Unlocking the door to his warm little home, the detective known as Almond would step in and set to work on relaxing for the evening. It's with a solemn smile that he would lock the door behind him and begin his waltz into his kitchen and make use of a coffee machine that's nearly as overworked as he is. Though the day was mostly a blur to him, apparently his colleagues told him he'd done good work as usual, even if some assailant got away. Alm couldn't recall who the criminal was or the fact that he was supposedly attacked by them, but hey, can't remember every single encounter he's had. Not in his old age, certainly.
The coffee machine beeped loud enough to bring the detective out of his hazy thoughts, and after waiting a few moments to let the machine finish its dripping, he'd grab one of his glass mugs from the above cupboards and scavenge through the kitchen drawers until he found where he left his sugar and creamer. With all that and a spoon to stir with, Almond would pour and mix himself up a coffee sweet as icing. Ah, good coffee... and hot! It's a good thing no one else was home, otherwise, he'd have to drink it black for the sake of his hard-boiled appeara-
Taptaptaptap-
The sound of footsteps nearly made Almond spit out his coffee. Someone was in here? Who? Was it that someone he was hearing about at his job earlier? His hand reached into the inner pockets of his jacket, manifesting his enchanted cuffs. The investigator had half a thought to call out to whoever it was that was wandering his home uninvited, but kept quiet as he'd prepare himself for whoever decided to make his home into a B and E. He's in his own home, it's self-defense.
The steps would get closer, and though Almond was ready to pounce at any point, what he winded up seeing was something that he hadn't expected. A... child? A little kid. Hair tucked to the side in a unique nut-like shape, nutshell hat on the head, looking at him adoringly. Uh. Alm blinked, softening and putting away his cuffs as the young one entered the room and walked up to hug his legs as if this one's known him for years. "I missed you!!" Uh. "Miss Latte brought me home today because she said you were busy! I hope you didn't work TOO hard again!!" How did this little one know Latte? Was this one of his students? If that was the case, then why would the other professor bring this one here?
Something didn't sit right here. What kind of act was this little girl putting on? "Uh... kid...?" He'd start, hesitantly, feeling almost guilty the way that this child looked at him with glimmering eyes. "How did you get in here?" He'd ask with full earnest, "When did you? The door's always locked when I leave."
The kid blinked at him, looking perplexed, then worried. "Mom..." She'd speak quietly, voice full of disappointment. Unaware of the true meaning, Alm would take it as some kind of plea. "Did something happen to your mom? See, honey-" Almond would rifle through his clothes to find his badge. "I'm a detective. If something happened to your mom, I'm sure I can find out." And in response, the child would tear up and cling closer to Almond's legs. "Uh," he'd instinctively let out a surprised grunt and sigh afterward. This was exasperating. "...poor youngster."
The sounds of crying would permeate the air, ruining Almond's desire to drink his freshly brewed bean juice. Though it was awkward, the detective would put away his badge and instead try to comfort the little one by patting her on the head. Well, headpiece, but close enough. The child would sniffle, "This... this is a joke, right, mom...? Don't be mean..." Ah, so... HE was supposed to be this kid's mom? That... he doesn't remember ever having a child. Or did he? Ugh, why was his head pounding at the thought...? "Kid, I don't know who your mom is, but... I don't think that's me. But until we find her-" "-him-" "him, I guess you can stay with me, got it?" That question didn't make things better. Crying even harder, tears flowing like a waterfall, the investigator would breathe a heavy sigh as the young one pressed her face into his pant leg. "Sorry, kiddo..." He'd apologize, though wouldn't finish his sentence. What was Alm even supposed to be apologizing for? For not being this youth's mom?
Trying to brighten the mood even just a little, the inspector would try to bring his pitch up. Use the tone he uses with his students when they're getting frustrated with homework. "Say, uh... what's your name? Let's start there."
"So mean! You know my name!" Though the elder wanted to retort that he truly didn't know, he'd get his answer anyway. "It's Walnut! I'm Walnut! Mom, stop joking with me!"
"I'm not-" Ack, brain ache... Almond set a hand to his head and hissed, though tried to keep his reaction diminished to not worry the child in front of him more than he already had. Well, worry... more like upset. Greatly upset. That name didn't sit well in his brain, apparently. What a migraine... "Okay, Walnut, let's-..." Alm shook his head. "Are you hungry? Maybe you'll feel better if you eat something... And we can go from there."
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[Almnesia was His Name Pt.2 - CW: Memory Loss, Minor Alcohol Mention - Previous, Next]
Putting the kid to bed was a lot easier than he'd expected. Once tucked into the blanket, she was out like a light. Almond closed the door to the child's room as slowly as possible, taking care not to have it creak while he did so to wake the little one back up. It was with a heavy sigh that Alm would pull out his flip phone and scroll through his contacts. Despite not recognizing half of the list, he'd find Latte's number and give it a ring. Sure, it was late, but Latte was probably partway through her bedtime routine. Probably. So inconsistent, that professor...
