***I forgot to mention, this story will have manga spoilers uwu***
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"I know I said I wasn't going to ask questions...but...It's killing me...Just how does this power of yours work..?" King had his head propped in his hands, staring at me from across the table.
"Yeah...I was really scared for a while...seeing the captain just...snapping your arms..." Diane added, gulping and rubbing her wrists. I puffed out a long, wheezing gust of air, honestly struggling to keep myself awake as I laid sprawled over the edge of the table.

"Why not try to guess..? I mean, if you think back on it, it was rather obvious..." I mumbled, not caring in the slightest if I was coming off as rude. I scooted my chair to the side a little as Ban approached, bearing several plates of some kind of fruity pie he had decided to whip up once we had gotten back on the road. I assumed it was to cool his temper off, as he was seeming awfully quiet and frustrated.

"Well...Captain said something about knocking the helmet off...That has to be part of it..." Diane mused, scrunching her nose as she tried to put her brain to work. I, on the other hand, used what little energy I had to drag my plate as close to my face as I could so I could eat it without moving too much.

"Wait, I think I got it! To use your power, you have to be able to see their face!" King exclaimed, and I made a negative-sounding noise to tell him to try again, as my mouth was already stuffed. Deflating, the fairy went back to the drawing board.
"Oooohhh! They have to speak to you?!" Diane almost broke the table with how hard she slammed her fist down, and I jolted, prepared to save my (F/F) pie if I had to. Before I could open my mouth to tell her she was wrong, Ban scoffed loudly.

"Are you two seriously that stupid? It's touch. No way would she have run her hands through that oily-ass hair if she didn't have to..." He muttered, and I pointed my fork in his direction, feeling a little bit more lively thanks to someone actually understanding.
"Good eye...Yeah, if I can get a hold of someone's dna...like, hair, or blood...then I can absorb it and use my body to mess with theirs." It felt strange having to explain my creepy powers, as I usually tended to keep them hidden, or just avoid giving any form of information on it.

"So, I'm assuming there is something along the lines of a time limit? After absorbing deoxyribonucleic acid, how long are you able to have an effect on your target?" Gowther joined in on our conversation, and I nearly choked when I noticed his presence. He sure was quiet.

"Sorry...Deoxrib-boner-click-wha..?" There was no way in hell I could even contemplate trying to pronounce what he had said, but I just went out on a limb and assumed it meant dna. "Uh...I guess it depends on what I take, and how much? A strand of hair...like I took from Sir. Creep, would give me maybe...three minutes? If I managed to get the root along with it. His snapped off, so I would've been lucky to get like one and a half..." I shovelled another bite into my mouth, as an excuse to stop talking.

Just as I was about to stab my fork into it again, Ban yanked my plate out of reach, causing me to shoot him a glare.
"How the fuck didn't you get hurt, too..?" It wasn't just his tone that was putting pressure on me, but his eyes, too. They were narrowed, and burning into me, which made me want to turn and race out the door. I would have if my legs hadn't felt like lead.
"Unless I choose to share the injury, it just doesn't happen. I mean, as I said...Voodoo doll...Hard to explain...so...can I, uh...have my food back..?"

Unconvinced, Ban returned my food to me, and I shoveled a load into my mouth, avoiding every pair of eyes that pierced me with such overwhelming curiosity.
"Is your ability able to be put to use when you are not amidst a battle?" Gowther questioned, adjusting the frame of his glasses.

So many freaking questions..!

Groaning, I dropped my fork onto my plate; a loud clang causing King to flinch, and held my hand out to nobody in particular.
"Somebody give me some dna and I'll show you." I was honestly too tired to really do much more with my power. I hadn't trained in so long, and for what I had been using it for, it hadn't been as taxing as having my limbs broken clean in half.

"'Kay.~" Ban was the one to step up to the plate, and he stood up from his seat to lean over. I should have had my guard up a little more, as his choice of offering took me completely off guard. The fucker hacked a thick glob of spit into my palm.
"BAN, THAT'S NASTY!" Diane shrieked, and I just stared at it with a twitching (E/C) eye for a few long moments.

You lanky little bitch...

"Great...Thanks for that..." I said through clenched teeth, keeping my hand out so they could see the saliva sink into my skin. I had absorbed worse, but I was still gonna make the fox sin suffer.
"So, now what? You gonna give my head a nice scratch?~" Ban snickered, wiggling his eyebrows as he sat back in his seat, wiping his mouth.
"You'll be lucky if she doesn't break another arm over that..." King warned, watching me to try and figure out what move I would take.

