Chapter Text
Jabbers pink eyes look up at him. Locks partially covering his tanned skin, that was littered with scars. His Signature lethal smile pulling at his features. The casual clothes he wore made him blend in with the normal people around him. But not to Zanka. His mind spiraled, reeled, spun, anything other than a normal feeling. The alienations he felt from his body makes it hard to think straight at all. Piercing pink eyes filling his vision.
The world feels so far away.
Zanka usually didn’t present any obsessiveness personality wise; but as the days went on and time pasted him by, it was becoming more and more of an accurate depiction of his personality.
He should have listened to Semiu more tentatively. He knew she had a sixth sense for the most random stuff, but this was getting unnerving. how did she know? How does she always know? How did she know this would go down! He wanted to scream.
Apparently, whereevery Zanka was, Jabber was too; whether it be below the ground, or above the sphere, jabber would follow him. That made his stomach turn; vine like coils stung the walls of his stomach. But more accurately, like bugs eating him from the inside out. flying around in his stomachs acids and dissolving just as they appeared; This cycle repeating endlessly.
This wasn’t the first time jabber had seemingly spawned next to Zanka, his sick voice lulling through his ear drums. Some missions Zanka swore he saw rings glitching in the shadows or killer irises standing in the dark.
When Zanka was allowed to go on solo missions, he’d show up to give him a good fight; always a little cut as a sovereign for his troubles. Along with a painful, paralytic, neurotoxin. The entry wounds, never easy to find on his body either and even if Eishia did see the cuts she either paid no mind or ignored it for his sake. He hoped it was the former.
Jabber always had a lethality to him, appearing ready to rip him to shreds and have zanka do the same to himself. He was staring up at him in the same way right now.
At this distance it was hard to make out details, but Zanka had thought about that raiders face so much that even from here he could practically trace every spec with his mind.
Zankas hands griped the railing with force. Wood creaking uncomfortably under his grip.
People swirled around him the movements only making Zanka mind focus if his raider more desperately; He was hypnotizing. The vines in his body were shifting and Zanka had to fight to keep himself from jumping of the balcony straight in to the man’s beautifully venomous claws.
Zanka wished silently to him self that this arcadia like state would never leave his body. And he could just stare into his eyes for the rest of eternity. He so desperately begged whatever fate possibly existed outside the confines of our world to let him be in this peace with his one and only,
Forever.
Was that too much to ask? Yes- he knew the answer -yes it was Zanka didn’t deserve that solace.
Ever time jabber entered his site he never wanted him to leave. With ever fiber and atom of his being he wanted him to stay.
As if interrupting the moment, a small person-pulled cart wheeled in front of jabber. Stuff on the cart rattled as the wheels rolled on uneven dirt. After what felt like an infinity with no view of the man, the cart moved.
And jabber was gone without a trace he hadn’t seen him move away, no extra shuffling in the crowd or blurry figure moving away to roof top. He felt as if a piece of him was gone a peice that made him whole.
His raiders had left him.
Where did he go.
It only took a few seconds for the pain to stab through him. It felt as if he had woken up from a the most intoxicating dream by someone setting him on fire. He couldn’t function properly, his lungs couldn’t take in enough oxygen to fuel his muscles. He wobbled the still placed hand on the rail stabilizing his unreliable legs.
His heart pounding in his chest hitting painful against his ribs as if it was trying to tear out of his skin. All the vines responded to the disappearance of jabber; they curled in on their selves screaming in agony, he could feel the microscopic cuts they were creating along his internal tissues.
He coughed harshly for air, petals scattering around him, softly fluttering to the ground. A stark contrast to the familiar crushing pain he felt caused inflected by those beautifully blooded flowers.
The world was blurry, his vision buzzed with static no clear image coming through. His head pounded, not being able to focus on anything but the absences of jabber and the pain it caused.
Zanka was pretty sure he went inside but the loud ringing in his ears blocked everything.
……
He was in an ally the pain hadn’t worn of but he had stoped walking (he guessed) and was now on the ground the new position offering temporary relief. He let his head fall between his knees. He was so… so tired, the day went from teasing to soul crushing pain in minutes.
He thought of jabber, did he know; did he understand what he was doing to Zanka? Did he realize the control he had over the cleaner. Would he exploit his power?
He ran his hands through tangled hair pulling out hair and knots with equal force. He did the same thing once more this time rooting his hands in and yanking on the strands. What dose he even do at this point? The pains is slowly returned stabbing at his insides. If he move more then a fraction the pain will most likely force him into unconscious, so just die in this ally? Great, no thats just wonderful. He thinks to himself sarcastically.
He shuddered in pain once more no longer able to form full thoughts.
Through the pain an all to quiet voice makes themself known
“Z….ka?” The voice is soft and familiar but the fog in his mind is stoping him just short of recognition. The voice try’s again closer and happier this time “Zan-zan?”