"Hellooo?" The warm voice of the fellow professor was nice to hear, though he can't linger on that. "Latte. You left a kid at my house today, right?" Straight and to the point, getting Latte to pause before she'd respond, bewildered. "Um. Yes? Hun, I hope you're not referring to Walnut as just 'a' kid." Yes, he was. "Right, Walnut. Why did you bring her here?" Such seriousness in his tone only seemed to make the latte mage on the other line all the more confused. "Because that's... where she lives? With you? Almond, sweetie, you're acting awfully odd..." It almost felt like an impromptu interrogation. Then again, that's just a part of the detective's life when it comes to getting information. Hell, he'd even wandered to the living room for the sake of having more space to walk around. "Latte, I don't know where you got that information, but I am certain that I don't have a child. You just dropped someone's child at my house without telling me."
The silence on the phone was deafening. What felt like a full minute would pass before Latte would pipe up again, even with Almond prodding with a slightly irritated 'Well?' to the quiet. Had she been drunk? Was she still tipsy or something? "Almond..." Latte would start, voice more worried than anything else. "Walnut is your child... what are you talking about?" There was some sort of shuffling on the other side of the line, that of which the investigator couldn't decipher. "What are YOU talking about?" He didn't mean to raise his voice promptly clearing his throat to correct himself. "Look, I dunno what's going on here, but this is some sick joke if you think tricking a kid into thinking I'm her mom... What, was she an orphan and you took pity?"
"Good coffee..."
"Dear sweet stars..."
The similar reactions would have brought out a laugh from at least one of them if it weren't for the strange circumstances they were in. Latte would continue whatever scrambling that was catching on the line. It sounded like papers getting flipped and tossed around. Then again, Alm wasn't any better, pacing circles around a coffee table. "Almond, sweetheart. I think... I think we should have you see a doctor." The uncertainty in the mage's voice was palpable. 'There's no way...' she'd whisper to herself, unaware that her phone caught it. "I mean this with the utmost truth. If you're acting like this... I don't know what, but I think something's wrong with your memory."
"You're calling me crazy?"
"No, not that at all! Goodness, what is with you...?" Something that she didn't understand, but that sudden aggression felt very out of place. Was the stress getting to him? Was that it? "Look, I'll try and schedule something for you within the week. Just... stick with her until then? Play along?" Great. Almond put a hand to his forehead in irritation. "I already have two jobs, and now I have to take care of a kid on top of that? As a single 'parent'? Latte, I don't think you know what you're asking me. I'm not even good with kids." There was a laugh that the detective nearly took offense to, but the other professor would speak before that would let itself sink in. "From what I've seen, you're great with kids! Especially ones like her."
The remark made Almond scoff, getting him to cross his arms. Well, arm considering one was holding his phone. Him? Good with kids?
Doubtful.
"Fine. But if this is some trick, you're never going to hear the end of it. My prosecutor friend will hear of you." The private eye would give a small snicker, unsure if he's laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation or the fact that he may just have to resort to filing a case of child abandonment and endangerment. What was the name of that prosecutor, anyway? Eh, he'd remember later. At least Latte seemed to find the remark entertaining. "Sure, sure. Take care of yourself, hun." It's always odd hearing her speak so maternally when he's the older one here. "And hey... Make sure to make Walnut breakfast, okay?" How old was this kid if she couldn't even make food for herself? When he was her age, he-... Almond shook his head, he didn't even remember what it was like back then. Though, he had a feeling he didn't really want to. Some faint and unpleasant vanilla scent came to mind.
"Guess I'm being forced to care for someone else's kid... Fun." He could hear the younger professor sigh on the other side of the line. At least all that incessant background noise had stopped. "It will be just for a week at most, I promise. Please take care of her, okay?" Almond rolled his eyes. "With how you're talking now, makes me think that she's your kid rather than mine." The dry laugh that the mage would give wasn't reciprocated. "And give up my free time? Love,"
"Don't call me that." The detective snipped.
"...just know that I wouldn't ever have a child if my life depended on it." The unnaturally dead seriousness was certainly enough to make the sentence believable. Though her pitch would upturn; "I get enough of kids at work, anyways! Plus, with how much Creampuff is around, I'm practically her mother anyhow." Why did that name barely ring a bell?
Almond dismissed the accusation in his mind, figuring there was no way that Latte would ever withstand being a mother to two kids. She was too lax for even one, but that's not his place to judge. "Right, right... Let me know whenever you have that appointment set so I can schedule off. Or... try to." The M.E.H. was so strict on time off he'd be lucky to get even a few hours 'off-duty', let alone not being on-call in case something happened. Latte would give a small 'mhm', voice getting quieter, probably from the phone being moved away from her face. "I'll let you know as soon as I can. And if there are any scheduling conflicts, I can always reschedule it. Uh... Is there anything else that you need to discuss?"
