The Butterfly Effect [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 2.06 ー The Way You Did Once...

Author's Note:
For your information, the video included above refers to the song played later on in the chapter, as well as the lovely night sky. Additionally, Bastien has character art. ＾＾
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"Bastien," I repeated aloud. "Isn't that short for Sebastian?"

"No, it's not." He grumbled back at me, hands on his hips.

It was a little strange, learning that someone who you've grown to hate in such little time was nothing like the mold you've burned into your mind. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you can't. It doesn't, and didn't matter anyway.

That was when I came to the most fabulous of conclusions. "You have a brother, don't you?"

"I don't like where this question is going,"

"His name is 'Seb', isn't it?"

Bastien, Kaosu, whatever his name was, grimaced. "Yes, you're right. The clever damsel figures out I have a petty name."

I bit my lip to stifle a smile at the sound of even more ridiculous names, and another hilariously fantastic thought. "Do people call you Bastien the bastard?"

"That phrase was so toxic to my ears it gave me gastroparesis," He replied. "but nonetheless, are you ready to depart?"

I was smiling at his stupid name, and I couldn't help it, but I gave an assured nod."Do you intend on telling anyone any of this?"

Bastien scratched his head, and stared up at the moon. Almost a full moon, but not quite. A piece was missing. "The real question is, do you?"

"Well, I'll have to, I'm apart of the opposing team here. I'm sure everyone would love to hear you've been crossdressing

He slid an arm around me, hand resting on my waist, and I must have frozen in disgust. "After tomorrow morning, you may have a very different perspective."

No.

I tilted my head, and from the very corner of my eye--

Scales. Bloody scales. Too clear in the lamplight, gleaming a sleek silver. The bones were visible around the sides and similar to bats, only their veins stook out greatly in contrast. Moonlight glazed the talon at the apex of each wing. Wings, I tell you, that I hadn't noticed before.

"Reptilian bastard, you were going to kill me after all!" I spat, flailing my arms about in any attempt to get away. "Get away from me, get away from m--" I had started to chant, before my mouth was muffled by a coarse hand. Half a butterfly was tattooed on the palm. That explained the gloves before, but not the ripped ring finger...

"Calm down. You'll wake up the whole street at this poi--"

Panicked, adrenaline took over as I tried to break free. I had turned myself around amidst the hustle. I raised my foot, and my knee went up, and hit the-point-of-no-return.

He let out an awkward scream. Every muscle in Bastien's face tightened, and his face went a solid red. Those wings responded too, flinching and folding behind his back, vanishing from my sight before vanishing altogether. I stopped watching him for a moment after that.

I took a four very precise steps backwards, and looked for a weapon. Leaves, tattered, newspaper, fire hydrant, branch, or my own feeble shoes, flats that would likely hurt more to loose. A Branch? Branch would do, I'd decided. I picked up a reasonably sized branch, and held it out at him. "D-do you just make those things appear? Were you going to kidnap me?"