So, I finally managed to get a story completed after going through two semesters' worth of college classes (and many group projects) taking up all of my time. Since my Sundays are going to be busy for the foreseeable future, each chapter's going up on Saturdays around noon instead (though I won't be online to see/respond to comments for a few hours afterward). Hopefully, the story's worth the wait, enjoy~

Chapter Warnings: Injury, swearing

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"Is it him? Did you find the guy?"

Rurik glanced down at the picture he'd obtained and back up at the hooded skeleton conversing with a blond-haired woman; they were gesturing down to the vegetables of the produce stand they were manning. He had to admit he wasn't expecting to find the elusive mafia boss's son in a backwater town selling fruits and vegetables, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to the picture. Leaning against the alley wall and keeping his voice low, he confirmed into the phone, "Yeah, it's Lotus Death all right."

"Great, go grab him and bring him t-"

"Why rush and attract unwanted attention? It's like you want the law getting involved," the skeleton playfully chided the man who called himself 'Diz'; he was starting to see why the Family had made the overeager greenhorn a mere liaison while contracting Rurik to perform the job in their place. "There's a certain finesse that comes with catching a target alive; you gotta lure them into a false sense of security, making them think you're an ally before pouncing for the highest rate of success. Going in guns blazing's likely gonna end with a dead body and a pissed-off don."

There was grumbling, followed by a terse, "Whatever, just get on with it." The line clicked off, but Rurik paid it no mind as he tucked the phone and photo away, shoving his hands into his pockets and slipping out of the alley into the crowded street.

He was five stalls away from his target, but stopped by the second one to peruse the wares; the vendor asked if she could help with anything, but he navigated away from the interaction with polite talk and a practiced smile before bidding farewell and making his way over to the next stall. The next vendor was busy chatting up another monster, giving him an opportunity to shoot a glance toward the smaller skeleton; they were tying off a bag of what looked to be radishes and setting it on a collapsable counter beside two other bags.

Satisfied his target was none the wiser, he sauntered past the last two stalls and approached the unsuspecting skeleton's stand. Now that he was closer, the picture he had didn't do Lotus's appearance justice; from the soft curvature of their skull, lithe figure hidden beneath their cloak, and smooth movements... everything about them was easy on the sockets.

Spotting an opportunity as Lotus reached out for a carton of strawberries, Rurik stuck his hand out in time for their fingers to brush against each other. Lotus jerked his hand back and Rurik pulled his away with an apology, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention; you can have them."

"Thank you; I'll be with you in a moment," Lotus nodded their skull and reached for the carton again, then turned to the customer, "These would be just the thing to give you the sweetness you want without having to worry about the sugar content going through the roof."

"You haven't steered me wrong yet," the woman chuckled, "add those to my total, if you would."

"Right, that should bring your total to...," Lotus's single eye light shifted for a moment as he set the container on the counter, "$23.50. Cash as usual?"

"You know me well, dear," the woman fished into her purse and pulled out two bills, handing them over to Lotus.

Crouching behind the stand and reappearing with two bills and some coins, they passed over the money, "Thank you for your patronage, and good luck with those tarts."

"I will let you know how they turn out next time I stop by," The woman placed her purchases into her bag and shuffled off into the crowd.

With the interaction completed, Lotus directed their attention to him, "Sorry for the wait, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Just browsing," Rurik shook his skull, "Though I am curious, did you grow all of this yourself?"

"Only the vegetables; the fruits are from other vendors who can't stick around to sell their wares all day, but the stock is updated weekly and I quality check everything at drop-off."

"Wow," Rurik whistled, "Sounds like a lot of work."

Lotus shrugged, "It pays the bills and I get to use whatever doesn't sell within a reasonable time."

"It looks like you still have a lot," he observed, "Do you end up with excess often?"

"Not too much; most of this will disappear in the evening when people are getting off of work and looking for dinner supplies. It helps that I've garnered a good reputation for quality goods."

"Sounds like you've been doing this for a while; how long you been at this?" Rurik probed.

"... About six years, give or take."

He could tell the question rubbed a nerve from their hesitant response. Reaching for the tomatoes, he plucked one and smoothly quipped, "That must make you berry talented."

His ploy didn't work fully, but he was able to catch a slight mouth twitch and a hint of a snort, "That was- are you a chef or something?"

Rurik flashed a smile, "I'm not, but I do enjoy cooking. Why?" Lotus liked the pun, but their guard was still up enough to mask their reaction to the untrained eye; precisely what he would expect from a mafioso.

