of snow accumulating outside as we speak." She huffed with exaggeration, her mouth quirked up when she heard her best friend's laughter that crackled through the mic. Her eyes opened when Thad's laughter died down and raised an eyebrow when his own furrowed down in worry. She curled her lip up to show her clenched teeth and growled, "Thad, no. I am not talking about it, so quit it with that creepy stare." 

"Hey! I know, I know. Touchy and angsty topic, but at least I didn't say anything. This time." He assured her, he ignored the 'creepy' comment and moved on quickly. "Anyways, at least tell me you were able to explore some!"

She hunched her shoulders up and splayed her arms out with a 'really' expression on her face. Thad chuckled nervously, "what? A snowstorm wouldn't have stopped you before! C'mon, don't tell me you haven't wanted to check out some... I don't know, abandoned houses? Or, something."

Uzi shook her head, using her foot to rock the chair side to side and started to rub her hands along the texture of her pants in a soothing gesture. Thad patiently sat in complete silence, waiting for her to speak. 

"If the storm calms down a little, I wouldn't mind venturing out. In the cold. All alone, and freeze." She shivered just thinking about it, fingertips now reaching up to touch lightly at her choker. Her friend giggled and she sent a playful glare his way, snickering to herself when his lips pressed together in a tight lipped smile which was more like a grimace.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound ideal in the slightest." Thad shook his head in mock despair as if the scene was playing in his head, and it didn't look good. 

"You're right though, I could be missing the adventure of a lifetime if I stayed cooped up in here any longer! It's so suffocating, ugh!" Uzi complained, goosebumps appearing on her skin from a sudden gust of wind that blew in. A quick glance to her window showed that it was cracked open, most likely from last night when her room felt too hot. A hum of agreement brought her attention back to her friend. 

"An epic adventure in a snowy tundra! Just yourself and a desolate forest that'll definitely have secrets hidden deep within long forgotten, spooky ruins!" He exclaimed excitedly, the bright shine in his green eyes made her smile. 

"Whatever you say, Thad. But that adventure will have to wait, the weatherman said it'll be a few weeks before the storm calms down. It'll be safer to not wander too far til then." She sighed in disappointment when she recalled the forecast that played in the background as she got ready to head to school this morning. The conversation after that lay idle for a moment before they started talking about something else. They stayed on the Skype call for a while longer until his mom called him down for dinner, her body leaning back in her chair as she turned off her computer when he left the call. Uzi rolled her head back and stared up at the ceiling, the events of today catching up to her and playing behind her eyes. Gold eyes flashed in her mind's eye and she jerked upwards, heaving for breath as if it was suddenly knocked out of her. She got to her feet and looked over her shoulder, looking out the window that overlooked her backyard. The cool breeze still drafted in and she breathed it in to calm her nerves, running her fingers through her short purple hair. The phantom pain in her arm throbbed dully in the back of her mind as she walked up to the window, pressing the palms of her hands against the window sill and peered outside through the glass. The snowstorm raged on and howled like a wolf at the full moon, the unrecognizable barren wasteland of the city made her feel like she was in an unknown world. Lost with nowhere to run to. 

Chapter Text

Golden hues of the morning sun streamed through the curtain drawn window, the shadows stretched along the floor, climbed up the bedpost, and splayed across the bed in long tendrils. The teal blue blanket shifted when a body curled into itself, eyes scrunched closed from the rays of light. In the background soft music played, which gave it a comfortable and sleepy ambience. A phone, the source of the music, lay atop a small dresser with the screen faced down. It was plugged in by a charger cord that snaked down behind the dresser and was attached to an outlet, out of sight.

-we've heard a kind of paradise
beyond the desert's dunes

We've walked the earth in solitude, so cold we need
the warmth of sun

We've lived the life that we could live, we see the truth
magic that begins...

Searching for something new
Isle of Gold in flowers bloom-- beep, beep-brriiIINNNNGGG!

The sudden loud noise made the figure jolt up with a shout, gold eyes wide open and pupils dilated in fright. He heaved for breath as the alarm clock next to his phone kept blaring out, his hands lifted up to rub at his eyes and wipe away the sleep sand from the corners of his eyelids. He clicked his alarm off and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, then leaped to his feet and stretched out his limbs as high as they could go. He plastered a smile on his face and quickly got dressed, struggling to get his arms pulled through a long sleeved flannel. After that ordeal and throwing on some pants, he grabbed his phone off the dresser and pressed pause as he ran down the staircase. 

"-so happy when you finally move out! This lecture is already getting old, y'know!"

"V! I'm not going to deal with you right now! Either you figure it out, or so help me GOD I will-!"

"N! Good morning, the usual yeah?" A chipper voice interrupted the squabble, screeching to a halt and his two sisters turned to see him standing in the archway to the kitchen. N scratched the back of his neck anxiously at J's sneer and V's twitching eye, his gaze flicking to Tessa who stood before a fire-lit stove with a spatula in hand. He nodded with a hum and sat in one of the tall chairs to wait patiently for his breakfast. The air around them felt tense until J scoffed and stomped off to the back porch most likely heading out on a run, V just rolled her eyes at the display. N tried his best to keep himself seem upbeat about everything with a grin still plastered on. His facial expression turned more genuine when he heard the pitter-patter of little feet bounding down the stairs. 

"Big brother! Giggles and holds up paper. Look what I made! Ecstatic." She hopped in place when she reached the kitchen, her hands holding up a piece of paper covered in colorful crayon. A field of poppies were colored in and above it was a scribble of blue, pink, and red to showcase the sky at dawn with no clouds in sight. N squealed in delight and took the offered drawing in delicate fingers, his chest near bursting and his eyes crinkled in the corners.

"Another to add to my collection, huh Cyn? This is amazing, as always." N gushed, Cyn tilted her head to the side and grinned. 

