The Lock Necklace

“I don’t like your stare, Jackal.”

“Me neither, but would you cooperate at least? Since this is more budget saving than buying an actual lock from the stores.”

Jackal holds a lockpick on her hands. It is made from bent tweezers and some metal sticks that are fashioned into a custom lockpick. She is firmly holding on it and raised up closer to Kazahana who the succubun stares at her with an incredibly mortified face. Showing the mixed amount of emotions of disgust, anger, and fear to Jackal as she is getting closer and closer to his personal space.

“Bitch, I told you to not get closer to me. At what point do I say it makes you not understand?” Kazahana covers the lock necklace on his chest and the ghosts that surround him seem to be interested in what the two people are conversing with.

The lock clink a little as Kazahana covers with his right hand, his doll-like slender hand touching the golden edges protectively as he glares to the envy succubun.

Kazahana does not like anyone prying onto his items of choice, especially the large lock necklace he is wearing. After all, he is a greed succubun. He is pretty sensitive to people touching, messing around, and taking his things even though it is mundane.

Jackal clicks her tongue for a bit and raises the custom lockpick with her calloused hands. She looks a bit determined to practice on that lock.

It’s not like she is forced to do this, but she finds it more budget saving to do it on a lock from a friend that looks sturdy and strong enough for her own strength to do it on. 

Even though she can buy one from the nearby shops, she just wants to test her lockpicking skills immediately so she won't dawdle on for tomorrow. Not like saving her money to keep on the heating system in her home because of the awful weather.

She may do it on her door lock in her room, but she never thought about it since when she plans about breaking in Mercy’s office her eyes will immediately land on Kazahana’s necklace.

Jackal sighs as she crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as her brows furrowed in a manner that shows her annoyance to the greed succubun.

“Look, we are going to practice lockpicking for the sake of getting in that damned office. So if I were you, at least let me practice on that lock thingy necklace of yours.”

Kazahana swats the custom lock pick with his free hand causing it to land on the floor beside the door of Jackal’s room. “Yeah, no shit I ain’t allowing you.”

The male succubun backs away to a nearby cabinet with a seething glare in his blue eyes.

“Besides, you always keep an eye on my necklace ever since you brought up that idea of breaking in her office!” He stated as his ghosts behind him nodded in unison.

Jackal shakes her head in frustration as she places her hands on her hips and raises a brow at him. “Can you even tell me what is so important with that lock necklace of yours? Some kind of personal aesthetic?”

“...It’s none of your business, okay?” Kazahana snapped as he covered his chest with his makeshift jacket, the oriental patterns of the fabric creased little by little showing the tight grip he has to make sure none of Jackal’s eyes can linger to see his lock necklace.

Slowly slumping her shoulders in defeat, Jackal clicks her tongue and crosses her eyes. “Fine, I am not prying your little personal bubble but I have one question.”

“Why does the inside of it glow?”

Kazahana breathes through his fanged teeth and chuckles awkwardly.

“That’s the thing. Why are you going to lockpick something that looks like a lock, but is actually not a lock?” He stated as he slowly loosen the grip around his jacket leaving Jackal to stand there in her room.

Blinking once.

Blinking twice.

Until Kazahana scoffs a little when Jackal perks up in realization.

“So you mean to tell me that… that fucking thing is not actually a lock?”

Kazahana smirks a little as if being sarcastic. 

“No shit honey bunny, it’s a totally useful lock. That you can actually train to lockpick it. Other than that, it can even accurately unlock it if you successfully lockpick a dud lock… OF COURSE IT IS NOT A LOCK YOU BITCH! IT IS A NECKLACE FASHIONED AS A LOCK!”

Kazahana yelled at the top of his lungs as if scolding the envy succubun out of pure annoyance. He grinded his fangs for a bit as his brows furrowed to show his frustration.

Suddenly, the door inside Jackal’s room opened to reveal the mysterious succubun on the sidelines. Worriedly looking over the two succubus in question.

“A-are you two alright?” She asked with a soft voice and Jackal sighed.

“Some misunderstanding.”

Kazahana nodded a little to Jackal’s words as if he accepted that explanation, and decided to lessen the amount of annoyance to Jackal out for the goodness of his own well being and to give a good impression to the mysterious. 

He is only looking away to land his gaze at some boring item in the room to show that he is not expressing any negative emotion.

The mysterious succubun blinks a bit and she looks a little unsettled at the tension in the room. “Uh… okay. I was… worried since that Mr. Kazahana yelled.”

“I just have to express something that needs to be drilled on someone's head. Forgive me.”

Jackal seethes at Kazahana. “Yeah, drilled to be noted you dumbass.”

After glancing side by side to both the two glaring succubuns, the mysterious succubun slowly backs away and closes the door very gently. Waiting for a couple of minutes until they are at their throats again.

“You should have told me that your necklace is just a dud.” Jackal said through her teeth, making sure her voice is low enough not to be heard through the walls.

“I was waiting for you to at least understand consent but since you are a bit of a brat I have to wait until realization hits you on the appearance of my necklace.”

Both succubuns stare at each other with furrowed brows, nose flaring up until Kazahana sighs. He shakes his head for a moment until he waved his hands dismissively.

“You know what? Screw this.” Kazahana said as he headed towards the door to go out. Jackal widens her eyes, seeing that Kazahana is walking out of this plan.

“Wait, are you leaving already? What about promising to help her? We have to know about the feather!”

“Did I say I am going the fuck out?” Kazahana said as he stopped by the door and opened it, he knelt down to the floor and picked up the makeshift lockpick that he swatted out from Jackal's hands a while ago. Jackal raised a brow in both confusion, suspicion, and curiosity as she watched the male succubun lean down to door lock.

“A door lock just like this is easy to open once you get to know the condition of the lock first. If you want a guaranteed unlocking process, you need one more tool than the average two items that you found and observed in movies and some professionals.” Kazahana stated as he looked over the condition of the makeshift lockpick while Jackal let out an incredulous face at him.

“But we don't have them.” Jackal stated and Kazahana rolled his eyes.

“You assume that I don't have the items.”

“Wait, you have them?”

Kazahana smirked at Jackal as if he waited for that question to come.

“Yes, I have.” Kazahana brings his hands up to his rope tie and casually slips his fingers in to pull out what seems to be three metallic thin tools under his fingers. Jackal gapes a bit as she shakes her head in disbelief.

“After all this time… you know how to lockpick?! Why didn't you tell me?!”

“Duh, you didn't ask for it.” Kazahana casually answers as he motions his hands on the door, locking it. “Here, girl. This is how you do it.”