[SIDESTORY] Morbit Oneshots

[skinstealer]

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Burial- 2020
Ringor Mortis, Tiny Cat People (Void Session)
CW: Death, discussion of mortality
Primus thinks back to a solemn discussion.

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It hasn’t been long since Primus was spawned, but he’s pretty sure this is the most nervous he’s ever been in his life. There’s too many thoughts swirling around his head, and he’s trying to parse them one by one, but it’s overwhelming at this point and he doesn’t have any idea what to do. Whipp just told him that Jasper, Seaspray and Marvel are in trouble, and that people could die. He hasn’t even known Jasper for that long, and Seaspray and Marvel were on other teams but they’re still friends…

Primus knows what mortality is by now- Void taught it to him, after all. It’s a scary concept, but it makes sense to him. All things eventually die, even if they live a long time before they do. He hadn’t thought much of it then, back when Dad had to bury a body in front of the wizard tower. She had brought him out to look at the grave herself some time after Jasper showed up, and the two of them had talked for some time. Buddy didn’t want to look, Marnet taking care of it inside, but Primus had come with Dad, sitting on the porch and talking. 

Dad, will we leave corpses like that, when we die?

I think so, yeah. Can’t tell for sure though, lot of this is all new to all of us.

Well, we’re new! Everything about this world is new! That’s what makes it so exciting!

I think you’re a little more optimistic than me on these things, kid. 

Maybe...but I guess I can’t help it. Even stuff like this, like this corpse, it doesn’t bother me as much as it feels like it should. I should be feeling more, you know? Void taught us all about this mortality stuff, and with that I know that people...what’s the word? 

Grieve?

Yeah, grieve...I don’t really know how to do that yet. I can’t make myself feel sad for the corpse, even if it’s dead…

I mean, none of us knew the corpse. It wasn’t alive when it showed up. Probably never was

But you were freaked out, right?

Well, yeah. I’m pretty sure when people see dead things, no matter what they are, it’s pretty natural to get freaked out.  

Do you think we’re going to die? I mean, we’re learning how to fight, and there’s going to be enemies, ones we have to hurt...they’re going to hurt us back, aren’t they?

I mean...not gonna lie to you, it’s a raw deal. I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep anybody here from dying, but yeah. It’s possible.

And what about the enemies? The other teams? I...I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t know if I could, let alone if Buddy could…

Dad sighed hard at the time, leaning back.

Buddy’s more capable than any of us give it credit for. I think it could do what’s needed when- if, the time comes. I think you could too.

What about you?

Oh, yeah. I could.

Wow, uh, you answered that pretty quickly! 

You people are my family, of course I’d go toe to toe to protect you. I don’t want to kill anybody either, and I get the want for everything to go peacefully...I don’t want any fluid shed here. But if it was between choosing one of your lives or the life of an aggressive stranger, I’d pick my family. Every time.

I guess when you put it like that, it makes sense.

Nobody talked for a few moments, the breeze passing over the both of them. 

What about Jasper and Marnet? 

Hmm?

Would they be able to kill people, do you think?

Well, kid, I dunno...Marnet, sure. 

Really?

Definitely. You saw the way she handled that gun. She’s ready to throw down. 

I mean, sure! I guess that makes sense! She just seems so nice.

Nice people can still step up to do what’s right, even when it’s rough.

But is it right? Killing the enemy?

...not sure, to be honest. I know protecting y’all is what’s right to me, though. Pretty sure she’s the same way.

Have you talked with her about it?

A little here and there. She’s good to talk strategy with.

You two have been hanging out a lot together! I’m really glad to see it.

Yeah, well...I like her. 

So do I!

No, like...nevermind. I can’t even figure out how to describe it myself, and I’m the one feeling it. It’s different, that’s all.

Will you tell me when you figure it out? 

Sure. 

What about Jasper, though?

I mean, we just met them, hard to say whether they’d actually be willing to kill. They’ve just been spawned, even. It’s hard to say anything about them yet. 

But they’re family, right?

Only if they want to be, and only in the ways they want to be. 

What do you mean?

Well, it’s like this. I know by being a dad type that parenting is a thing, more where Void’s from than here.

Okay. Parenting. That’s like what Void is to us, right?

Right. But I feel like a dad to you and Buddy too.

What about Marnet?

Eh...not as much. She and I, it’s like we’re on the same level. She’s not my kid. 

I don’t feel like a kid, though, even if I don’t know everything yet. I don’t think Buddy does either.

You can still be somebody’s kid, no matter how grown up you are. And Marnet isn’t mine. Not like that. 

And Jasper?

That’s the thing. Jasper’s still figuring out who they want to be, and I don’t feel comfortable putting myself in that kind of parent position until they’re ready to talk about it. 

Yeah, I guess that’d be pretty overwhelming! 

I mean, shoot, I guess I never asked you and Buddy about it either. Guess I fouled up there.

Oh, I don’t mind! If you want to be my dad, you’re my dad! You should ask Buddy about it later, though...but I think it’ll be on the same page with that. We love you!

You’re gonna embarrass me, kid.  

It went silent again, the melancholic reason for coming out here in the first place almost forgotten. Almost.

Dad, I really hope we don’t have to kill anyone. Or have anyone die. I don’t want the people we’ve met to go either, they seem pretty nice...I want to keep making friends, and I want to stay with them! There’s so much more I want to see and do and show people, and adventures I want to have. I just...I wish we could do that without all this risk. Without the pressure.

We don’t really have a choice. This is the world we were spawned into, and it’s what we gotta work with now. 

I know.

We’ll make it through, alright? You got me, and I have your back. I got everybody’s back that I can. 

I hope that when we meet the enemies, they don’t have to be enemies. I hope that we can try to be friends.

Me too, kid. Me too.