Wilting Light (Vaati x reader)

The Headache

"(Y/n)?"

Agnan's voice rang through the dark bedroom. The only response was faint snoring. Slowly, quietly, he stepped into the room, carefully weaving through the small space towards the bed. In the faint moonlight that reached through the curtains, Agnan could see that you were, sure enough, curled into a protective ball and asleep. Gently, he put a hand on your moonlit cheek. It was wet. Beside you was that book Vila had given you, opened to the page with the eyeball. Remembering the last time he saw it, he slammed the book closed. Still, the dead man's attempt at making the eye's creepy glower into a joke ran through his mind.

Releasing a ragged breath, he looked back at you. "Sweet dreams," he muttered, and left the room.

What was with you and that eyeball, anyway?

--

You came out of your dreamless slumber to a shirt flying in your face. Peeling it off, you rolled over, away from whoever had thrown it at you.

"Goddesses, I feel bad for your parents. Are you always this hard to get up?" a woman said.

"Five more minutes," you groaned in response. "Then..." Before you finished, you drifted off into dreamland.

"Nope!" More clothes assaulted you. "I got you something to wear, and I wanna see it on you!"

When you refused to respond, the owner of the voice yanked your blankets away, despite your monster grip on them. This was enough to get you to sit up, but it took you several seconds to open your eyes. When you did, you saw an unfamiliar, middle-aged woman beaming at you. You gave her a zombie-like stare.

"Come on, put those clothes I threw at you on. The ones you're wearing are filthy. You can have them back when I wash them and stitch up some of them tears."

You looked down, seeing that the woman was right. Your once sky blue shirt was now purple in spots, presumably because of blood, especially around your collar. Your pants, too, had blood stains on them. Both were torn, but your shirt got the worst of it; there was a rip across your chest that revealed some of your undergarments if you were seen at a certain angle. You shuddered at the possibility of him seeing that the night before. "Yeah, I do need to change, don't I?"

"Get a shower, too." The woman tossed you a towel. "You still kind of smell, no offense."

"Thanks..." you muttered.

"I'm Agnan's mother. Call me Marthie." She gave you a warm smile.

You nodded. "Okay, Marthie."

Now in a fresh set of clothes, you left the bathroom, running a brush through your hair. They had been nice enough to get you a toothbrush and hairbrush of your own, though you only planned to stay a couple of days. Going after the Ghost Ship was an impossible task, you knew. You wished that you could warn Tetra about it, but she was far out of reach. And, if what that woman said was true, Tetra had fallen victim to it. Your stomach lurched every time the thought came to mind.

You had explained that you didn't intend to say, but as you spoke Agnan only shook his head and turned his head towards the window.

It was late afternoon when you left the house, mainly to explore. Agnan and Vila were behind you. Vila carried a fishing net, and Agnan carried a bag of Rupees. Once you three split up and you were certain that they would lose you in the crowd, you headed towards the temple, wondering if you would see Vaati again. You wanted to ask him a question. You had thought of it just before you fell asleep.

In the day, the temple was even more menacing. The dark rock contrasted sharply with the bright sky and trees surrounding it. It was blocked by a natural stone wall, but you walked in front of it, looking for an opening. Once you had walked back and forth three times, you noticed that the trees and bushes were more dense in a certain area. Deciding to investigate, you ducked and slid under the leaves, though this was difficult due to the thickness. On the other side of this thick section of brush, you found yourself in a grassy area with monsters crawling, slithering, waiting for prey in the trees. They must be the reason why the temple was blocked off. Deciding you didn't want to get attacked, you slid back under the brush. When you stood up, you jumped back as you came face to face with Vaati.