Abominations for Solutions

The Storm Before the Storm

Before Starcross knew it, he was slipping past the door of the infirmary, standing before Crescent. He gasped, instantly covering his mouth with his hand. Looking up, he saw Gradient, his green smile stretched wide, his eyes small in their sockets, sweat beading on his face as his hands and feet clung for dear life on the slowly rotating ceiling fan. He looked away, instead awkwardly walking over to Crescent.

Starcross knelt by the side of the bed, slowly unwrapping the bedsheets, nudging Crescent softly. He put the plate of pizza before Crescent's nose. Crescent twitched a bit, his eyes cracking open to find Starcross's large eyes just a mere few inches from his face.

"Damn, what are you doing kid?" Crescent mumbled, staring at the large piece of pizza before his nose. His mouth watered hungrily, as he hasn't eaten real food in such a long time. He hated his parents with every fiber of his being. Especially because his being half mortal made it necessary to eat. But that was one out of many more reasons.

"I brought it for you." Starcross whispered, trying to hold Crescent's hand. Crescent instantly whipped his arm back, glaring at Starcross.

"Shit..." Crescent groaned and dragged a hand down his face. "From where?"

Star only hummed in response. "I also came here to help a bit. Do you mind?" Starcross unfolded Crescent's bloody bandages, cringing at the mere sight of the hacked off nubs. " Oh your poor tentacles," Starcross gasped. "Here, let me help. I can heal you with my magic." Starcross hovered his hands above the infected area, where Crescent's latest tentacle was hacked off. "You know my dad always sang this to me when I was upset. It cheers you right up." He cleared his throat lightly. And he began to sing that song again, his favorite one, his contagiously sweet voice filling the space between them.

" Valient heart, defea-"

"Stop. Stop it, Starcross. Enough! Enough with that sappy song," Crescent griped, pushing Starcross away with his only good tentacle. The younger skeleton looked hurt, his hands clasped by his chest.

Starcross lunged over, squeezing Crescent's arm as gently and tightly as he could, magic radiating from his body and onto Crescent's injured one. His voice was soft yet firm, the kind of firmness that someone would latch onto when scared. "I just want you to be ok! It's an infection! You could get seriously sick!"

"GET OFF!" Crescent slapped Starcross's shoulder with his tentacle, pointing it menacingly as a hiss escaped his teeth.

"I know I can help you!" Starcross's face grew pale as he held his hand to his face, but this didn't stop him from pursuing Crescent. "I can't look at you, or anyone, suffering! He continued, his face becoming flustered and frantic. "I don't know what's wrong with Lux, she's going through something that I can't fix right now! But I can fix you now! I can!"

"Do you know what you can do now? Get out," Crescent fumed, his face growing hot with cyan blush. He ripped the IV needle from his arm and sat himself up on his knees. Crescent's chest heaved in. His voice had never reached such an extent of anger before. Now more than ever he seemed like Nightmare, the one person he hoped every ounce of his being was different from. "I don't WANT your help! I don't NEED your help! I am not WEAK. I'M NOT! I'M NOT! You know what Starcross, go back to Dreamtale and heal broken flower stems! 'CAUSE I CAN'T STAND YOUR 'I'm SOO INNOCENT GAME' ANYMORE!" Crescent balled up the piece of pizza and hurled it with every ounce of strength at Starcross, who cried out as it collided with his crown, sending it topping with a clank to the floor. Enraged, mad, senseless, Crescent, in a fit of anger, threw the plate like a sailing knife at Starcross. It sliced across his skull, leaving a deep bleeding purple gash under his eye and down his cheek. Starcross reached a shaky hand up to the cut, hugging himself tightly as he wept, as he slowly made his way out of the room. He shut the door, softly, with a sense of undying love that couldn't be bled out of him.

Crescent swore. Crescent sobbed. He looked over at the plate of cubed tentacles. His tentacle. His tentacle that he would never gain back. He was so hungry. He shoved every last bit of his own flesh into his mouth and swallowed. He felt sick. He felt weak. Weak because he couldn't help but take Lux's medicine down the throat like the coward his father always told him he was.

"Fuck this place."