End of Watch

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Judas Carmichael hated rain. He also hated the orc that stood in groups across the street from him. It didn't help that his partner belonged to the same social class as they did. It also didn't help that the orc group hated his partner. 
They were throwing up gang signs behind the other man's back, pretending to shoot at him and it wasn't the first or the last time they would do it. 
"Hey, Ruvik!" He barked, finally tired of standing in one place while the other man decided whether he wanted an orc burger or a bronto thigh. Both smelled like death. "Today, please! Geez, I swear four elves have died in the time it's taking you to decide on that garbage."

While Viola’s body had healed, her heart was another thing. She had lost everything all at once. She still mourned the loss of her father, wishing her last words to him hadn’t been in argument. Then there was Judas... she hated that she did still love him, even if he had never loved her. This was all as the young woman avoided Lillian as best she could, and plotted revenge against her mother. 

Ivy had been thrilled to have a roommate. She didn’t mind that Molly didn’t talk much, it seemed Ivy talked enough for the both of them. She wasn’t upset that Molly didn’t really offer up much about herself, the blonde simply made even more of an effort to make the other woman feel like the apartment was her home too. Ivy had a friend who was often there, always dropping something off it seemed. Although, since Mollyks arrival, his visits seemed almost daily.

Talon ignored how angry Lillian seemed to be with him. He didn't even seem to notice that she had all but quit talking to him. He spent long nights at the shop showing Viola how to pierce body parts. He laughed more with her than he ever had with Lillian. He was far more comfortable.

On this afternoon, Molly had the evening off and she was curled on the couch. Her stomach was killing her

Viola had seemed somewhat squeamish at first, almost fainting the first time she saw the needle and clamp, until Talon caught her before she hit the ground. The young elf had decided she needed to at least have stomach enough for this, if she was ever going to graduate to making her mother pay. “So... when do I get to have something of my own pierced?” She asked a Talon that night as they sat alone in the shop, finally able to offer him a genuine smile.

Ivy was sat in her usual spot by the window, legs tucked under her, nose in a book and coffee mug on the table beside her. The blonde barely even seemed to notice when the doorbell rang, too engrossed in whatever her book of the day was. She read a lot of books.

"You want to?" Talon asked, looking up from the paperwork he was doing. "The way you looked the last time I mentioned it..." He brushed the hair out of his eyes, winking at her.

Molly got up and headed to the door, wrapped in a blanket. She knew who it was. She didn't know why Ivy didn't just give the poor man a key.

“Well that’s because you wanted to pierce something obscene!” Viola replied, though was soon grinning all over again, she had quickly taken to teasing Talon when they were alone.

The orc standing on the other side of the door was clearly thrilled when Molly answered the door instead of Ivy. “Hey, I... uh...” it was almost adorable the way the well built orc seemed to turn to mush the second he tried to speak to Molly.

"I hardly call your nose obscene. But whatever you say, little bit." Talon chuckled, tossing a wadded up piece of paper at her. 

Molly stepped aside to let him in, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. Seeing this orc hurt. His sheepish smile and soft spoken mannerisms reminded her of Ruvik. It was so bad, she'd never bothered to ask his name.

Throughout her recovery, Viola had taken to wearing various hats, both to conceal the tip of her mutated left ear, and apparently the fact that her right one was very much elven. The young elf seemed rather happy to let Talon believe she was a human with odd coloured eyes. The hat was also her way of hiding her amethyst hair until the part her mother had hacked off grew back. “I bet you pierce all kinds of places, huh?” She asked as she spin round and round in the chair where she sat. “What if I wanted you to tattoo me, would you do it?”

“Darbok!” Ivy exclaimed, his arrival enough to have her setting down her book and bounding through the apartment. Her energy seemed to sap when she saw he was holding flowers and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
The second The orc had seen Ivy approach, he had tried to hide the flowers behind his back; they clearly weren’t for her. “Oh, hello Ivy.” The orc told the blonde politely. “I thought you were working today?”
Ivy almost snapped a response along the lines of asking if that were so, why was he here? “There was a burst pipe at the library.”