"Smiles, happy. I'm glad it makes you happy, big brother!" She shrieked and tried to swat his hand away when he reached down to ruffle her silver hair, Tessa laughed with a gleam in her eye at the wholesome moment. V watched with her brows furrowed but with an upturn of her lips, her arms crossed as she leaned forward on the tabletop. N folds the paper in half with care and places it nicely in one of his folders tucked into his backpack, which leaned against the chair's leg on his left. Tessa declares breakfast is served and the three siblings start to dig into their food, N scarfs it down quickly so he can catch the bus once it gets here.

"N, 'fore I forget anything." Tessa started with some hesitancy in her tone that made him worried. "The shelter called the house phone last night."

Cyn looked between them, "frown, sad and concerned. Big brother N?" She grabbed his hand in an attempt to reassure him, which he appreciated. 

"I'm so sorry, N.. but they're closin' down 'cause not enough fundin' and lack of resources. Nothin' much I can do, I'm afraid." She said regretfully, her brown eyes drowned in despair at the downtrodden look marring his face. Cyn clutched onto his arm and hugged it, V kept quiet. N stewed in his feelings of helplessness and some frustration before he tucked them away to the back of his mind. He smiled at them, patting Cyn on the head softly.

"Thanks for letting me know Tessa, but it's a small setback I'm sure! There are plenty of pet shelters around here I can apply to." He assured them, his heart felt full when Cyn agreed and her eyes glowed with pride.

"Nods, enthusiastic yes! Big brother will make it work, he always does." She giggled when he picked her up and held her high in the air.

"That's the spirit, little buddy! Nothing to be bummed about as long as we have plenty of options-" a lucky glance to the digital clock on the microwave that read 7:00 am had him let out a yelp, Cyn clapped her hands over her ears at the abrupt noise. N placed her back down gently, smiling sheepishly at her pout before he hopped to his feet and grabbed his backpack. "Sorry, but I gotta go or I'll miss the bus! Bye Cyn, bye V, bye Tessa! Have a great day!" He yelled as he slung his bag over his shoulder. He waved at them and shut the door behind him with much more force than he strictly intended. Heh whoops, my bad.

Right as he got down the last marble step that led up to the huge mansion, the bus rolled up to his circular driveway and parked before the huge staircase. He skipped to the vehicle and jumped on, taking a seat near the front. He put his bag down on his lap and pressed himself against the side of the bus, looking out the window as it suddenly jerked forward and drove off. N hugged his bag close to his chest and rested his chin on it, fingers curled into the fabric that was decorated with white paw-prints splattered on a black background. The golden retriever keychain with an oversized bone in its mouth swung back and forth, hooked to one of the zippers. It grabbed his attention easily. After a few stops at the many neighborhoods to pick up students,-with only three missing-the bus crawled to a stop at the drop-off a couple minutes before the bell. People then started to scramble off as if they couldn't get out fast enough. N watched the chaos as he waited until the bus was basically empty and threw his bag over his shoulder then shuffled out of the seat.

"Cya after school, Mr. Bus Driver!" He said jovially with a wave of his hand, his smile grew bigger when the man returned the sentiment as he hopped down onto the pavement. He followed the crowd and it only took him about a few seconds to arrive at his first class, greeting Mrs. Johnson-or was it Mrs. Jenson?-who sat at her desk. She nodded her head in acknowledgement, then went back to focus on the papers scattered on her desk. The lesson plan, if he had to guess.

N left her to it and plopped down in one of the seats, his bag thumped onto the floor and slouched itself against the leg of the desk. He busied himself with a book, the cover slightly torn on the edges and creased as if it was either folded inward or outward. The wear and tear of the book seemed like it could fall apart at any moment, the letters printed above the portrait of a fiery-ginger cat so faded that it was hard to tell what they spelled out once upon a time. As people filed in by the time he got to chapter 14, he would occasionally look up from the worn pages and say 'hello' or 'good morning' to the person walking by. Some responded with a good demeanor while others just seemed to ignore him, which didn't bother him really. Soon all the desks were filled up and the bell rang overhead, signaling the beginning of class.

"Alright students!" The teacher spoke up with a peppy attitude and clapped her hands. "Even though this is only your second day, you had enough time yesterday to get your mind into a school setting. Also, we just had a new student move into the Distirct. So I expect and encourage a welcoming atmosphere." 

N looked over his shoulder when he heard a 'BANG!' that sounded two desks behind him, his head tilted to the side at the sight. The face that pressed against the wood was curtained by sleek purple hair, hiding away their facial features. The class paid it no attention as the teacher moved on about the lesson plan, so he just shrugged and faced forward. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he's seen that shade of purple before... but, where?

Eh, oh well. It doesn't matter, could probably be nothing.

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Uzi peeked around one of the big metal doors that were propped open, her eyes flicked between all the round plastic tables with too many people clustered together and being rowdy. The cacophony of sound was hard for her brain to comprehend anything to make sense of the conversations, which set her off and made the too loud noise unbearable to listen to. She closed her eyes and took her earbuds out of her jacket pocket, then connected them to her Bluetooth and let the randomly shuffled music blast in her ears. It drowned out the noise, her muscles untensed themselves and the nerves quieted down under her skin. She gripped her straps and headed to the cafeteria line, picking anything that at least even remotely seemed slightly edible. 

After paying for her food, she once again stood still and looked around for a place to sit. Her fingers tapped the edge of the tray, scoffing when someone nudged her harshly into her side with an elbow. She then smirked when he tripped over his untied shoelaces, which was undone in the last ten seconds somehow. The faint glow of her violet eyes dimmed as she walked over to the theatre stage opposite of the cafeteria kitchen, taking a seat on the bottom step. She focused on the lyrics of the song, even mumbling most of the words she remembered.

Some years ago
I lived a hard life

But sunlight burst a ray
through those clouds

"We finally seen the back, of those grey days. Please let the summer back, to stay."

