Nighttime Frights

"YIKES! What was that?!"

"You mean that branch hitting the roof?"

"Oh. Hardly scoop-worthy. We carry on then."

Kamui rolled his eyes. Piper did warn him that this guy he was escorting was jumpy, but seriously? What was worse was that the bun was noisy and a journalist, so even if he was terrified, he looked like he was going to run towards something crying rather than the other way, which made it plenty more annoying to babysit him.

As to why he was doing this? Piper told him it was payment for the tip about Silver, and he figured that one night wasn't a big deal, though it was quickly looking like this was more trouble than it was worth.

"Hey, you." the thief called as he was walking a few paces behind him. He wasn't actually sure where they were headed, or if they had any destination at all.

Said bun stopped and turned to face him. "Mates call me Jiggy. You can call me that too." the scaredy-bun replied quickly, but his pronunciation was clear. 

"....what's the name you write for your pieces?"

"Jiggy, obviously."

Kamui thought that was a bold-faced lie, but between the bun's straight face and the fact that he hardly read the newspaper, he couldn't say anything. 

"Fine, mind telling me where we're going?"

Jiggy turned back around and pointed with a nubby arm. "Thataway."

The thief had to resist violently shaking him. 

They were in their bun forms, which Kamui felt much more vulnerable in, especially as he couldn't hide his grand horns underneath a hood. They caught reflections of dim streetlamps and indoor lighting that streamed through windows, but ever since the death of the Head of Church Sulfur making news, it was clear that it scared a lot of buns shitless. Almost everyone was in at least pairs, others in groups. Some hunched up their shoulders, others walked briskly, flashlights from phones were also being used and waved around.

It was a part of the agreement to follow what Jiggy wanted, and he wanted to go low (literally). With dolls easily towering over them, looking around instead of looking down, not many were paying attention to them, which was just what the journalist wanted.

It went against Kamui's code to keep asking questions, but it still burned his tongue, wondering why they were walking this long stretch of street. To get somewhere, surely, but where? He was thankful that so far he recognized the place, but as they slowly made their way down the gentle slope, he knew that his knowledge of the land was going to be put to the test.

Jiggy would mumble something he couldn't pick up once in a while. Sometimes he would stop, and Kamui would be distracted so he would almost bump into the journalist. Past large windows that shone light on them, the thief mulled over what it would be like to be one of those buns that were given a silver spoon.

The daydream only lasted a few moments, but that was long enough for Kamui to lose sight of his charge. He let out a curse, panicking before picking up his pace, only to see that there was a narrow alley to his right, and there he caught a glimpse of gingko shades. He ran as fast as his bun feet would allow, finding that the corridor opened to a wider rectangular space that acted as a point of intersection. There were three other paths to choose.

Thankfully, Jiggy had not taken a direction yet, but how did Kamui never know of this path before?

"Pretty sure this is right…or is that right?" he raised his right arm to the east, still talking to himself.

Kamui already felt uneasy before, but it was hiking up more now. "Hey, did you get this information from someone?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean my tip?" Jiggy was holding a spiral notebook, tapping a pen on his cheek. "Can't tell you who, but yeah."

The thief's eyes narrowed. "A tip about what?"

"What do you think? The hottest scoop for the week, obviously."

Kamui couldn't hide a grimace. It must be related to the murders or somehow something worse than that. What he couldn't figure out was…well, he knew Piper was an information broker, and it was he who connected them together, but if that was the case, why would Jiggy be so secretive about it?

Should he just make a guess? He wasn't sure what the ramifications would be if he got it wrong.

"Is it about–"

"–shh!!" the journalist waved his arm before running off to the east (or was it west? Well, east in Kamui's point of view). Alarmed but trying to keep his cool, he ran after him, finding himself sandwiched between tall gray walls with no features until they reached a dead end. The thief felt like if he were claustrophobic, he would be running out of this place screaming.

But instead, he was looking at his companion, who was hovering over what looked to be a bunhole (a manhole, if you will, but in Burrowgatory). Jiggy was looking at it closely, almost smooshing his face on it, using his phone's flashlight to illuminate the inscriptions on it. Kamui couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

And then, out of the blue, Jiggy laughed triumphantly before telling Kamui to hold his phone over the bunhole while scribbling as fast as he could. 