"Most people assume tomatoes are vegetables and even fewer know they're technically berries unless they cook or grow for a living," the hooded skeleton clarified.

"Are you a chef?" Rurik tossed the question back.

"Only for myself, I didn't know much until customers started asking for recommendations; after that, I started reading up on what I was selling and learned a few tricks along the way."

"A reader," Rurik grinned, shifting his weight to one side, "Any other kinda books catch your fancy?"

And there was that unease again, "... You ask a lot of questions."

Rurik took a step back, physically and metaphorically giving Lotus space, and leaned back against the stack of crates behind him, "I-"

"You shouldn't do that," Lotus cut him off, glancing up the stack. Rurik cocked his socket in curiosity, and that was apparently enough to prompt an explanation, "That wall's sturdy enough now, but the guys who were hauling those boxes earlier were struggling quite a bit. Whatever's in them will hurt like a bitch if they tip over on you."

"Noted," Rurik removed his weight from the boxes and continued with a sly smile, "Anyways, I was under the impression we were having a conversation; is it a crime to be interested in what you have to say?"

Lotus seemed momentarily taken aback by the question, but recovered quickly, "No... but most people don't care what I have to say outside of food recommendations, and it feels kind of weird talking about myself to a stranger."

His smile grew as he took his opening, "My name's Rurik, then; and yours?"

"... Lotus."

"Well, now we aren't strangers anymore, are we?" the taller skeleton chuckled, inching his way closer while taking in his target's skeptical expression. No matter, this wasn't his first rodeo, "If you'd like, we can go somewhere to eat after you're done here; you won't hafta worry about cooking and we can get to know each other better. Or we can take a stroll if you prefer?"

Unsurprisingly, Lotus recoiled a bit, "I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Why not?" he asked with an innocent tone.

"I'm not someone you want to be around..."

"Oh, but I disagree," he lazily leaned his left shoulder and skull against the post holding the stand's awning up, staring down at the Lotus with lidded sockets, "I think there's a reason we both ran into each oth-"

"THIEF!"

Rurik lifted his gaze away from his target as a man in baggy clothing dashed down the roadway. Spotting this as an opportunity to earn some chivalry points, he straightened himself to deal with the criminal.

"Son of a bitch."

Looking back to inquire about Lotus's aggressive tone, he blinked in confusion at the now-vacant stand. A quick scan of the area revealed the monster had somehow put himself in the thief's path despite Rurik never seeing him move. Before it could be questioned, the cloaked skeleton aimed a blunted bone construct at the guy's feet, knocking against their shin and tripping them up.

Rurik sidestepped as the thief's momentum sent them flying past him, slamming them into the stack of crates behind him with a sharp thud before their body crumpled. "Damn shoplifters causing problems," Lotus grumbled, approaching the unconscious criminal to slide the ill-gotten goods out of their limp hands, "It seems the dumbass didn't damage what he took, at least."

"That was very impressive," Rurik praised. Lotus's reaction time and precise aim was a small glimpse of their true skills, giving lie to their modest vendor persona, "How did you manage that little vanishing act?"

Lotus looked like they'd been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, shrugging into their scarf while hastily deflecting, "Teleporting isn't that big of a deal; I can't go too far either, and using it too much tires me out..." Rurik continued staring, smiling wider when a cute lavender blush graced the skeleton's cheeks, prompting them to turn away and pointedly state, "I should return this to the owner."

He was stopped from teasing them further at the creaking sound behind him; his browbones furrowed as the tower of boxes began leaning toward him. His vision shifted back to Lotus, who seemed unaware of the danger. Rurik could easily get out of the way, but he didn't have time to drag Lotus with him, especially if they resisted his rescue attempt.

Lotus said the boxes were heavy... he needed them alive.

Steeling himself, Rurik threw himself on top of Lotus, producing a startled yelp as they both hit the ground. Ignoring their pushing and protests, he propped himself up on his elbows to weather the impact just as he felt the first box hit; he bit back a scream, clenching his sockets and jaw so hard he felt his teeth might crack as the mountain of pain came down on top of them.

Turns out Lotus was right, it did hurt like a bitch; enough to break something, or a lot of somethings, at least. He wasn't given time to assess the damage further as a crate rammed into the back of his skull, causing his vision to flicker as his body fell limp.

***

Word Count: 1,758