And hold the sunbird in your
hands

"Don't let him sing too sweet. For too soon the summer sun, will be in a winter sleep."

Violet eyes opened and looked down at her empty tray. Her fingers went up to her choker and traced the groves lightly. Clouded memories played like a movie in her head, blurred images of color undistinguished from each other. Voices were muffled, she could only guess what the words were being spoken. Before she could get totally lost in the past, the sudden switch from English lyrics to Japanese made her breach the surface of the water and back into reality. She shook her head to clear it and turned on her phone, her eyes scanned the title and artist.

                                                                   [HUMAN]

                                                                     ReoNa 

                                                                ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

                                             0:28 ─●────────── -4:53

                              Previous song played                          Next song

                                  Sunbird                                        unlasting

Ugh! That reminds me I need to catch up on Demon Slayer. It should be easy to pirate so I can watch it tonight, I think. Wait, no! It won't be easy! Gah, fuck no! Where did that thought come from?!

With another shake of her head but a plan set for after school, Uzi tucked her phone away just in time to notice that everyone was walking out of the cafeteria. She took her tray to one of the carts near the trash cans, hands in pockets of her grey leggings and headed to her third period.

Physics was a little more interesting than English 3 and had her taking notes so she could keep them in her memory. The topic was on energy and the explanation of its seven main stores of energy, which she made a bullet point to list them off one by one in her notebook. Her attention that was trained on actually learning something worthwhile was disrupted when a headache pierced her skull out of nowhere. She winced under the onslaught, massaging her temples in hopes of staving off the pain that pounded in her head. The teacher's voice-Mr. Caine-became muted in her ears, violet eyes darted around the room until they landed on the window. A huge bird perched outside on the snow-covered windowsill, its beady yellow eyes bore into her as it tapped the glass. Frost clung to the edges of its bracken-colored wing feathers, snowflakes dotting the space between the appendages. The cold didn't seem to bother it and it chirped as it shifted side to side along the windowsill. It tilted its head when she glared at it as her headache got worse, the bird unfolding its wings and fluttering them against the icy pane. It pecked harder on the glass as if it was trying to get in, yellow eyes glinted with frustration when the glass didn't shatter from the harsh impacts. Uzi raised an eyebrow at the show of emotion, but when she blinked the bird was suddenly gone. Not even talon-prints were left behind in the snow, as if it never existed at all. She shrugged her shoulders and brought her attention back to Mr. Caine, her headache already subsiding. The bell rang when the clock reached around 2:15 and everyone packed up to head to their fourth period.

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The strange occurrence was long forgotten as she walked to her final class of the day, cursing when students either bumped into her or shoved her on purpose. She gave them the evil eye every time and giggled manically when they cowered and quickened their steps. She had fun scaring the crap out of them until that was ruined by a person who ran into her full force and she let out a wail when they crashed to the ground. Everything scattered onto the floor, the body atop her gave a drawn out whine and she hissed when their elbow trapped between their stomach and her back dug itself uncomfortably into her spine. Footsteps thundered behind them as people just stared. 

"Hey! We're not finished with you yet!" A shout threatened above the crowd, which stepped out of the way from the approaching group of burly jocks. Uzi ignored them in favor of threatening the weight that pinned her down herself.

"Get the hell off of me, you dead weight." She seethed and twisted her upper body, then with surprising strength she shoved the person off of her. They yelped as they rolled onto the floor. She heaved herself up with her arms, throwing them a glare their way and bared her teeth in a feral snarl. Golden eyes met her violet ones instantly and a spark passed between them, the air charged with something she couldn't name quite yet. The spell was broken when a hand went to grab the back of the boy's shirt, but he was faster and dodged it when he ducked down and rolled out of the way. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes flicking to Uzi's prone form still on the ground. That seemed to be a mistake when one of them caught the look and a smirk formed on their lips. She didn't have time to react when a firm grasp tugged on her arm and she was forced up onto her feet, the hold made her wince as nails dug into her skin painfully. The jocks behind them shifted uncomfortably as they watched, but went unnoticed as everyone focused on the commotion happening before them.

"Ha, this is how it's going to go dude. Either you apologize for stealing our table, or I'll break this goth freak's arm." He warned, his grip on her arm tightened. She gave him an incredulous look, her eyebrow ticked downward.

"You're fucking telling me this is all just for a stolen LUNCH TABLE?!! You gotta be freaking kidding me right now!" She cried out, her eyes landed on the boy who gave her a sheepish look while he scratched his cheek. She huffed then decided to take matters into her own hands, she really didn't want to be dealing with this! Her face transformed into something resembing a gremlin as she cackled when an idea came to her.

Uzi kicked his shin, hard, and grinned in satisfaction when he let her go in his recoil from the sharp pain. That is what you get when you mess with a Doorman, sucker!! Her victory was short-lived, however, when fingers wrapped around her wrist and tugged her along behind them. She opened her mouth to retort but then closed it since she saw who was dragging her. For some unknown reason, she let him take her where ever he was going. It was only when he shoved her into what seems to be an art supply closet, did she finally let him have it.

"What the hell, man? Why'd you make me an accomplice for something so outlandishly dumb!" She jabbed a finger into his chest, her eyes burned with a fire that fueled her rage. He backed up and laughed nervously with sweat dotting his forehead. 

"I'm so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean to, really! I just had no clue what to do and ran off without any forethought." He rubbed the back of his neck, his body hunched forward. Uzi let the anger simmer for a bit before she backed off, her arms crossed when he looked up to meet her eyes.

"Whatever, it's just my dumb luck I get caught up in this mess. Terrific!" She complained sarcastically, leaning her back against the closet door. Movement in the corner of her eye made her glance over at the boy who brought her here, eyebrow quirked up when he raised his hand in her direction.