"You really have to ask?" Talon asked. "Were you thinking of something in particular? A pharse? An image of yourself killing your mother?"

Molly felt like she was interrupting and sighed softly. "Those are nice flowers." She said softly. "Aren't you lucky, Ivy." She added, patting the other woman as she crossed the room and returned to her tiny ball on the couch. "I was watching suicide squad if you want to join us, Darbok." She added, using his name for the first time.

Viola stopped spinning and shook her head with a quiet chuckle. “I have dreams enough of that without the need for it inked into my flesh.” She replied, wheeling her chair over to where Talon had been working. “How did you choose yours?” She asked, a lightly finger tracing over one of the markings on his arm.

Darbok practically beamed at the invite, trusting the flowers at Ivy without really looking at her before joining Molly on the couch. “Have you seen it before?” He asked.

Talons breath caught in his throat and he could barely breathe. Her touch made his insides do flips and he didn't know what to do about it. "It's a tapestry of my life." He whispered. "The things I like. My dreams and goals. What I am and what I want to be." He paused when her fingers crossed the Shield if light marker. "And some of them cover scars...to forget..."

"No." Molly answered, moving her feet so that she didn't touch him. "Villians scare the shit out of me."

Viola took in a sudden breath when her fingers touched the shield, feeling the same surge of magic within her she had when Kandomere had forced a kiss upon her. The young woman looked up to let her gaze meet Talon’s, surprised by how close she had leaned to him without meaning to. “I like this one the most... of the ones I’ve seen.” She breathed.

Darbok laughed, though he sounded nervous. “Then why make yourself watch a movie about villains?” He asked, seeming oblivious to the banging coming from the kitchen as Ivy angrily searched for a vase.

"You don't want this one, little bit." Talon told her, shaking his head. "It's about magick. I stopped believing in that a long time ago."

"The only other thing on was the Great baking something or other and I'm sick to my stomach." She admitted. "Or hungry. I can't..." She paused, hating herself for opening up to him.

“Just because you don’t believe, doesn’t mean it ceases to be.” Viola replied, her fingers still tracing the design idly. “Somebody I thought loved me, stopped believing in me... I’m still here, aren’t I?” She asked, again seeming like the vulnerable, trembling woman Talon had found in the road all those months ago.

“Have you tried the bagels they sell in the bakery by the bus station? They’re amazing!” Darbok exclaimed, then quickly realising he had gotten a little too familiar with Molly, and almost seemed to blush.

"Believing in someone and believing in something that hurts people are two different things." Talon sighed heavily and got to his feet. "You think of what you want and I'll make it happen, babe. But tonight, I've got to crash." 

Green eyes peeled at him from under the cover and Molly nodded. "The onion ones are the best." She agreed.

Viola nodded and pushed her chair back to its original position on the other side of the studio. “You go, I’ll finish practicing, then I’ll lock up.” She assured him.

“That’s my favourite too!” Darbok exclaimed, relieved that Molly hadn’t shot him down instantly. “Did you... do you maybe... want to go get some?”

"I'm not leaving you here alone, little bit." Talon said gently. "Why don't you practice on me and I'll relax in the chair?"

"I think you should take Ivy. But be careful. Humans and orcs...you probably already know." Molly advised him softly.

“What?!” Viola practically squeaked that one word as she spun back around. “You... would want me to... pierce you? I’ve never done a real person before...” She realised how odd her choice of words was and instantly groaned.

“I could wear a bag over my head, they would never know.” Darbok suggested with a playful smile.

Talon gave her a wolfish grin. "We can change that." He purred, giving her a teasing wink. "I've never had a ear piercing."

Molly snorted. "Oh no. Your size wouldn't give anything away." She dared to poke him with her toe.

“Then you’ll do me, right?” Viola exclaimed, adorably she missed the double meaning to her words. 

Darbok pretended he was offended, then broke into a grin. “What? Humans can’t work out?” He teased, ticking the foot that poked him.