He knows that high pitched aggravating voice.
Jabber.
He lift his head with enough force for his neck to crack painfully. He stares at jabber, who face is a mix of excitement and anticipation, with somthing else he can’t quite get a read on.
Zanka can feel how much of a disaster he look like right now, his hair is a mess, his face is slicked with sweat and tears. The ground is dirtying his comfortable clothes disheveling them, what dose jab-
His thoughts come a screeching halt… why did he do that? Why did he leave. just seeing jabber face caused instant relief; And in the absence of pain the is complete utter fury engulfing him.
He can’t keep the feeling off his face as he furrows his brows in indignation, he stares a jabber who seems to not have noticed the shift.
He just looking at Zanka face a puzzled expression on his own, bordering on upset. His locks fall in front of his features not doing anything to shield him from Zanka gaze; He tilts his head further to the side.
Zanka lets the anima run from his finger tips into assistaff.
Why did jabber leave? just to torture him? Was that the pain he really wanted to inflict on zankas body and mind? Well it work. More rage enveloped him.
Jabber hadn’t seemed to notice his activated weapon yet, he was to busy focusing on what ever he was trying to figure out seemingly on zankas face.
he would use that to his advantage.
Jabber leaned in further Zanka could feel his breath on his cheek, it not doing anything to calm his raging emotions.
In this small space lovely wouldn’t be able to do much; so to get jabber at more comfortable distance away he adjusted his knee and pushed off the floor kicking jabber as hard as he could in the abdomen. The sound the left jabber only added to his delight fury.
He fell back a few feet his questioning expression swapping out for one of pure excitement.
“Oh zan-zan~” his “name” sound far to close to moan on jabbers lips. “You really know how to hit me were it hurts” the cackle jabber let out only further grinded on his nerves.
The fight had begun.
—-
Zan-Zan stared down at him scrutinizing his every feature.
God, keep looking at him like that~.
Jabber wasn’t sure how exactly hed known Zanka was going to be here? He remembered, over hearing it.. or maybe someone told him directly? Either way it doesn’t matter cause he’d already figured out what his plan was, conjuring if further in his head; tuning out any conversation he might have been in in the moment.
He had mixed a new poison one that should make Zanka stop thinking as much. The thought already getting him giddy if Zanka stopped thinking, they could fight for every and never worry about the outside ground ever again.
Zanka would beat him, kill him and it would be horrific and bloody and painful and romantic. Everything jabber could ever ask from zanka. He would let his mask fall, sadistic side out in the open with no fear of repercussions.
But There was more it wasn’t just going to be an attack he was going to lure him out to the out side of the city, out of site and fight him for hours; His painfully bloody masterpiece.
Not wanting to move yet he shifted his weight from foot to foot trying to contain his excitement. He hadn’t planned out when to move exactly… but he was sure the time would come to look away; he hoped it wouldn’t. But for now he would continue to captivate the cleaners vision; alluring him enough to follow him outside his hotel.
He continued to stare into his cleaners eyes as a small cart rolled in between him and the man, blocking his view of the cleaner and vise-versa.
With that he darted low into the crowd leaving the man looking at nothing. He had to be quick before Zanka noticed the change. He darted behind a small building scouting where to go next, he should have planed their better- too late for that now.
He jumped to the top of the small building with a clear few of the hotel. It must have been some kind of apartment building with a metal fire escape attached to the back wall. a few minutes had passed by now and it seems Zanka was of his balcony. Honestly he hadn’t expected Zanka to take the bait this fast but it worked in his favor so he would take the win.
he scanned the crowd for Zanka spotting the man quickly his blond hair standing out, jabber always spotted him first; like he was drawn to him….
“Nah” he murmured, giggled to himself at the idiotic idea. Zankas just entertaining for now till he gets what he wants from him- he pauses, he guessed it would be the last thing he would ever want?
The thought felt odd in his head like it was lost, not supposed to be in his head. It was odd because the thought of Zanka killing him instantly brought a smile to his lips, but the repercussion of that action made feel all itchy inside.
Oh well can’t do anything about now; when he went home he would impale himself with Mankira wonderfully sharp claws, and get so high that he had no thoughts left to think.
He looks at Zanka once more, this time actually observing the man as he walked. He looked odd? he moves through the crowd like a zombie eyes unblinking, staring straight ahead.
He looked…. distraught? In pain? Rely those thought would bring an excitement to his thoughts but today… why didn’t it feel good? It felt bad like a stabbing in his heart, or like needles in his head. Though he couldn’t describe it he could tell it was not something he injoyed. Zanka was normally easy to read (he did not have a good poker face); but the shear amount of emotion clustered together that practically radiating off the man, made it challenging.
Why was this upsetting him? He frowned, nervously itching his face underneath his eyes. He moved the hand to his hair pulling on the locks, lightly tugging on the roots.
It didn’t it feel good.