"Anywho, might as well introduce myself if we're going to be stuck here for a while!" He cocked his head to the side in a manner that she thought was cute. "My name is N! What's yours?"

His smile fell when she just stared at his hand, dropping it when she didn't give any indication of returning the gesture. She watched with some amusement when he started rocking on his heels. 

"Sooo, are you gonna say or..." He asked somewhat timidly. She narrowed her eyes at him and her silence seemed to make him skittish, his finger tugging on his shirt collar to show his discomfort.

"It's Uzi. Also, is the letter short for something?" She asked almost flippantly, unsure what to do at this point. He tapped his pointer fingers together as he shook his head, gaze shifting to avoid eye contact.

"No, i-it's just my name." He gave her a split-second glance then looked down at his shoes.

She hummed, "that's strange, not gonna lie."

N shrugged his shoulders, his fingers still tapping each other to keep himself calm.

"Yeah well, the orphanage I was raised in had," his voice went soft until it became a whisper at the end, "neglectful caretakers that never bothered to give us proper names." His tone made it seem as if he was stating a fact, like he needed to give some sort of explanation to a total stranger. She eyed him with a weird look and he grimaced in response. 

"Ooooh-kay, thanks for your whole life's story. I guess." She commented in exaggeration, taking note of the bell ringing as she rolled her eyes. N jolted when the shrill sound slipped through the door in contrast, wringing his hands together.

"We should head back." He suggested, shuffling toward the door slowly. "I don't want to get you in trouble, to be honest." 

"You got me into this mess in the first place, so yes. You do owe me this accountability." Uzi gave him a playful smirk. N chuckled, his smile a bit shaky. She pushed herself off the door and they both walked out of the closet, then she jumped when he suddenly screamed. 

"AH! We forgot our backpacks!" He squawked in a high-pitched voice that made her flinch. He slapped his hands over his mouth, uttering an apology under his breath sheepishly and Uzi messed with her beanie instead of yelling at him when she felt it start to slide off. 

"C'mon, let's go get them before someone steals them." He squeaked when she grabbed his hand and stomped off to where they left their bags, not bothering to slow down her pace so he could keep up.

N stared down at their hands as something in his chest constricted, the familiarity of it almost had a whimper escape passed his lips and he tightened his grip on her hand. 

This is... real, right? A murmer spoke in a sorrowful tone below the murking depths of the subconscious, a primal force that writhed beneath the surface. 

Chapter Text

It was dark.

It was cold–
No, scratch that. It was fucking freezing!

Why is she cold in a dream?! God, this sucks…

Uzi could feel her body shivering, or more like the sensation of goosebumps rising on her skin as her whole world shakes. Her eyes try to adjust in the dark but light doesn’t seem to flicker into existence. She hears the echoes of footsteps like she’s walking forward, even though it did not feel like she was moving at all. Whispers brushed(̠w̠̠s̠̠p̠̠s̠̠p̠̠w̠̠p̠̠s̠̠s̠̠p̠̠w̠̠s̠̠p̠)against her skin and tickled her ears,
(̠w̠̠s̠̠p̠̠s̠̠p̠̠w̠̠s̠̠p̠–ł₦, ₥Ɇ ł₦. ⱠɆ₮!)gradually(ɨŧȼħ, søłvɇɍ wȺnŧs–Ɏøᵾ)becoming(̛̗͖̜́w̛͚͈̟̬̩̘̯̙͈̫̹̜͢ͅȩ̣̰͓̻͎͡a͏́͏̸͖͍̞̥̰̤̱͚͙ͅk̫̰͇̲̼̪͚̤ ̖̹̦̙͝͞n̴̛̛̫̘͈͈͈̳̩͢ͅớ͈̙̦̗͖̜w͚͈̟̬̩, ̳̞͔̭̤̩͍g̨̡̪̣̤͎̟̺̘͍͚̻̤͟͠ŗ̸̛̛̲͙͉͓͚ͅớ͈̙̦̗͖̜w͚͈̟̬̩ a͏́͏͖͍̞̥̖̹̦̙͝͞n̴̫̘͈͈͈̳̩̹̖̘͢ḑ̱̥̜́–)louder until it reached a (ŁɆŦ MɆ ƗN)crescendo.

Then it suddenly went eerily.

————————————silent.

A spark of yellow light flashed into being before her eyes, dancing and growing like a campfire. The yellow flame casted shadows on cupped hands, a face appearing in the low light. Uzi slowly stepped forward and tipped her head to the side to get a closer look. Purple eyes shined and snapped up, the gaze freezing her back into place.

That face. It looks so.. familiar.

She felt her throat tightened as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, her chest overflowing with feelings long ago locked in a box. A hand reached out toward the woman that was once dead and tried to grab onto something. But the image slipped through her fingers like water and rippled out of existence. Uzi let out a wail that shattered the floor beneath her, sending her tumbling until she woke up with a start.

Uzi gulped for breath. Her hands and arms shook as she gripped the sheets. Sunlight streamed in from the window, spilling across her room in a golden hue. She swept her bangs to the side and out of her eyes, jumping when her alarm went off. She growled at it, her skin tingling and then the alarm went quiet.

New home, new school, new people. Still the same nightmare. She couldn't leave that behind like everything else, could she? It was just her luck, stuck with something that's been haunting her for years ever since--

She jumped out of bed and threw some clothes on, pausing before the cracked mirror where the center refracted her eyes that reflected back.

-----
Week 1
-----

"UZI! Hey, Uzi!"

Just say hi back, maybe he'll finally leave you alone.

"Shut it!"

GAAHHHHH!! Why do I have to be so ME?!

-----
Week 2
-----

"Um, I forgot my stylus.. could I borrow-?"

"Just frickin take one of my spares."

"Thanks, you're the best little buddy!"

Wha-HUH?!

-----
Week 3
-----

"Uzi, wait up!"

