Norman x Reader || SAUDADE

12-E-nmity

"You know that you're being very annoying back then Ray." I pouted. 

"You could've come out sooner and helped them." Emma laughed at the memory. 

"Well I needed to win!" He shrugged. 

"And Norman has always had a soft spot for ________. So it's the perfect plan to victory." Ray smirked at the thought. 

"He does?" Barbara lifted her brow. 

"No, Ray's just teasing Norman. That's just how Norman is, he's always the good brother figure to everyone." I said immediately, glaring at Ray's smug face. 

"Hah, but anyways, thank you for the very interesting stories." Vincent wiped his glasses several times. 

"He hardly talks about his past. Though he's still a very nice guy, he sacrificed a lot for the children and cared deeply for his friends as well." Cislo smiled. They told us about how he saved all of them from Lambda, the experiments, the pain that they have to endure every single day, then the retaliation and how he led it all with his strategy. Instinctively, tears flowed down from my eyes, how could people be so cruel at mere kids. They must've been so scared all alone not knowing what would happen every single day, will they survive, will they not. Living in fear everyday. 

"Are you alright?" Vincent snapped me out of my thoughts. 

"Oh I'm sorry, it's just that I can't imagine the pain and suffering all of you and the other children must've felt during that time." I wiped my tears quickly. 

"You're very kind. That's why, we have to kill all of them." Barbara smiled with menace glinted in her eyes. 

"Actually, killing them all won't be enough, we have to make them suffer the way we did. The Ratri clan and the demon." She showed a very inhumane light in her eyes. It's as if a bottled up anger had just exploded right in front of our eyes.

"Is that sympathy I see in your eyes? You're not showing sympathy to the demons aren't you? You better not be talking about changing his plans! Demons are monsters that need to be exterminated! All of them!" She stomped her foot on the glass table, creating a large crack below the heel of her shoes. Emma, Ray and I were dumbfounded at her reaction, Ray instinctively rose from his seat and shielded the both of us from Barbara, yet I can't seem to move my body. It was pure hatred. 

"Barbara stop it." Cislo's voice boomed throughout the room sending a halt to everyone. 

"Barbara." I stood up and went to hug her at once, alerting Emma and Ray in the process. I can feel her body tensing up inside my arms, 

"I'm sorry you have to experience all that, I'm very sorry, we didn't know. You deserve to feel loved, you deserve to be treated better, all of you do. No one needs to feel this much hatred in their life." I cried out with all my emotions poured out in the hug. A minute later, I let go of her. The tense air seemed to dissipate a little from the room, and only my sobs can be heard so far. 

"Either way, it's too late. Everything is proceeding accordingly. He had gone out to see one of the pawns." Vincent said. We then excused ourselves out from the afternoon tea we just had. The walk back wasn't as lively and we felt a bit dreadful after the scene with Barbara earlier. However, I could understand her feelings and hatred, the demons really ruined their lives. I would've hated them as well if I were to be in their positions. But if there's a more peaceful way, I'd also like it to happen. We are all tired of killing, surviving and all the running, if possible I wouldn't want another war or fighting anymore. I just want all of us to live in peace. If it's possible.

The next day came fast and we just had our lunch. I needed to go train some more along with Ray, Emma and the Grand Valley kids. 

"Ray, Emma, I need to go see Chris' condition right now. You two want to tag along?" I asked them, after some time of practicing my aims and accuracy. 

"Yes let's do that." Emma agreed. We made our way into the infirmary. 

"Oh Zack, Paula, Oliver!" I spotted three familiar people standing in the hallway. 

"Hey ________, Emma, Ray. What's up?" Zack calmly acknowledged our presence. 

"How's Chris doing so far?" I asked them. 

"He's not awake yet." Paula looked like she had just finished tending to Chris. 

"He should have woken up by now." Zack's words were drowned by the distant voices of the kids playing around. We entered the room and I began to check on his vitals and overall visual check. 

"His complexion looks fine, along with his breathing." Ray pointed out. 

"His pulse and overall condition seems to be getting better as well. He's doing fine, just that he's not regaining consciousness." I nodded confirming Ray's statement. Emma was holding his hand the whole time. 

"Anyways, the bigger issue we're facing right at this moment is Norman, he has not returned yesterday either." Ray voiced out his concern. 

"I know, I need to talk to him soon, even though Barbara, Cislo and Vincent are good people, they have so much hatred inside of them. They said the demons are all the same. Even Mujika and Sonju? And what about the demon children we saw back at the temple? To call them all the same is wrong." Emma's voice raised up gradually. 

"Emma, I understand but to the victims it doesn't matter." Ray pointed that certain matter and I agreed. 

"I agree with Ray, they suffered a lot and we can't just tell them not to hate. They are a victim of this cruel 'survival-of-the-fittest' society." I told her. 

"Hatred keeps on growing once you keep feeding it, if only they tried to care about what the other side thinks, they would all end up like you and no war would have happened. But hatred is strong, they'll keep on killing and dominating, that's why even amongst humans, war won't go away for thousands of years." Ray calmly explained. Emma looked very crossed at the fact Ray just blatantly opened to us.