Talon was silent for a long moment. "I'll do whatever you want me to do." He breathed, his dark blue eyes never leaving her face. 

"Go away. Ivy wants you. It wouldn't be right after everything she's done.." Molly muttered, giving the orc a gentle kick.

Viola found her breath caught in her throat when Talon looked at her like he was right then. “I want this...” she breathed, her finger tracing one of his tattoos again. It was the shield of light, she couldn’t help the feeling like she could take on anything when she was touching it. “I want a mark just like yours.” She added, her own bright blue eyes still holding his gaze.

Darbok looked both upset and confused. He didn’t think of Ivy in that way. “She wants me for what?” He asked as he scratched his head. “Did she need more books?”

"I've told you before, you don't want that." Talon said darkly. It was the first time he'd ever used an unkind tone with her. "Come on,  I'm already going to catch hell for being late."

Molly's head popped out of the blanket fully at this and she frowned. "She wants you, you big dope."

Viola didn’t speak all the way home in Talon’s car. She was sat low in her seat, simply looking out the window. Even when they got home, the small woman was out the car the second it stopped and straight through the front door before disappearing in to room she had been calling her own.
Lillian was sat on the sofa, pretending she hadn’t seen, but the curl of her lips gave away that she was rather happy with the other woman’s bad mood.

“Wants me to...” Darbok replied, gesturing that Molly needed to finish her sentence.

Talon dropped down beside his lover, missing the dark look in her eyes. "I missed you tonight." He told her, resting his head in her lap. "We we're so busy."

Molly gave him a frustrated look and shook her head. "You know...take her out on a date."

Lillian gently pushed her slender fingers through Talon’s dark hair, her red nails lightly brushing against his scalp. “You want a beer? Or shall we skip that and head straight to O’Neill’s for sambuca shots?” She asked with a teasing grin.

“What?!” Darbok seemed to balk at the thought, and damn near fell off the couch. “Me? And Ivy? On a date?”

"I'm too tired." Talon admitted, his eyes already closing. "Fogteeth gang was in the shop fighting over the new designs. Victor pissed off one of them and I had to break up a fight."

Molly kicked the orc in the thigh, this time pressing a finger to her lips. She was afraid the other woman was listening. After everything Ivy had done for her she could dream of hurting her. "Yes." She hissed, sitting up. "She's in love with you. are you blind?"

Lillian let her fingers pass through Talon’s hair a few times more before she spoke again. “I think you should set Victor up with your pet. He clearly has a thing for her, and she needs to get out of our hair more.” She remarked. “I’m getting tired of always having to wear clothes around my own home.” She added with a smirk.

Darbok frowned, genuinely having not noticed it. “But... She’s always asking me to meet her outside of the library and help her carry her books... How is that her loving me? Seems like she just needed a pack mule.” He remarked, having never noticed the fact that the books he carried for her were the same ones over and over.

"I wouldn't set Victor up with my worst enemy." Talon yawned again. "He's just waiting to get his ass kicked again. The worthless turd. And don't wear clothes. You're girls. No one would say anything."

"She's doing it to spend time with you, dummy. Don't turn your nose up to something that's right there now that you know it. You two are so lucky." Molly breathed, unable to help the tears that slid down her cheeks.

“Alright, let me rephrase it...” Lillian grinned and leaned closer until her lips were level with Talon’s ear. “I’m tired of having to keep my hands off you outside of the bedroom.” She breathed, her fingers no longer in his hair, but resting lightly against his chest.

Darbok inched a little closer, daring to rub a rough thumb against Mollyks cheek and wipe at the tears. 
“I want to help.” He breathed. “Who was it that hurt you?”

Talon was unable to answer her. A soft snore, escaped his lips. She'd lost her captive audience.

Molly shook her head and tried hard to stop the tears. It didn't work. Soon more of them came. "Not me. My...they murdered him. I... You don't help anything. For your own safety you stay away from me." She pushed his large fingers aside and got to her feet.