"What do you want now?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to walk with you to class."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

-----
Week 4
-----

"N! Personal space, idiot."

He quickly took a step to the side to put more distance between them.

"Haha, sorry!"

She rolled her eyes.

-----
Week 5
-----

Gold eyes swept across the cafeteria, pin-pointing Uzi's location at the stage. She had her head down on one of those tall, round tables with the equally tall chairs. Her legs that dangled off the seat barely skimmed the floor, and she looked so small from all the way over here. She looked so cute and adorable. Like a kitten. An angry kitten at that, with her glower and her pinched crease in the middle of her brow. Heat simmered in his chest at the sight. Weeks spent so little time with her and yet.. Oh, no matter hiw long it takes, he will become her friend. That's a promise!

With that confidence boost, N headed in her direction in a light jog and his hand waving in the air. His food tray was dangerously close to tipping to the side but he paid it no mind and slammed it down on the table. Uzi jumped in her seat and the ceiling lights flickered, plunging
the cafeteria into darkness for a few seconds before it seemed to fix itself. His nose wrinkled at the weird scent that lingered. Uzi took out an earbud, her purple eyes squinting at him.

"What the hell, dude?" She grumbled.

"Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to frighten you, honest!"

Uzi crossed her arms and looked away, "i-it's whatever."

N beamed a grin and sat down at the chair across from her, letting his book bag hang on the back of it. She eyes him strangely and takes a sip from her water bottle.

Uzi was unsure how to feel about N. He's been all nice to her and stuff, something she was only familiar with Thad back at the Silver District. But it was also... somehow.. different from Thad. She couldn't put her finger on what, exactly, at the moment but it was weird! Is what it is! She would be lying if she said she didn't like the attention though. Just a teensy tiny bit. Don't judge her.

N taps his fingers atop the table and lets his eyes wander. He'd also toss tatertots into his mouth every few minutes. Uzi squirms in her seat as the silence drags down on them and becomes more awkward the more it stretches out. At least in her perspective. N was hungry.

"Sooo, what's fun to do around here?" Uzi facepalms herself mentally and groans.

The boy perks up immediately. If he was a dog she'd bet his tail would be wagging, a golden retriever seems to fit him perfectly in her opinion. "Oh man is there a lot to do! There's a HUGE lake not far from the school over at a camp where people love to go there for ice-skating! The camp-ground itself is pretty much abandoned, so it's a popular place to hang out and, um- party. Not my scene, to be honest. I'm only there for the skating and stuff. Anyway, oh and also--!"

Uzi rested her chin on the palm of her hand, listening attentively while he made wild hand gestures as he spoke. When the bell finally rang for third period, they parted ways with a goodbye wave from N and Uzi doing a two fingered salute back at him. She hissed and spat when people knocked into her on purpose, burying the negative emotion down deep so she wouldn't show it on her face.

-----
Week 8
(That day)
-----

She kept her eyes on the ground, fingers dug into the straps of her book bag. Lizzy's own blue burned into the back of her head. Uzi tripped but caught herself quickly and snapped her head around.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Lizzy narrowed her eyes at her. "A freak is talking back, that's what."

Doll beside her snickered.

Uzi ignored N's concerned look, stomping angerily until she was face to face with her bully.

"Nobody bosses me around, especially a pricy princess like you!"

Some people slapped their hands over their mouths in surpise, while others let out audible gasps. N rubbed the back of his head nervously and tipped his hat down so the rim covered a part of his vision. He still peeked an eye out to gaze at Uzi.

Doll stepped up and pushed Uzi away from a flabbergasted Lizzy, her lips curled up in a sneer.

"Mind your words, freak. Or I'll make you." She hissed and shoved her down again. Uzi tried to use her hand to catch her fall at the same time N reached out for her, crying out when she landed the wrong way and twisted her wrist. Suddenly pressure built up and gave her a splitting headache. N hovered at her side and whipped his head around to glare at Doll. Red eyes pierced into gold ones that shined brightly. A throaty growl rumbled past his lips and his hands clenched into fists, sharp nails dug into the meat of his palm. Doll narrowed her eyes and gave him a scowl, but took a hesitant back when he bared his teeth at her. Uzi looked at N with a wide eyed gaze despite the headache that pounded her skull. She then scrambled up to tug on his arm when she felt the raging aura. He jerked his head and chest heaved as he stared down at her. She tighened her grasp.

"C'mon N, it isn't worth it." She whispered, her eyes flicked to Lizzy and Doll. Doll tilted her head as she looked between the two, while Lizzy crossed her arms and tapped a foot. "Let's go N."

He shook his head to dispel the fog in his mind, looking at her inquisitively with a raised brow. She hissed at him and dragged him away, ignoring the stares and N's high-pitched whine. His muscles were still tense, ready for a fight. He was totally looking forward to it too! Well, running off steam will do. When school is let out.

With a plan in mind, he let Uzi drag him. His wrist was clamped in her grip, the pressure a little uncomfortable but not painful. The fourth period bell rung a split second after she pushed him inside a classroom. He stumbled and ducked his head as the class giggled. Once he and Uzi took their seats next to each other, the teacher cleared their throat and began the session. She paid no attention to them and wrote something down on her tablet, swiping her stylus to her right. N perked up like a literal puppy and looked at his own when it flashed.

'Is there any chance a party is happening this weekened?'

Chapter Text

A long time ago, I guess??

"If they find us here, I'm going to blame you."

"Hey! I saved your ass back there!"

"Hmph."

"Ugh, bite me."

Yesterday
somebody: Wednesday next week after school, V said.

UZI>:3: hehe, nice

Today
somebody: Good morning, little buddy!!

UZI>:3: who is this?

somebody: Didn't you put my name in your contacts?

UZI>:3: no

somebody: Oh okay! I'm N Elliot, from school? Remember? 

