Sirius Kuragari: Career Appreciation Day

Written in response to: Write about someone in a thankless job.... view prompt

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Fantasy Fiction

Warning: Strong language, and death.

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Sirius woke up in the warm embrace of his fiancee, Moira. "Wake up. Wake up, Sirius, we have to get the house ready, it's Career Appreciation Day." Sirius rubbed his eyes. "Ugh. Do we have to? I don't know if anyone's even going to come." She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, it'll be fun. Me, you, cleaning. Maybe that doesn't sound so fun." She grinned. "I'll put on a maid outfit." She said tauntingly. Sirius rolled his eyes. "You don't have a maid outfit. If there was, I'd've teased you about it by now." She sighed. "I'll buy you lunch." He sat upright. "I'm in, let's go! Yay, free food!" She cocked her head.

'Why is it he gets up for food, but not the thing he devoted his life to? It confuses me, but I suppose I do the same. Especially for Sweet Death Fruit. I love Sweet Death Fruit.' She thought to herself as she climbed out of the bed. "Hey, Sirius! Could you get me some Sweet Death Nectar!" She yelled, beginning to sweep up the house. A few moments later, Sirius walks up, with two glasses, and hends her one.

"I dunno why we're working so hard. It's a small house. And nobody's allowed in the library, so there's no need to overwork ourselves." He said, before sipping the nectar. he sighed. "But I've done my part of the house, what about you?" He asked, before taking another sip. Moira nodded. There isn't many rooms, so it wasn't that hard." A grin broke across Sirius' face.

"That's what she said." They both chuckled. "Well," Sirius said. "We're both done, so let's get the sign ready, so people know they can come over." Moira nodded. As they were walking to the basement to get a piece of wood to decorate, Moira had a question.

"Have you ever participated in this before, or did you just decide not to do it until now?" Sirius didn't need long to think about it. "I decided to not do until now, as nobody appreciated my talents anyway. "Why do it when someone else below you can?", Father says. If you didn't offer free lunch, I wouldn't've done it. But anyone can win me over with food. But not candy. I hate candy." Moira gasped, and walked in front of him , so he couldn't keep going.

"You hate candy? How? It's sweet, or sour, and it's what gives me joy in life! My first magical theory involved candy! Here, try this, and tell me with a straight face that you don't like it." She pulled out a piece of candy out of her pocket. He ate it. "I.....don't like it. It's not that good." She gasped. A grin broke on his face again. "Just kidding, it's pretty good, for a piece of candy. I don't like most candy, though. Anything else?" He asked.

"Yes, actually. Why did you leave the Palace? You could live with your father, your family. And yet, you left. Why?" She asked tentatively. He sighed. It seemed like he was doing that more often than not. "My father is ungrateful of my talents. My mother did, though. She was the only other person besides you who did in the whole Village. I could go up there when I need money, But normally Mother just brings it to me for some reason. I still keep my title as Prince, but I almost never pull the title card out, unless I really need to." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" Sirius yelled, making his way to the door. When he opened it, he saw his brother Nigel, with a small scar under his eye, it was barely noticeable, but Sirius noticed it.. "Oh, what is it Nigel? If Father sent you, tell him that Mei banekɾe wiɾ!" Nigel rolled his eyes. "I love you too, dear brother," Nigel said sarcastically. "But no, Father didn't send me. I came to see if you were doing the career thing today." He said in his deliberate, slow voice. It reminded him of Snape from Harry Potter.

"Yes, me and my soon-to-be- wife, Moira are, for your information. I don't care if Father doesn't approve." Nigel nodded. "I need to talk to you. Alone." Nigel's eyes flickered over to Moira, who had her head peaked around the corner. Sirius nodded. "Moira, I'll be back, keep working on the sign. I'll be back soon, love you." She nodded. "Bye, love you too." She said, before Sirius closed the door, following Nigel.

"Where are you taking us, Nigel?" Sirius asked as they past people in the town square. Soon they were at an old, abandoned building. "Follow me." Said Nigel, opening the door. As they walked in, Sirius counted the exits, along with other information. 'There's a pair of double doors on the other end there. This is all one big room, so is it a barn? Yes, that makes sense. And the wooden roof is, well, breaking down. There are several planks holding on to only a nail of two.' His thoughts were interrupted by Nigel snapping.

"Sirius? There we are. Now, sit. We need to talk about your fiance, Moira. Are you sure you want to marry her? I mean, Katrina died only three months ago." Sirius' grey eyes turned sorrowful. "She didn't 'die', Nigel. She was murdered. By me, Nigel. Her mentor, the person outside of home she can trust the most to help her. I failed my one duty. You don't know about the things I went through. Moira helped me. She made me realize that life is a balance. You do something good, something bad can happen. I stopped Katrina's plans, and I had to kill her to do that. Same for her. Her motives were good, and she wanted to share her plans, to the world, and it got her killed." He smiled.

"It's ironic, actually. She was going to tell people the secrets of immortality, and she died for it." He sighed. He closed his eyes. "Carpe Memoria." Suddenly, he was three months in the past.

He looked around. He was in town square. There was people bustling about the square. He could see his father the King, looking out on his balcony in the castle. He saw Katrina running out of his house, putting books in the infinity pouch necklace he made her. The past him ran out after him. She started talking.

"I have the key to immortality! And omnipotence! Me and Sirius can make sure that the Kuragari Village prospers forever!" People around her clapped. "Stand aside, all of you!" Said past Sirius, and the people blocking his path moved out of the way. He drew his wand. "I challenge you to...... a duel." He said solemnly. The two dueled for a few moments, and a few seconds later, the blue asashi curse hit her in the chest, killing her, and she fell to the ground. People lifted him in the air, and then, the memory was over.