I had a few ideas, but there was one trick that always seemed to freak people out, so that's what I decided upon. Making sure my movements were slow, and difficult to be detected, I placed my hands just above my knees beneath the table. Red eyes widened just a smidgen as I locked onto them, applying a bit of pressure as I began to pull my hands up to squeeze at my thighs.

Ban looked so incredibly startled, but he didn't dare move. That was one of the two typical reactions I usually got. The second was my target freaking the hell out. I was hoping to achieve both.
"What's wrong? You look a little pale.~" I purred, enjoying watching the glistening beads of sweat form along his brow. Further up, my fingers traced just shy of my own crotch, and thats when he snapped.

"OOOKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH! I GET IT!" Ban yelped, leaping up so fast that his chair tipped to the ground with a loud bang. Diane and King exchanged confused glances, and Gowther hummed in thought.
"So, you are capable of bringing a person both pain and pleasure...How interesting..."

Sighing, already over the thrill of taunting Ban, I stood up and stretched; hearing my bones clicking in complaint.
"Mhmm...Why do you think I was considered a prized asset for the past few years?" I knew that would bring a damper on the mood, but I ignored the shocked and saddened looks of my new peers as I turned and started to walk towards the stairs, hoping to see if Merlin was around.

I passed Melodias on the staircase, sticking my arm out to stop him in his tracks, but not turning to look at him.
"I don't care how long we've known each other...That stunt you pulled was too much. I'll tear you to pieces when we go head to head..." My threat was direct and cold, but, of course, that never had an effect on the peppy blond.
"Sure you will! I have complete faith in you!" He chirped, gently pushing my arm aside so he could continue down to the bar.

You've always been insufferably chipper...but, still...There's something off about you...

Merlin was nowhere to be found, so I could only assume she teleported herself away from this mess of a place. I decided to hide away upstairs for the rest of the day, dozing on and off until I saw the light begin to disappear. The moment I felt the bar begin to lower towards ground level, I decided to venture back downstairs.

"Oh, (Y/N), you're awake!" Elizabeth greeted me with a smile, waving me over. "Are you hungry? Diane and I are almost finished with dinner." I glanced over to the brunette, who was prodding at something sizzling away in a fry pan, but despite the alluring smell, I shook my head.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. Do you know where Meliodas is? I wanna have a word." I asked, pulling one hell of a face when I noticed Gowther hovering around the tables, dressed in a similar outfit to Elizabeth's.
"The guys are at the river, cleaning up...They should be back soon, though." Diane explained, starting to plate up. "We stopped on the outskirts of Vurnya, so we're taking the time to chill out before we start looking for your treasure in the morning."

River, huh?

"Thanks, I'll go find him, then." I started towards the door, hearing the two girls yelp.
"W..wait! I just said they're cleaning up! They'd be stark naked!" Diane reiterated, but I just shrugged and continued on.
"So? Not like I haven't seen a dick before." That shut them up. I had to seriously think about my words before I opened my mouth, because it just made the room awkward.

The night air was warm, and I tuned out the whirring buzz of cicadas so i could delve into my own thoughts. If i wanted to, I could easily just slip away and retrieve Carnificare on my own, then go off on my own, but feeling so drained, I knew it wouldn't be the smartest move.

Even what I did earlier drained me...Whatever that sick fuck Warren had been dosing me up with really did a number on my powers...but there's nothing I can really do about that...

It didn't take me long until I could hear the boys chatting amongst themselves, and I quietly walked up towards the treeline to listen in. The three of them were chest-deep in the water, five feet apart, for what I could only assume was an unspoken rule.
"-don't get why you didn't tell us about her, Cap..." King was talking about me, so I decided to lay low.

"Her choice, not mine!" Meliodas replied, stretching his arms above his head.
"I mean, you two seem pretty close, in a weird way..." Ban added, and I leaned against the tree by my side, ready to jump in if my old captain was stupid enough to attempt saying too much.
"She's like...a little sister, I guess! Nah...that's not it...Maybe...a ward? Yeah, that fits!"

Yeah, that's enough...

"Ahem." Clearing my throat, two of the three splashed around in fright, like drowning dogs.
"(Y..Y/N)?! H..HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN-"
"Calm down, Flutterby. I haven't seen your packages." I chuckled flatly, pointing to Meliodas. "I wanna talk with you. Mind if we stepped out for a bit?"