UZI>:3: ... OMG WHY R U TEXTING ME??!!!!!!!!!!!!

somebody: Does there have *to* be a reason?
I wanted to wish you a good morning!
edited

UZI>:3: mornins are the worst. refrain frm doing this
again.

somebody: Noted!

Smoke curled in the air, the stench burning her nose even upstairs in her room. She tapped her stylus against her school tablet, the words on the transparent screen blurring together until they were an unrecognizable mess. She thumped her head against it as if she could pound the answers into her muddled brain. Her eye twitched when the hollers and booms of the TV speakers reverberated in her skull. The lights above her flickered erratically until the bulb popped and the room was plunged into complete darkness.

"UGH!!!! My god they're loud!" She complained, her eyes adjusting quickly. The murmur in her ear seemed to agree. Uzi tossed her tablet somewhere on her bed and took out her phone so she could use it as a flashlight. Only tripping once when reaching for the door, Uzi peered over the railing to see what was going on. The table was a mess - no surprise there - and the couch was packed with old dudes drinking wine that stained their shirts and the carpet. She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath in.

"DAAAAAAAD!"

Nobody looked up. She huffed.

"HEY! DUNDERHEADS, TURN IT DOWN DAMNIT!"

Again. Nothing.

She tilted her head back and groaned, stomping down the stairs. She glared at the men who were still glued to the screen. She cackled internally and snuck behind the TV.

"What gives?!"

"Aw man! Just got to the good part!

"Shit."

"Anyone up for poker?"

Uzi poked her head out and smirked, "no clue how it happened but you're listening. Good." 

Khan rubbed his forehead as everyone else groaned in unison, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Uzi, what is it now?" 

She slinked from behind the TV and rocked on her heels with a devilish smile. 

"Some peace and quiet." She blinked innocently at him.

Her eyes roam over the multiple alcohol bottles littered about, wrinkling her nose at the overpowering smell of wine and cigarette smoke. A man with a gruff beard and unruly pepper-gray hair pushes himself up from the couch, flicking his cigarette stick that flies over the back of the furniture. 

"Best I be going anyway, Khan. Gotta check the grid." He patted Uzi's head when he passed her to the front door, not reacting in the slightest at her seething look that burned into the back of his head. His buddies started heading out too, waving to Uzi as they went. When it was just them, Khan laid back on the sofa and threw his arm over his eyes. Uzi furrows her brow in slight concern, her feet shuffling nervously. It only lasts about a minute though, and she throws her hands up in the air.

"Fine! Whatever, I don't even care anymore." She stomps to the kitchen, her fingers twitching in agitation and hunger. "Fuck, why is this my life?"

*ping!*

She dug out her phone from her jacket pocket.

———

somebody: Hey, Uzi! 

UZI>:3: 🪫

somebody: I have no clue what that means!

Uzi>:3: im belggh rn
need anythin?

somebody: Nope! How are you?

Wait, no! You already said, haha.
Um. I didn’t plan this ahead. 

What are you doing?

———

Uzi's thumb hovered over the keypad, her violet gaze taking in the dirty dishes in the sink and the greasy stove.

———

UZI>:3: nothin. you?

somebody: Got back from a run. Now I got to do homework :). 

UZI>:3: yuck! where do u live?

somebody: Oh, ummm... why do you want to know, exactly?

UZI>:3: to commit arson :D

somebody: No! That is a horrible idea!!

UZI>:3: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

somebody: 😅

still no

UZI>:3: UGH! N! your smothering my talent!

somebody: 'you're'

and a pun is not going to change my mind.

UZI>:3:  HJGHFHFHBVBVHJFB
THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION

somebody:  I believe you 🙂

UZI>:3:  bite me!

———

N giggled uncontrollably and tapped his feet. Cyn, who was coloring beside him, turned to look up at him.

"Raise eyebrow. What is so funny, big brother N? Scribble, scribble." She asks softly, tilting her head to the side. The oversized bow in her hair slips down her hair as if it's about to come loose. N bit his lip to stifle the rest of his giggles.

"What are you drawing, Cyn?" He inquired, subconsciously ignoring the question. She sat back on top of her legs folded underneath her and help up the paper.

"Drawing the forest! It is beautiful under a full moon. Thoughtful hum." She throws the crayons back into her box then grabs onto his arm. "Big brother, N! Can we run? I want to go out on a run." 

N looks away guiltily, chewing his lip until his teeth breaks the skin. He yelped when his phone slipped through his grasp, trying to clutch onto it too late. Cyn rocked back and forth with a big grin on her face. V had the phone in her hand, swiping at the screen as she looked through his messages. 

"Now let's see who's got my brother all sappy." She teased, dodging his mad swipes as she read the texts between him and Uzi. "Mm, not enough ammo yet."

She tossed it back to him, placing her hand on her wide hips. N juggled his phone before he was able to get a firm grip and hugged it close to his chest with a pout. He took a quick glance, but no new texts came in. Disappointed, he leaned back and tipped his head back to look up at the burn mark that marred the - how the hell did that get there? - ceiling. Cyn mumbled 'giggle, giggle' behind her hand.

"Wanna tell me who Uzi is?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is she your girlfriend or something?" 

N bolted upright and waved his hands in the air as he exclaimed, "NO! No no no no nononono! You got it all wrong!" He dropped his head into his hands and shook it violently. Thoughts of her sweet smile and her adorable prickly personality clouding his thoughts. Cyn clapped her hands and started laughing. V grinned like a madwoman, her eyes narrowed.

"Tsk, you're hopeless N." She checked her nails as if she couldn't be bothered. "Already getting sappy. Gross."

His ears turned red and he growled out, "it's not gross! And we're friends V, I can be sappy all I want!" He - very - lightly pinched Cyn in the arm when she said 'eye roll' under her breath. V scoffed.

"Right, keep telling yourself that dumbass."

