Lucilfer (ChrolloxReader)

Chapter 22

*TW: MENTIONS OF PAST ABUSE/SEXUAL ABUSE*

I definitely should have brought some kind of overcoat—after the adrenaline from first meeting the Troupe and then my fight with Phinks died down, I realized I was freezing. The late January air clawed through the thin, loose white button up I was wearing, and the leather pants weren't exactly stellar protection. My teeth chattered lightly and I shivered as a gust of wind ruffled my hair when Machi opened a trap door from where we were standing on the rusty stairs.

The night sky was beautiful, though—there weren't many city lights in this abandoned sector of York New, so the thousands of stars that twinkled, some much stronger than other faded ones, shone brightly against a dark, black blanket. Wispy clouds swirled around in the breezy atmosphere, and the sliver of moon showing was a gradient of white light behind a gray, misty covering. A slow sigh released from my lips as I gazed around absently at the tops of other run down buildings. There was a strange peace in the energy; I enjoyed it quite a lot. It made my mind feel clearer, despite the uncomfortable cold.

Carefully over the loose stones and gravel strewn lazily about on the roof, I walked behind Shalnark, who followed Machi and Shizuku closer to the edge. Heights was something I realized I was not very afraid of, surprisingly—I found it very sobering and solemn to look down from a high place, so when the others took their seats, I sat with my legs dangling off the ledge, leaning back on the rough rocks with my weight on my hands.

"What should we play?" Shalnark asked, his happy voice a welcome tone in the pretty silence.

"Let's play bullshit," Machi suggested, moving closer to me. "You're playing, right?"

"Hmm?" I looked up and nodded. "Oh, yes—I-I don't know how to play bullshit, though."

Shalnark laughed loudly, but it wasn't a jeering sound; it was a sort of exhilarated sound. I found myself chuckling quietly, too.

"Perfect! I love explaining this game." He began shuffling the deck skillfully, his fingers moving quickly through the memorized movement. "It's really simple—I'll deal out the cards until the deck is gone, and whoever has the Ace of Spades will lay it face down in the center with any other aces they have, announcing the number of cards in total. From there, we move clockwise, and the next person announces how many two's they're laying down, and then it's three's, and so on. We go until someone runs out of cards first; that person would be the winner. Simple enough?"

I blinked, my eyes feeling wide as I froze mid-turn where I was sitting so I could face them. Shal wore a large grin on his face, expectantly waiting for an answer.

"Um, sort of," I hedged.

Machi laughed softly and gestured for Shizuku to move closer, the two of them huddling together as the breeze picked up again.

"You also have to be a good liar to play this game," Shizuku pointed out, her childlike voice sounding gentle in the wide night. "There are only four of each number or category, so make sure you don't exceed four. But when you lay down your cards, you can include an extra of a different category. If I laid down two three's and a five, I'd say 'Three three's.' Only those who suspect me of lying can call bullshit—if they catch me, I take the deck; if I was telling the truth, they take the deck."

Shal nodded eagerly, watching me with twinkling green eyes. Biting my lip, I crossed my legs tightly beneath me and hunched slightly in the cold, my brows furrowed as I mulled over the instructions. He laughed again and began tossing cards out in piles for the four of us.

"Just follow along—you'll get it."

Tentatively, I watched as he dealt the deck with swift moments. Once again, as he did so, I could feel Machi's gaze on me, and I turned my head to look into her soothing blue eyes. They crinkled gently when a small smile turned up the edges of her lips, and I smiled back in return.