Activity

@everyone I’m going to skip over the *cough current events cough* because I have a  v e r y  s p e c i a l  a n t a g o n i s t  I want to write asap, plus I frankly don’t even know how to write their reactions lol

Saskia:

I stop short, peeking out from behind Basil’s coat.  There’s another figure crumpled at the chipped base of a looming pillar.  I don’t know who these captives are, and why everyone seems to hate them, but no one deserves to be lizard food.  The second dragon is a ways away, seemingly distracted by the others.  Tough luck.  This is turning out messy either way, but at least I have the benefit of knowing exactly when and where to shut up.

“Basil.”  He flinches as I grip his elbow, inky gaze slowly filtering back to reality.  He bends over, ear tilted to my voice.  “There’s still someone trapped over there.”  Basil nods slowly.  “We should go save them,” I whisper.  He narrows his eyes.  Just what he was thinking.  I flinch as his head shoots up, tilting and craning as he strains for a view.  There’s something familiar about the person, and I think Basil noticed it too.  He’s locked on, like he only does when something’s really, really interested him.  If I’m being honest, I’m curious too.  The captive is dressed like an official of Spire, with a classy leather coat and a sharp officer’s cap pulled over their eyes.  I shoot Basil a tense glance.  Should we?  Basil blinks, eyes still locked on the prisoner.  I don’t think he saw me, but I’m willing to bet he’s thinking the exact same thing.

I don’t want to leave this person to die, whoever they are, but I don’t exactly want to approach them either.  I know if Basil really wants to approach this person, there’s no stopping him, and yet for all his interest…

Something’s holding him back.

Basil’s arm suddenly tenses under my grip.  “Skia,” he whispers.  His voice is weak, dripping with excitement.  “It’s Dr. Corvo!”  A rush of adrenaline sears my heart, pulsing throughout my body.  Basil beams down at me, eyes glowing with purest joy.  My lips twist in a lifeless smile.  In a flash, he’s twisted out of my grip and is running straight for the pillar.

Freakish.  That’s how they always described him, back before I knew anything about this golden boy, this so-called apex of Project Goldenseal.  And seeing him streaking across the marble like rain on glass, I can’t say I disagree.  It’s in his DNA, after all.

I follow at a safe distance.  I can’t say I’m exactly thrilled to see the man.  Some might say I should be grateful that he even hired me at all, after the trouble I caused him back in the labs.   But I don’t think that’s true.  He hired me because he knew I loved Basil.  He took a calculated risk because he knew I’d desperately jump at any chance to see that boy again, and he was right.  He didn’t tell me he took that boy and thoroughly ruined him.  He didn’t tell me he tried stitching him back together with gold chains, that he tried padding his broken heart with cashmere and crisp new bills.

Dr. Corvo made a thorough mess of Basil, and I’m just the cleanup crew.

Off in the distance, I see him look up as Basil gently picks through his chains.  My stomach turns as he stiffly reaches up, his gloved hand gently, hesitantly ruffling his curls.  Basil melts, just like he always does at that simple gesture.

I wonder how long it’s been since that little ritual became another task to the Doctor.  It seemed so soft and loving back in the labs, but now it seems like he can barely stand touching him.  Sometimes I try to wonder what changed, but deep down I already know the answer.

He took my sweet Basil and turned him into a spoiled brat.