N glared at her and crossed his arms with a huff. "You suck."

She cackled. 

———

Two days later

Uzi😁:  THIS DAY OFFICIALLY SUCKS!!!!!!

N: Oh! Hello!

Uzi😁:  im venting rn. 

im at my wits end wuith this shit!

lizzy is a brat doll is a brat

y cant they just leave me
aloooooonne

N: I'm sorry, want a hug?🫂

Uzi😁:  ew gross no! i need a distraction
from life

N: Wait! Why are you on your phone?!

Uzi😁: dont wrry, im being sneaky

N:  That is NOT what
I'm worried about!

Uzi😁: oh dont u act so high n mightie, ur doing it too!!

2:10 pm
Uzi😁:  n?

hellloooo?

pfft, HA!

Buildings blurred past and were nothing but streaks across the window. Uzi followed along with her eyes, hugging her knees close to her chest. The silence was a comfortable weight between her and N, blanketing them away from the rest of the world on this bus. He talked non-stop about a little sister, his voice a nice null in her ears. She smiled unconsciously at the way he spoke about her, his tone a mix of burning pride and brotherly affection. She could admire. She admired a lot about him it seems like. His extrovert nature and his kind eyes and face... he's cute. Does her cheeks feel hot?

"-Uzi, hey. Earth to Uzi, is she in the station?"

She shoves him even though she giggles a little, taking her gaze from the scenery to glare at his smug face but it doesn't seem all that intimidating. His lips soften to a grin and the brightness of it sent her heart fluttering a little.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today?" He asked, suddenly sounding a bit sheepish and was tapping his pointer fingers together. She blinked, taken aback by the question.

"Wait, what?"

Mental facepalm.

He flicked his eyes down to stare at his shoes. " I-it's totally fine if not, just thought I'd offer." He hunched his shoulders up to his reddening ears. "If we're going to be, um, friends.. I want to start hanging out more. Outside of. School."

Uzi's brain came to an abrupt halt, her mouth opening and closing. She then shook her head and then leaned into his space. "Yes! We can hangout or.. whatever. Doesn't matter. Shut up." She shifted away from him to hide her face behind her legs. Her chest constricted with anxiety, her hands now clammy.

What the hell?! Oh my god I can't believe ijustdidthat! 

N beamed at her and wiggled in his seat. "Great! My house should be the next stop any minute. You can follow me off, the driver won't mind."

Uzi peeked an eye out from behind her legs. Not trusting herself to speak, she just nodded. She then buried herself back behind her legs with a small noise of embarrassment. N's smile grew overly fond.

Cute.

Yellow eyes shined in the shadows of the forest, gazing upon the mansion and then blinking out of existence when the rumble of a vehicle sounded on the other side.

Chapter Text

"I'M HOME!!"

"–ow!"

"N! I enjoy my hearing very much, thank you."

"Sorry, Uzi."

Cyn perks up from the couch, mumbling 'climbing, climbing, runs!' as she runs to her brother.

"Big brother! Jumps in arms." She squeals, laughing when he catches her and twirls her around.

"Hiya little buddy!" He coos, hefting her onto his hip and tickling her side in greeting. Cyn tries to wriggle away from him, but keeps laughing in glee. "How was your day?"

"Great, big brother N!" She then turns her head and Uzi tenses up. "Confused. Who is this, big brother?" 

N hits his forehead a little too hard, wincing. "Oh! Cyn, meet Uzi! Uzi, meet my little sister Cyn." He puts her down to wrap his arm around Uzi's shoulders and brings her into his side. She blushes furiously at the physical touch.

I'm fine. I'm FINE!

She looks down at the little girl, smiling softly despite her burning cheeks. Cyn beams up at her. "Hi! Nice to meet you, my big brother's friend."

Unconsciously, Uzi leans further into the embrace as she replies, "it's nice to meet you too."

Cyn squeaks happily and raises her arms up. "Hold, hold hold! Grabby hands!" Uzi looks to N in surprise, who was also taken aback by the sudden demand. She shrugs and bends down to pick up Cyn, the motion dislodging N's hold. When Uzi straightens up, the little girl kicks her legs and grasps onto the teens' shirt to keep her balance. Uzi chuckles nervously, but her violet eyes spark with slight adoration. N felt his chest become fuzzy and warm as he watched the two talk adamantly with each other. 

Everyone soon moved to the grand living room and got comfortable on the couch with the big decorative pillows, Cyn sitting to the right of Uzi to show her many of the drawings she did while N sat on the left of her. The teen just nodded along, complementing each one with genuine comments. He was overjoyed that the two seemed to get along, the unknown fear disappearing in a flash before he could ponder it any longer. When Cyn leaves the room to get a snack, N scoots closer with his body facing to the side so he can make eye contact with Uzi. She flicks her eyes down every few seconds. 

"Don't you dare say anything." She hissed, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" He held up his hands in a placating manner, but a chuckle slipped past his lips without his permission. Uzi growled and the light fixture that hung up on the ceiling of the living room creaked loudly as it swung back and forth. He shivered when the temperature suddenly dropped.

"That was embarrassing." Uzi groused, thumping the back of her head against one of the pillows and her arms went limp. N tilted his head curiously.

"What? Showing compassion towards my little sister?" He shifted an inch closer and placed his hand next to her own.

She pouted, "you were staring."

N blinked innocently at her with a teasing lilt in his tone. "Am I not allowed to just stare at someone as beautiful as-"

He ducked and the pillow went past his head.

"-N, c'mon I'm not waiting- what the hell?!"