The thief looked at the journalist strangely and asked what was he doing.

"It's super top secret stuff, scoop-worthy I tell ya!"

"...what's so scoop-worthy about a bunhole?"

"It's not just a bunhole - it's the Bunhole of '41! The story goes that while Burrowgatory was still in development and much of its buildings were being reconstructed for its increasing populations, this bunhole–" Jiggy pointed at it for dramatic effect, "–was a part of a largescale project invested by puzzle-loving master Meister, and take note, the puzzle-loving is important, because–"

"Okay stop, before you yap your mouth off, remember that we're in the middle of probably the most dangerous times the city believes it's in, yeah? I suggest you just do your thing and leave the storytelling for when we're indoors. Preferably a house."

Jiggy looked visibly offended, but after transitioning to an angry pout, he eventually muttered, "I have an apartment. Fine! Fine, just give me a minute." the journalist returned to the bunhole and stared at the carvings inscribed on the rusty metal plate. Soon, he shook his head and mumbled under his breath while copying the symbols on his notebook. All the while, the wind picked up and howled at least once through the narrow passageway they were in, but there was nothing for it to rustle except for the leaves that grew on Jiggy's ears.

"Done!" Jiggy exclaimed while raising his notebook up in the air for a moment before keeping it close to his fur.

"Great, now we should get out of here." Kamui didn't waste any time and grabbed his companion's hoof before running back to where the intersection was. It didn't take too long see the walls finally opening up to the larger area they were in before, but suddenly the thief had to stop in his tracks, skidding ever so slightly, and making Jiggy almost fall over if it weren't for Kamui yanking him backward to keep him on his feet.

"What–"

Immediately Kamui put his hoof on Jiggy's mouth to keep him quiet. While the journalist protested, he did it silently, scrunching up his face and gesturing what was going on until the thief motioned to stay behind him and lay low (as low as they could in their bun form, anyway). Peering across the corner, a tall figure, was dragging themselves across; their hooves creating friction on the concrete, screeching softly.

They were looking straight ahead, and so far, it seemed like the pair were not noticed.

Kamui thought to change to his doll form, but that might make himself an easier intruder to spot. For now, he moved carefully and cautiously, as there was a wooden box they could semi-comfortably squeeze themselves behind so that they could enter the passageway that should lead back to where they came. Thankfully, whoever was sluggishly moving across them was not going in their direction, but why was he so on edge? They could be just drunk…

Behind the box, it was harder to see if the stranger was out of sight, but they were at least more hidden, and Kamui could still hear their steps. Once it sounded like they were moving further and further away, he risked a peek past their hiding place, and it looked like the danger had passed. For now.

He pulled Jiggy back to the left path, running until they finally saw the ground open to the main street, where suddenly they heard a low bustle of what nightlife remained amidst the chilling news.

Both buns were panting heavily. Kamui was trying to figure out what they just saw. "Could that be–"

"Puzzle Master Meister's ghost?!" Jiggy exclaimed, mouth wide with excitement.

"You idiot! I'm pretty sure that was…" Kamui trailed off, thoughts whirring. Silver just confirmed with him the other day that vampires were real. Was that what he saw? They definitely gave off this weird aura that didn't feel right…

The journalist grumbled but was scribbling on his notebook. "Well, you're not the writer here. Wish I got a photo! Damn. Anyway, guess I should head back home. You can skedaddle, I know my way back from here."

Kamui narrowed his eyes. "No way, not with that thing on the loose. I'm coming with you."

"What, impromptu sleepover? We only just met!"

"Shut up, I'm just taking you back 'cuz Piper told me to."

"Mmm, alright. I didn't think you'd hold Piper in such high regard though. I mean, did he save your life or something?"

Kamui had a confused look, but then figured that he made the right call not to say anything earlier. Looked like he didn't know about Piper's night job. "I owe him, that's all."

"Well it sounds like a story to me. I don't write all stories I hear, but I like stories. Are you a hot chocolate kind of guy?"

The thief didn't seriously consider the sleepover initially, but at this point, he was being invited, wasn't he? Well, having a proper roof sounded nice…"Warm milk is fine."