When he opened his eyes, Nigel's wand was between his eyes. "Carpe Extememoria" Nigel muttered, and he saw the same memory. "Editaas." Nigel muttered again, and the past version of him was changing to a familiar shape. It was Moira. He was back in the present. "Moira killed her, Sirius." Sirius nodded slowly. "Moira killed her. She killed Katrina." Nigel nodded. He pointed his wand at him again. "Transforma Vocalis." He uttered. "Say something, Sirius."

Sirius nodded. "Is this good, my twin?" He asked. Nigel nodded. 'He sounds like me now. Good thing we're twins, so I don't need to change his physical form.' Nigel thought to himself.

"Sutkize." Nigel said camly, and a blast of energy came from his wand, and knocked Sirius out. He pointed his wand at his own throat. "Transforma Vocalis." He said, and now his voice sounded like Sirius, and vice versa. Nigel pulled out his phone, and called Moira. "Help me." Nigel said as Sirius. "Nigel attacked me. I'm not too hurt. I'm at the old barn." Moira agreed. "I'm on my way." Before she hung up.

When she got there, 'Nigel' was on the floor. "Are you ok? I was scared." 'Sirius' nodded. "I'm fine. But..... There's something I don't want to tell you, but I have to." Moira was curious. "What is it, sweetheart?" He sighed deeply. "I........ don't think we should be married. I love you, but not in love with you anymore." Her eyes widened. She took off a necklace. It was an ebony black skeleton key. "I think you should take your Key back. I don't need my Heart, though. You can keep that. I..... don't need it. But... look me in the eye. I want you to tell me-" She looked into his eyes. They were brown. She put on the Key again. "What colour are your eyes, Sirius?" She asked.

'Sirius' smiled. "Brown, of course, dear. Why?" Moira drew her wand, and pointed it at him. "Nigel? What do you think you're doing? I know it's you." She saw the real Sirius get up, and draw his wand. "Moira." Said Sirius, with Nigel's voice. She flicked her wand, and his voice returned to normal. Sirius, surprisingly, pointed his wand at Moira, and disarmed her.

"Moira...... you killed her..... my apprentice, my brother's girlfriend. Katrina. Katrina Usagi. Admit it. DO IT!" Sirius screamed, as the fake Sirius stepped aside. "No, I didn't you did. I helped you through that, remember? Unless he did something to you." Gesturing to the fake man. "Memoria Restoruum." She spoke, and Sirius blinked. He shook his head. "Don't try to screw with my mind." He looked at the fake him.

"Nigel, grab her wand, it's right in front of her." He commanded, and Nigel went to do so. Nigel picked up the wand. Then, his eyes grew wide, and his shirt seeping with blood. His face changed, into a strange man, who she had never seen before. When he fell to the ground, Sirius was holding a bow, with an arrow at the ready. He shot another arrow into the man's head for good measure. Moira was shocked.

"What the everloving fuck! Do you know who killed Katrina?" Tested Moira. He nodded. "Your spell worked. I was just playing along with his plan, until he got in front of you. Then, I summoned a bpw, and killed him." She nodded her head slowly. "But why'd you kill your brother? And why'd he turn into another guy?" She asked. "Easy. A spy sent here to kill you." She was confused.

"And how'd you deduce that, sherlock?" Moira asked. He nodded. "He messed with my memory, made me think you killed Katrina. So I would kill you, in case he couldn't have me incapacitated. This isn't Father's work. He wouldn't hurt me, but Nigel would. He hired him to kill you. Because I took the person he loved away from him. So he thought he would do the same, just indirectly, in case I killed the man, he would go back to his normal form, so Nigel wouldn't take the blame. And if the man killed us, The guards would just arrest him, and find out it was a disguise anyway. Nigel must have thought alot about this. Impressive." He said, smiling. "Genius, even."

She was once again shocked. "Why are you commending this guy? He tried to have us killed." He shrugged. "Guards! The Prince summons you!" He yelled to no one, and in the blink of an eye, guards were there. "Take this man away, dishonored. He tried to assassinate me and Moira." They nodded, and took the body, and vanished.

Let's check on the house, see if anyone visited. Tissio" He said, and a portal leading to their home opened. They stepped through, and it closed behind them. "I made visiting logs, so we could check if anyone came while we were gone. All they do is write their name down." She handed him the logs, and he read through them. "Not. One. Person. Nobody at all. See? Nobody appreciates Theoretical Magicians! It's one thing that's guaranteed by becoming one, is that nobody appreciates what you do. That is a given." Moira laughed.

"It's sad, but probably true." Said Moira. "Come on honey, I could use a bath. Wanna join me? Afterward we could have some saké, and some nice dinner. He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Also, please don't tell anyone about what Nigel did today." She nodded. "Ok, but my question was rhetorical. You're coming with me." She grabbed him, and dragged him along. They bathed, and drank saké. They were getting ready for bed, as it had been a long day, when Moira had an idea.

"Do you want me to give you a taste of True Neutrality again? I know you're a bit off, I would be too, if my memories were messed with, and if I had to kill somebody." He nodded. She put her fingers on his temples. Soon, all of his emotions were fading away, disappearing into the Void. When Moira removed them, The emotions came back, but he had clarity. He did what he needed to. He had to protect her, and himself. They got in bed, and Sirius, now calm, drifted off to sleep. 'Two years. Two years, and things will be perfect, the way they should be, balanced. I can't wait for him to reach his true potential, what he was meant for. Then, everything will be perfect.' Thought Moira to herself, before wrapping her arm around Sirius, and drifting off to sleep herself.

November 24, 2021 03:53

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