Cyn scurries back to Uzi's side right as V appears through the threshold, her face showing obvious signs that she was pretty ticked off. The purple-haired teen had her eyes scrunched shut when she threw the inanimate object and then slouched forward to bury her face in her hands. N, on the other hand, looked towards the voice with a slight frown of disappointment. V stared at the stranger with narrowed eyes and growled as she bristled in agitation. N rushes at her to block her from moving any further, his gold eyes boring into her own with his lip curled back to show his teeth. His own growl lowers to a deeper pitch, huffing when she backs down reluctantly with her head bowed and avoiding eye contact. Cyn grips her arm, nuzzling slightly as if for comfort. V takes a step back but keeps her gaze on the girl, hands on her hips. N looks over as well when Uzi takes a deep breath.

She peeks her eyes through the space between her fingers and suddenly jolts up in her seat, not seeming to notice Cyn crying out in surprise when the movement dislodged her in a comedic way. V and N raise an eyebrow when her cheeks heat up, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

V rolls her eyes and shoves N to the side so the girl's attention is focused on her. "Who are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm here because I'm Uzi." She slaps her hand over her mouth in mortification as her face flushes a bright ruby red. N looks at her dumbfounded. V stared at her incredulously. Cyn shakes her head, murmuring 'shakes head in exasperation'. 

The teen lets out a small whine while her eyes take in V's form. The black tank top that she wore was loose, so the low neckline showed off her collarbones. Her dirty blonde hair curls slightly around her jaw and frames her face nicely. Her gold eyes are piercing. The shorts cut above her knees and fit snugly on her wide hips.

Uzi gulped.

She's hot. Whyyyy is she hot?

That thought was on a loop in her brain like a broken record, so the conversation going on at the moment was beyond her comprehension. Her violet eyes were wholly fixated on V and her sharp features and fair complexion. 

The older woman made a face at her. "Why is she being creepy?"

N slumped forward, "oh no."

Uzi's eyes flashed and she marched up to V, leering up at her.

"Who you calling creepy, b- you dumb idiot!" She snarled out, her muscles tensing up when the towering woman just smirked down at her.

"And what are you going to do, short stack? Bite my ankles?"

N busted out laughing at that. Uzi threw her glare at him next. "Oh don't you even start!"

He took a step back and raised his hands up, but his giggles didn't stop. V cocked her hip to the side, her eyebrow raising higher.

"So, purple.. thing," She rolled her wrist. "you said your name is Uzi?"

The girl in question snapped, "what's it to you?"

V scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes landed on N and he perked up to attention. Cyn was too busy drawing on the couch to pay attention to anything.

"I think you can do better."

Uzi stomped her foot and snatched N's wrist, who blushed at the physical contact, "let's go N! We don't have to deal with this crap." She dragged the boy towards the spiral staircase she had noticed earlier. Once they were out of sight, V rolled her head to the side and frowned. Cyn smiled and held out a piece of paper. 

"Sister likes my drawing, mm?"

Uzi plops herself down on the edge of the bed, crossing her ankles as she hunches forward with her eyes downcast. N wrung his hands together at the door, gold eyes flicking everywhere except her.

"Fucking damn it!" She shouts, grabbing her hair as she flops down onto her back with a little bounce on the mattress. N jumps and bangs his head against the top frame, whimpering at the sharp pain. With an eye squeezed shut while he rubs his head, he walks up to her and takes a seat beside her. She drags her hands down to press the heel of her palms against her eyes. He stays silent for a beat. 

"You good? He asks hesitantly.

"Yes!" She snaps, "I'm fine, jeez." She blushes when the woman's voice rings in her ears. She whines and N whines back as if it was instinctual. Her heart beats erratically and no matter how much she wills it, it never slows down.

N rubs his hands together to soothe his nerves.

"Sorry about V. She's overprotective, that's all." He smiled sheepishly at her. She eyes him up and down, taking in his soft rounded face and silver locks that were swept to the side. She looks back on V's dirty blonde hair and hard jawline and her lighter skin tone compared to his darker one, only noticing two similarities between them. Their golden eyes that seem to glow even in natural lighting. And how freaking tall they are. Uzi frowns and jealously starts to boil in her gut. 

"What's your relation to you, anyway?" She inquires, genuinely curious. N smiles fondly.

"She's my sister. Technically my step-sister, but still."

Uzi raises an eyebrow, "so V is one of the.. 'us' you mentioned when we first met?" 

N nods frantically.

"Yep! The others are J and Cyn. Well, Cyn is biologically my sister so that's why we look more alike." He explained, his eyes glowing with affection.

"Do you... remember who your birth parents, were?" She asks with some trepidation, wondering if she's breaking a line somewhere by asking such a question. N falls silent for a minute, long enough to make her feel slightly guilty. He speaks up before she could take it back.

"A little, I think. Cyn definitely doesn't remember anything." He says slowly, avoiding eye contact. "Mom was non-existent, Dad tried his best but I guess it was too much when mom had Cyn."

Uzi sits up and scoots closer to him, leaning into his side and her fingertips brushing his. N looked down at her with a soft expression and a warm emotion shone in his gaze. Her cheeks heat up but she does not pull away. 

"Do you like it here?"

He stares into her violet eyes as he mulls it over.

Ever since he and his siblings had escaped that hellscape, his mind has shut out all the bad memories and locked it up tight so it wouldn't affect his attitude towards his new life as an Elliot. But in his dreams they come back to haunt him with a vengeance, trying to drag him back to that place and face it all over again. Once he wakes up it fades away and is locked away again until the next time he falls asleep. It's something he has gotten used to at this point and have come to terms that it'll never let him go. Even though he is so glad he's no longer there and instead living in this house with all the people he cares about, it's never been an actual home to him. Just a different building he takes shelter in and can spend with his family in peace.

However, with Uzi now in his life he can't help but be overly grateful to have been able to be out of that place more than ever. Because, it got him to this moment. To a lifetime where he was able to have met her. 

He lets out a contented sight and rests his forehead against her brow and breathes her in. She closes her eyes and melts a little into the touch. Their fingers grasp each other. 

"Yes I do, very much."