"Not that I can think of... I just needed some information on the kid situation. You can get back to your routine." There was a breath of relief from Latte. At least he remembered something as silly as her routine, even if he didn't remember something as major as Walnut's entire existence. She'll... she'll get this sorted, certainly.
"Right, then... 'Night, hun."
"Goodnight, Latte."
Without someone on the phone, the darkness of the living room finally sank in, along with the silence. It felt almost... lonely. Blinking slowly and processing the room before him, Almond would have his thoughts wander to the possibility of actually enjoying having someone around. He valued his alone time, certainly, but... Maybe this 'Walnut' kid would provide a little bit of life to the house. 'Play along,' he was told. So just... pretend to be that child's mother? It's worth a shot. Hell, maybe after that doctor's visit he can prove that he's not going mad or something worse. Running a hand through his hair, he noted the texture of grease. A hot shower before bed didn't sound too bad for his aching bones. The thought of being called a 'Roasted Almond' came to mind as he wandered out of the living room to head to the bathroom. It brought a smirk to his face as he tried to think about who would call him that. Ha... Sounds like something a kid would do.
Not his kid, though. He didn't have one.
...not until now, apparently.
A rather strange drabble, but what if Roguefort was corrupted by Dark Enchantress and they killed Walnut? The angst...
"So close," the phantom thief spoke with a devious smile splayed across their face, "So close to revealing the truth... Too close, may I say."
Roguefort spun the hat of the the local detective on the edge of their finger, staring down at the corpse before them. Vomit covered the carpetted floor, the figure of the once lively detective still and without a single trace of life left within her. Poison, a classic means of murder... Albeit one that always lead to some sort of expelled mess. The poor carpet, so pristine and new... It even had that new rug scent before Walnut fell before them. Ah, well...
The mess didn't matter, anyways. What did was the fact that their identity was safe once more. Tossing the hat from their hand onto the corpse, the bowed to the cadaver. They tipped their hat, briefly exposing the newly sprouted red horns to a crowd of one. None alive, of course.
"It was a pleasure to see how far you'd go to find the truth. Though, I suppose it was unexpected that you would give your life for knowledge that would die with you."
With a poof, leaving behind puffs of mold spores and an unrecieved calling card, they were gone as soon as they appeared.
'Dearest Detective Walnut,
I am proud to tell you that you have solved the mystery of mine. My identity? You now know it quite well. Too well, might I say. So, with my lack of empathy and my gain of respect for you, it is unfortunate that I must put an end to this knowledge. There is no possible means of you to escape this fate of your's, so I pray you find yourself comfortable in your last few hours of life... And savored that last glass of apple juice you had drank so swiftly.
The lovely Enchantress will take care of your cadaver and any memories you might have left upon others. Consider it mercy for those uninvolved. Our rivalry does not concern them, so there is no reason for them to suffer, too, yes? Yes, of course.
It was a pleasure decieving you until the very end.
maybe something from cyborg’s perspective as aloe works on them?
Barely functioning senses came through with conciousness as the unnamed cookie slowly came to. From the chest down they could barely feel a single thing, their sight not functional in the slightest. All they felt was the freezing cold sensation where their skin should have been, contrasted by unnatural heat and movement from their chest. Inside... Something was digging around inside of them. If they could move, their skin would be crawling.
A deep sense of despair set in as they tried to cry out something- anything- but their vocal chords didn't work in the slightest. They attempted to uncover their closed eyes, but there was nothing there to open in the first place. Try as they might, their eyes were missing, as was their voice.
Fearful thoughts raced through their mind. Call it primal, but they didn't want to die here! They wanted to struggle! To live! To get out of this situation lost to abilities left to nothing but a few thoughts and a vague sense of touch! Return to...!
...what could they return to?
That sent another shock of terror through their dulled system. What did that have? Who- who even were they? They can try and wrack their brain- if they still had one at this point- but nevertheless nothing could come to mind. It hurt their head, as numbed as it was, to think of such things that had no answer. They'd be sick to their stomach if their insides weren't being toyed about with like some type of sick science experiment.
Though, through the panic, they recognized the lack of moving about in their guts. The warmth was slowly growing cold without the fussing about. When did it stop? And- And when did this pressure around their mouth start? Was this a mask? Something to put them back under?
'Wait- Wait no, please- Don't do this- What if I never wake up?! What if I die while I'm asleep?! Please- for the love of whatever is out there- Don't drag me back...!'
As desperate as they are, as much as their mind would scream, their body would simply be lulled back into unconsciousness. Their thoughts unfocused, dispersed, and eventually become as nulled as the rest of their body.
"It will all be well once I am done with your repairs, Coconut..." A young scientist's voice spoke calmly, though unheard. "Or should I say... 'Cyborg'..."
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