"Do I have to? Can't you just come join us? The waters nice and I don't really wanna get out just yet!~" He laughed in response, and both King and Ban splashed at him aggressively.
"That is beyond wrong after what you just said!" King lectured, and I rolled my eyes.
"I mean, I've already had my bath for the day..." I muttered, glaring at him angrily. He knew what I wanted to discuss wasn't meant to be overheard. He was either avoiding it, or just being an oblivious airhead.

"There's no such thing as being too clean!~" Meliodas sang out, and I wanted nothing more than to grab a fist full of his blond waves and dunk my head into the river for a good ten minutes or so.
"You know what? Don't worry about it." I scoffed, spinning on my heels and waving my hand over my back. "Dinner is pretty much on the table, so wring out your junk and get your asses back."

Seething, I took a different route. I wasn't up to heading back to the bar, so I decided to wander around in the forest for a while. Meliodas had definitely changed in some way, but he was still one hell of a smartass.
"You look like you're about to blow." I cursed myself for the startled squeak that burst from my throat, and I turned around to see Ban, shirtless and still dripping, trailing along behind me.

Great...just what I needed...Mr. Washboard Abs...Shit...

"Just thinking about tomorrow." I lied, coming to a stop and facing him completely. "Y'know, your dinner will get cold...or eaten by Hawk." Unphased, he just scrunched his shoulders and looked down at me with a curious smirk.
"Meh. I can just whip something up myself. I'm more hungry for answers, tonight." My eyes narrowed, and I took a step back so I wouldn't have to strain my neck, looking up at his face.

"What? Don't trust the new girl? Can't blame you, but I promise, I don't want to be involved with the Sin's affairs...I'll be out of your hair once I get Carnificare back tomo-"
"No, I wanna know about you and the Captain." He cut me off, and he was now oozing with seriousness. It made me feel heavy, and I almost felt inclined to speak the truth.

No...That's not happening...Make something up...At least leave the worst of it out...

"We met when I was a kid. I was real little, so I don't really remember the details. I was alone, he was alone...I guess he just kind of abducted me. I mean...that would have been the right term if I had parents." I kept my tone level, hoping I sounded believable. It wasn't all lies, but it was still altered.
"How old are you, exactly..?" Ban threw yet another question my way, and I clicked my tongue.

Holding my arms out, I gestured to myself.
"Well, how old do I look?" I awaited his answer patiently, and he took his sweet time.
"I dunno...like...twenty two? Something like that..." He finally responded, and I gave him a sarcastic thumbs up.
"Then I'm twenty two. Happy now?" Sarcastic smile on a whole new level, I didn't bother moving my feet. There was no way he was going to let up so easily.

"I gotta say...you're a pretty good actor. All this bite coming from the girl who was a shivering wreck in my arms a few days ago." Ban's lips curled up, and I caught a flash of his surprisingly pointed cuspids. "It doesn't make much sense. I don't like bein' out of the loop."

Of course not...You symbolise greed...only makes sense that you'd be starved for all the juicy tidbits about this...

"I was filled with more drugs than a homeless alchemist. I wasn't myself. This is the real me, and the real me is getting real sick and tired of being asked so many questions abou-" I paused as his hand came down on top of my head. When I glimpsed up at his face again, I wasn't prepared for dimples and a friendly, vibrant smile.

Dear fucking god, get those feelings in check, woman!

"Alright, alright...I guess I'll just have t' gain your trust so you will tell me." He chuckled, and I batted his hand away in a fluster.
"N..not a chance! If you're so greedy for information, just ask Meliodas or Merlin! They'll confirm that everything I've said is the whole story!"

At least I hope they won't go stabbing me in the back...They know how much I need them to keep their mouths shut...

My head seemed to be like a magnet for Ban's larger hand, as it came back down and ruffled my (H/C) hair.
"We'll see, I guess. C'mon, I'll make some better food for the two of us, yeah? My treat for being a nosey bastard." He started pushing me back towards the bar, but I dug my heels into the earth.

"I don't want your meal of lies, you behemoth! Besides, I'm not hu-"

*Glurglewurglegloopbloopgurgle*

Ban let rip the loudest, heartiest laugh yet as my stomach completely contradicted me, yet again.
"Like hell you aren't, short stuff! You can't fool me with that tune your gut's sing'n!~"

"F..fine! But I'm gonna hate every bite..!"

Curse you and your tasty-ass food!

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***Longest chapter so far waz gud - I'm almost up to date with the manga, and I'm not alright. Not one bit. Also, HOW THE HELL IS BAN 6'11"?! THIS ISN'T LEGAL JDSLSLSJS ALWL***