Zanka in pain was ideally a prerequisite to him hurting jabber which always made him happy. But today not even that could make him feel better. Not even the image of lovely assistaff crushing his ribs, made the feeling better.
He moved to another rooftop following a still zombie-like Zanka.
His original plan was to lure him out side the city somehow but right now he couldn’t focus on anything but the subtle itch to make Zanka stop… what ever he was doing. He looked like a wet puppy, sad and pathetic.
Jabber audible groaned jumping to another building. Just watching the cleaner sway through the streets some more or less crowded. He bumped into people as he walks his instrument hitting people constantly.
This cycle went on for what felt like an eternity of him jumping from roof to roof following all of his cleaners uncoordinated turns.
Finally the cleaner turned into an ally, and jabber felt like this was the appropriate time to approach him.
There was no “appropriate” time to approach him but jabber couldn’t handle the itching feeling from the cleaners helpless aura any more. He hope to everything on the ground and the sphere that he could learn on the spot how to fix other people feelings, much better than he “fixed” his own.
When jabber made it down from the roof top he was previously watching Zanka from the top of, he found Zanka hunched, sitting on the ground head between his knees. Normally Zanka was sharp and alert hearing jabber approach before he made him self known. But today… he seem completely and utterly clueless of the raiders presence.
Jabber frown deepened on his features. He tried to shuffle his feet so the cleaner could hear him coming, so he wouldn’t scare zan-
wait he didn’t care if he spooked him a little. The more he scared him the better, right?
he could just laugh at him; making his face flush the smallest amount like it always did when he embarrassed his cleaner.
“Zanka?” He spoke, his voice coming out far quieter than intended. The seeming unknow voice that left his throat made him shutter.
What was wrong with him today.
Jabber move closer bending his knees so he was crouched next to the man. His uniform dragged on the dirty ground, not caring what dust and grime it picked up. He allowed him self a moment to look at the cleaner, far closer than he could from the rooftop he watch him from before.
His cleaner was lacking his usual fire that jabber loved, the look he always had when he poured jabber with teal irises; the look so packed with complex emotions it was almost impossible for jabber to untangle.
“Zan-zan~” his voice coming more like he had envisioned this time. I didn’t take more than a second go zankas head to snap up, bright vibrant eye skewering jabber though and through,
god he loved that man’s eyes.
He let him self stare at the cleaner for a few moments longer. When jabber looked past his eyes to the rest of his face, his pale skin and soft features;
he noticed he looked rough to say the least, not just like a little messy; it looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his skin was slicked slightly with sweat and… tears? His hair was rumpled and out of place.
The “bad feeling” swelled up again. Why did he feel like this? Why dose the itching feeling in his body just never end?! He desperately wanted it to end, he washed it would just leave him in peace.
when he’d first Zanka cry at his fight with the man in zodyls “little birdy”. he had revealed in the clear mental and physical pain being inflicted on the cleaner. But as time passed on memories he once cherished… now became deeply upsetting to jabber psyche.
As jabbers love for fighting him grew; his want and need to see him cry decreased substantially.
What was Zanka doing to him?
His blue eyes emitted a soft glow, the pale teal reflected on the tear of the man skin. Jabber tilted his head further in hopes to distract his ever overwhelming mind.
The need to reach forward; reach out and touch his face, wipe away the liquid and the pain with it, was so strong it was almost unbearably.
What was making Zanka uncomfortable? Or… sorrowful? Maybe even Hurt?
His mind flashed the possibility of someone making him like this?
He would kill them… kill everyone on the ground if Zanka so much as asked.
wait- it might not been a person, the thought crossed his mind for just a moment before he quickly came to a concise consensus.
Whatever it was he would destroy it.
If nothing more than to make Zanka stop being this sad noddle version of himself.
Yes,
jabber could do at least that for him.
His thoughts seemed to perk up slightly, this weird debt he felt like he was carrying around; like he own something to Zanka. It would be repaid!
See jabber didn’t like owning people favors, it made him feel trapped like he couldn’t go into proper fight or flight, because he couldn’t just leave without consequence.
For some reason jabber gaze kept shifting to the same damp streaks under his eye. His tears used to make jabber captivated, he once loved the look of him breaking down. But know he couldn’t stop the distaste building the back of his throat; Like bile, nasty and unwanted.
In his thoughts he hadn’t realized the anger build on the clean face till a sharp pain in his abdomen did a beautiful job at distracting his mind. He fell back a few feet, the skin on his arm scraping roughly against the ground, the small amount was enough to stop his spiraling thoughts for now.
He let the pain envelop him focusing his whole weight on it.
If he knew anything it was he was ready for this fight.
“Oh Zan-zan~” he practically moaned. He reveled in the rage that consumed the man’s face.
“You really know how to hit me were it hurts~”
He really did he was so perfect for jabber.
The fight had begun.
And jabber was ready for Zanka to take out all his anger on him;
and only him.