Beautiful Things (SeaChaos)

Part 25 - New Threats

~Chilled's POV~

"Chilled, holy shit are you alright?" Gassy asks, looking as if he's seen a ghost as we bump into each other at the entrance. I sigh, I suppose it is a bit worrying considering I vanished in the middle of a Nanners hunt. It's a bit of one of the most embarrassing and self-depreciating moments that I just completely fell for Nanners' tricks and did many things with him. I'd rather not talk about it but I have to explain myself to the rest of the people here now or else I'll seem very suspicious.

"I-I'm fine, he just molested me a bit again," I say and he frowns, grabbing a hold of my shoulder and looking down at my body as if he could see the marks through my clothes. Looking away from him and towards the office I'm honestly a bit afraid of entering the place and hearing the people once again spread more rumors about Nanners and me working together. Everything is so fucking shitty lately, I'm considering just leaving town, maybe just visit my parents' house and just hang out there for a small break. I could really use a fucking break for once, I have been piling up vacation days since I hardly use any vacations. Taking a deep breath I shake the thought away and head into the office where I'm immediately crowded with people asking what the hell happened last night. I ignore most of the questions and focus on returning to Sark's office where he seems relieved and closes the door behind me.

"Chilled... what happened?" he questions immediately and I am very hesitant to respond. Sark sighs when I don't respond within three seconds and pinches the bridge of his nose, seeming troubled by me like always, especially whenever the subject is something relating to Nanners. "Don't worry, you're not anywhere in trouble, no where close. Because he vanished with you the scissors are safe and minimum casualties were made. Our only worry was about your safety, because the way we run any life of our detectives is more important than objects," Sark says and I frown, turning away a bit guilty for being so hesitant with responding and thinking that I'd be in trouble. It's true, because of me I guess the scissors were never stolen, but at the price of my own dignity. Scratching my neck, I turn away and shake my head. Sark wouldn't approve of me trading in my dignity for just the sake of saving an object, just as anybody in here would.

"H-he... well what the hell do you think he did? It's along the same lines as every single thing he's done to me," I explain and Sark sighs, seeming like I said the exact thing he had been afraid of. He seems awkward for a moment, looking around before pushing off of his desk where he has been leaning on and shuffles through some papers on his desk.

"Chilled, due to... obvious reasons I'm made to ask you if you would like some protection services," Sark offers and I widen my eyes, shaking my head and opening my mouth to complain about his lack of trusting me in protecting myself but he interrupts me before I get the chance. "The main reason I'm offering you this is because forgetting about the objects completely will have previous owners who were stolen from target you, try to sacrifice you and things like that against your will. It's been leaking out of the office about your involvement with Nanners and people might notice the trend. That's why we had the news withhold the name of the detective who went missing yesterday but things still leak out. Not only from Nanners but more people will be after you because of their insane thoughts," Sark explains, immediately shutting me up. Of course I thought he was only wanting protection from Nanners and I know well he won't attack me or anything outside of the regular jobs, he's only done so a few times and he hadn't even physically hurt me. But if the people he had previously stolen things wants to attack me, the guy who is working his ass off to protect them, I am a bit afraid of the people of the town.

"That-... Well, thanks Sark but I'll be fine on my own. I have plenty of friends and people worrying about me, I don't want to worry them more by having these big ass bodyguards following me around all day." Sark nods slowly, his eyes lingering on me for a while as if testing if I really want to make this decision but he eventually hands me the paper he had been searching for. Looking through the print I find this is a request form for protection like he had been talking about.