Desolate Throne [ClefDraki]

11. [A Bad Date]

[Song Above: Me And My Broken Heart by Rixton]

Back to the past...

Kondraki had parted with Clef to do whatever he desired at Site 19. That would entail talking to a few friends, Gears and Iceberg. Clef decided to do something drastically different. Something involving an SCP and few available D-class. No wonder people call him crazy. Insane for chatting with dangerous anomalies like they were old friends.

In this instance, the poor anomalous victim would be everyone's favorite statue. Surprisingly, the statue would learn a thing or two from this. Think a statue can have a personality? It can in this universe.

Clef had this all planned out. What exactly? A date. There was a set table, even a candle was lit. A few D-class were dressed up as waiters, standing stiffly around. They weren't exactly sure what was happening but it's not like they can politely decline. Clef just grinned across the table, hands clasped together above a plate. 173 was growling lowly, annoyed with being forced into a dress and wig. No normal person can hear 173's voice. Surprise, surprise, Clef isn't normal.

Clef haphazardly tossed a rose over to the statue, in which green and black eyes glared down at it. A quiet broken hiss, "What is that?"

"A rose, peanut." Clef rolled his wrist, staring at his hand as it turned.

"Why?"

"Why'd I give it to you? Well, funny story-"

"Don't care, human." The statue spat out the words in disdain.

"Well, anomaly, you don't get a choice." Clef responded in the same tone, sharp-tongued mockery. 173 could only crackle out growls and gekkers. He had nothing to say, not like he could fight it anyway.

"So, 173, I'll explain why I'm doing this. Simply, I need it. My... love life... hasn't been the best. Due to a very bad past experience with it, I haven't dived back into love for a long time. I wanted to refresh my mind."

"Stupid."

Clef squinted, scoffing lowly. The D-class were scared, they didn't understand why Clef was doing this and why he was talking to a statue.

"Although... I think, I'm not entirely sure yet, but I think I might have an opportunity for love again. It probably won't happen though, not like they'd like me back. I don't think I even like them like that anyway. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that it was a stupid thought anyway."

Clef ignored the faint flicker in his stomach, he refused to grow feelings for someone again. He didn't want to hurt anyone again. Even if his feelings did develop, surely the Foundation wouldn't order him to kill the person... right? He'd break his promise surely.

"I don't want to ruin my friendship with them, I shouldn't say shit like that."

Across the facility, Kondraki was indeed studying Gears and Iceberg's closeness, except he chatted about something else too. He was explaining to them that he didn't hate Clef, no matter how much they screamed at each other. They didn't seem to see their hidden closeness. No one did. He explained briefly what they had done together so far. Kondraki also talked about how he felt seeing Clef wearing his shirt. He hadn't blushed like that in a long, long time.

Back in 173's cell, Clef ordered the D-class around and left them to put everything back into place. Clef sauntered off, looking for the butterfly king. In his search, he passed the bloodied hall. It was still drenched in its grotesque paint job. A D-class was still absentmindedly scrubbing dried blood off the wall, not even sparing the eerie scratches a glance.

A new figure was there, studying the gashes with a disappointed interest. The person was a young woman, blonde with bright blue eyes, a camera hung around her neck. What really caught Clef's attention was a badge and tag pinned to her shirt. The tag read Safe, while the badge was just a symbol. Simply, a box with a few other symbols stitched across it with Pandora's Box written around it.

Clef filed away his interest and went back to looking for Kondraki. They're using SCPs for MTF work now? Since when? Interesting... What? She's pretty close to that retribution seeker. They're so different... Human emotion works wonders... Enough.

He made his way down a hall, scanning his surroundings. He spotted Kondraki who was chatting with a low ranking researcher who had brown hair and murky green eyes, flickering to a bright, vibrant, emerald shade every now and then. From what Clef could hear, they were sharing a laugh over having the same name. Clef waltzed up with a sigh, his day had been anticlimactic.

"Hey, Konny."

"Hey, Cleffy." Clef glared at Kondraki for a quick second before turning his attention to the other researcher.

The low ranker kept twitching his eyes, flashing from dull, to bright, and back again. Clutching tightly at a stack of papers. Clef was getting weird vibes, the sensation he got when near an anomaly. He felt the waves of oddness wafting off the guy. The researcher felt unnerved by Clef's intense gaze, so he fled the scene.

"You scared the poor guy."

"Yeah? I think he's an anomaly."

"Obviously," Clef sensed no sarcasm. "It's not hard to see that, not like he's hiding it all too well."

"HEY!" They both jumped when a sudden familiar voice boomed from behind them. They turned to see a D-class. The D-class from the meeting. Jack Bright. The amulet proved their point.

"What're you guys doing here at 19?"

"Taking a break." Clef answered.

"Ah. Well, wanna hang?"

"Sure?" Kondraki shrugged, sharing a glance with Clef.

"Great! I can finally tell you guys how I died!" His red eyes flashed with a memory. A flicker of fear and sadness.

"Are you okay with sharing that?" Clef asked, concerned for his friend.

"Yeah, I think so." He shrugged, staring at his hands, hands that weren't his.

"Explain away." Kondraki elbowed Clef playfully, a shimmer of humor in his eyes.