divyne (excerpt)

The door opens, and I come face to face with a robot. It stares at me, then moves out of the way. I walk in and shut the door. “Hey, Em.”

“Hi, Mysti!” She grins up at me from her spot on the floor. I hear the hums around her, the soft breathes of machinery.

“What are you working on?” I ask, sitting in front of her.

“I’m building another bot. It’s a friend for that one,” She points to the robot at the door, smiling.

“Awe,” I say. “Do they have names?”

“Uh… B and C for right now. I haven’t given them actual names.”

“They kind of work though,” I look at the pile of something in front of her. Shes clearly mid-build.

“Maybe.” She chuckles. “So did you need something or did you just want to hang out?”

“Hang out,” I smile. “I haven’t really been around you lately.”

The void grows behind me. Guess its not just machine-breath.

“Well, as you can see, I’m mid project. But feel free to stay.” She smiles.

“I think I will.” I move myself slightly over and lay back on her mess of blankets. Why it's on the floor, I have no idea.

She continues to work, humming; the electricity running through her room beeping softly, nearly inaudible. If it weren’t for the hearing I’d inherited from my father, I wouldn’t even hear it at all. And yet beyond that, I sense static, looming.

The void is bothering. It feels like it grows bigger – yet it does not.

I lay there. The low beeps, and breath and static. Her humming.

And surrounding it, static looms.

It grows bigger, truly this time, static wenching up over the beeps and breath.

Her humming seems to rasp, though I know it has not changed at all. It is merely this void.

It grows. I think about covering my ears. No, I’ll look stupid. Can’t draw attention to this anyway. I’m not Grimm – or even Emily – I don’t have their typical overloads. (Though it must be noted that it would be unlikely even if I did – Emily’s room is dark even in the fierce daylight, only her soft string lights to guide her eyes, and only humming can be heard.

I lay there. It feels a fucking eternity.

Phoe. It’s only been 15 fucking minutes.

I sit up, tell Emily about how I’m probably going to bed – wouldn’t want to bother her room with me. She tells me it’s fine, but I insist. I need to get out of this.

I leave, static not going away in the empty hallway. It feels even bigger now. Where’s Grimm. Shit.

Sight unfocuses, brain strained for seeing him. Art room. Thank fuck. I could get there with my fucking eyes closed. The world shifts back into focus. Walk for the room. The static doesn’t leave.

Feel more even, where’s Grimm. Art room art room art room feet against floor and the static is imminent. Aura presence of someone Grimm??? Thank fuck its him him him

“You okay?” Muffled but audible. Sudden heat against body. Static lowers. It lowers. I am back and calm, I think.

“N…” I can’t get further than that. Body too out of it.

He nods, or at least I think he does. Feet off the ground. Hes carrying me. Down onto something soft – the mattress? Kneels in front of me. Hand in his.

“Regular overload, or was that that thing you told me about?”

I can barely get the sign out for second. I can’t even look at him.

“Okay.” He says, and then his arms are around me. Feathers on my back – must be enveloped around me. Nothing but his heartbeat and warmth and that feeling of soulbound closeness. Like mother and child. Or at least how my mother describes that.

Settle. Settle. Settle.

It feels like forever, but I can finally fucking think. I pull back. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Myst.” He runs a hand through my hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“…I was just in Emily’s room and it just… happened.” I sigh. “Don’t know why. That void-thing, it strikes me seemingly randomly - for no fucking reason.”

“Are you sure it’s random?”

I look at him. Has he figured my ideas out? “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, you are my soulbound… And Death’s kid. We’re pretty magically connected.”

I internally sigh in relief. Just regular Grimm stuff.

“You could have inherited some of my um… sensory issues.”

“Besides the fact I’m not autistic-“

“You could have them without having that-“

“Shush.” I glare at him. “If that were the case, I don’t think they would be starting now.”

“Oh, true.” He nods. “I guess they wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, dumbass. Anyway, I think I may know why. But you have to promise you won’t tell Death. Or anyone else.” “Uhh… Sure?” He looks confused.

I look at him. This needs to be Acenti if I’m telling someone like him. I think its Chaos.

He blinks in confusion, then replies. What? Why her?

Think about it. The monster shit, the void, it all makes sense if she’s hurting me to get to Death.

Oh. Maybe so. But Death hasn’t sensed her yet…

Well duh. I roll my eyes. It wouldn’t literally be her being the void thing. She can recruit, I;ve heard Death talk about it.

Yep. He nods. But why don’t you tell him?

I think – I think something bad may happen if I do, and I’m worried.

He nods. Makes sense. Tell him as soon as you can though. Involving yourself in old Divine mess – especially her mess – that’s way above the things you should be concerned with. You’re just a kid. He shrugs.

I could tell him I’m 18, but think better of it. He is 200k years old. To him, I might as well be a child. I sigh, rubbing my eyes.

“Do you want to take a nap?” He asks, in Demonic. It’s soft, caring.

I nod. I am so drained from all of this.

He walks over to the closet. Gets out a blanket. It’s the soft fleece one. He walks back over and kneels down. Wraps it around me and pushes me down, softly, gently, onto the mattress. “I have to finish some of this painting before it dries, but if you want I can carry you back into your room when I’m done, okay?”

I am struck by the sudden thought of this being something my dad would do and I feel a sudden dull ache. I miss when I saw him more. “…Is okay. I can sleep fine here.”

“Alright,” He strokes my hair. “Sleep well, okay?”

I shut my eyes, feeling the immediate wave of sleep pulling me under. Grimm kisses my forehead, then gets up. I am swallowed by the wave.