An Alternate Meeting (!)

▀▄▀▄▀▄An Alternate Meeting▄▀▄▀▄▀ (𝚐𝚗!𝙼𝙲)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍: 𝙲𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝚊𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚀𝚒𝚞/𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚗 (𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍) 𝚃𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙱𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗 (𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍) 𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚝 (𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍) 𝙼𝙲 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 (𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙾𝙻:𝙽&𝙵)

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝: Baxter and MC go to Sunset Bird for their summer vacation, choosing to be roommates for the short time despite being there for seperate reasons. Takes place in Step 3 of OL:B&A.

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗)

It was an average day in Sunset Bird- well that's what it seemed like to Cove as he helped the ORCA clean up the remenants of a party that happened last night on the shore line. Despite Cove loving the summer, after all school was offically out and he could go surfing if he pleased- but the part he disliked severely was the vacationers who come here just for the summer and leaving their mess everywhere only for it to be swept into the sea.

The seafoam haired boy was lost in his thoughts, silently cursing the ones who left such a mess behind before his focus was broken by a voice behind him, making him jump slightly.

"Excuse me, but- may I ask you a question really quick?" He turned around to see a boy behind him with white and black hair, a hand in his pocket and his phone in the other- wearing a half black and half white button down shirt. Cove rose to his feet, not bothering to wipe the sand from his shins and knees- unbothered by the texture. "What can I do for you?" Now don't get me wrong- Cove was not a people person, but he wouldn't allow himself to tarnish the ORCA name by showing his frustrations to someone who was obviously one of the previously mentioned vacationers. "Sorry to interupt your work, but I'm looking for my friend- their name is MC and they said they'd be helping the ORCA today. I have a picture of them if that'd help." The black and white boy turned his phone around, showing Cove a photo of two people. One was a person in a white sweater with gray-blue acents, they had long brunette hair and a grin plastered onto their face as their arm was loosely wrapped around the other person in the picture. The first was unfamiliar, but the second person- who was adorned in a slightly larger, heavy dull green puffer jacket with fur lining, also grinning brightly with a peace sign up- was definetely familiar. "Their name is MC, they volunteered with your group for this summer." The boy provided a bit more insight after getting no reply from Cove as he analyzed the image. "Yeah- I recognize them. They were stationed here with me for a bit, but went to get waters for us." He explained before- as if being summoned, MC came jogging down the shore with a small cooler and more garbage bags. "Mr. Holden! I'm back! Sorry that look so long!" they shouted a bit, catching the attention of both boys- that's when they noticed the black and white boy with their teammate. "Oh! Baxter! Hey!" their voice slowly quieted down as they neared the two, slightly panting from the mix of jogging and the heat they were definetely not used to- it was much cooler in Golden Grove, even in the summer months. "There you are, I came to check how things were going and met your team mate- I am so sorry I never got your name...and I never told you mine. How rude of me. I'm Baxter Ward, it's a pleasure to meet you-" He introduced himself, leaving the last sentence to be contiued by the blue eyed boy. "Oh uh- Cove Holden. Also- MC I told you before, Mr. Holden is too formal. Just use my name, please." He said, taking the cooler from MC and checking it's contents- seeing multiple waters and cut fruits.

"Oh- uh, somebody named Jamie dropped by the ORCA headquarters and left the fruit for you. I brought it with since there's still work to do and I heard you mumbling about being hungry before I left, hope that was okay?" They explained, causing a light blush to spread across Cove's cheeks- slightly embarrassed to be called out for his muttering, how much had they overheard? "Thanks, uhm- sorry." His slight embarassment contiued, growing slightly when the two tourists chuckled a bit. "Don't apologize, seriously. We've been out here since ten cleaning up after these people- it's completely valid to be hungry after four hours of work." MC offered him a smile. "Anyways- now that I'm here, if you'd like I can help out? Make this go faster?" Baxter offered, slipping his phone into his beach short pocket. "I'd be alright with it, but Cove- is it fine if he helps out? Just for right now." They ask to which he nodded, he was not going to turn down an offer to help. "Sure, not like an extra hand could hurt any. Plus, the sooner we get this done the sooner we can return to HQ." He was quick to drop down to the ground again, picking up trash once more- this time being joined by two others. "So- not a fan of summer tourists huh?" MC said with a smirk, not looking away from the ground as they clean. Baxter gasped in mock offence, playing along. "Oh goodness! We barely know each other and you already dislike me Cove?! Oh woe is me!" he said over dramatically, obviously acting, making both MC and Cove laugh. "It's not that, I'm just- annoyed at the ones who think they can leave all this trash around as if it isn't doing any harm. The ORCA is one of the few clean the beach programs in Sunset Bird, so it sucks that the work load practically triples in the summer when we all could be doing something starting a fundraiser or enjoying the beach properly." He rambled a bit once the laughter died down, the look in his eye showed how passionate he was about the ORCA's mission. "Y'know- you remind me of one of our friends from Golden Grove. She's just like you about keeping her forest clean, it's how she earned the title Queen of the Forest." MC explained with a light chuckle, smiling at the two boys who kept cleaning but were listening intently. "You make her sound so peaceful MC, Tamarack gets super protective over you- it's scary!" Baxter quipped back, chuckling a bit. "She isn't scary, try angering Autumn back in middle school! They're the one who gets scary when being protective!" MC stated back before looking to Cove with a smile. "Sorry, Autumn is another one of our friends-" they had started before Baxter cut them off "You mean your partner~?" he teased, making MC flush pink. "Baxter! We're not together!" they sputtered out quickly before clearing their throat to contiue. "He's another one of our friends, from Golden Grove. We all grew up together, similar to you and Jamie I assume?" they offer him an easy in to the conversation. "Oh- yeah. Me and Jamie met when I first moved here, they were the first friend I made here in Sunset Bird." He replied with a thankful smile, before the conversation continued peacefully as the three cleaned. Chatting about how they met their friends, memories, and getting to know each other as the day passes slowly. Although it'd be temporary for one of them- this was the start of a beautiful summer blossom friendship.

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 1,192

▀▄▀▄▀▄A Mother's Love▄▀▄▀▄▀(𝚏𝚎𝚖!𝙼𝙲)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍: 𝚀𝚒𝚞/𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝚈𝚒 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝙾𝚙𝚊𝚕 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝙲 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 (𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙾𝙻:𝙽&𝙵)

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝:

Qiu and MC shall both be 24 in this one-shot! Enjoy!

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗) The wedding was absolutely fantastic, went off without a hitch- which was a suprise going off of how clumsy the groom could be about losing the simplest things, but I guess that's what the bride is for. Picking up the missing pieces for them, making her groom whole again. Emotions were high, after all- this wedding had been in production since both Qiu and MC were 22. Two long years of planning for their perfect wedding, but the wait was well worth it. Everything was absolutely stunning- the off-white base colors for the outifts, matched with the golden accents paired with the bridesmaids and groomsmen wearing earthy green and cream tones- pulling them apart from the natural autumnal scenary of Golden Grove.

The ceramony was rather basic, but it worked for the two love birds and got the job done. The reception however, was a lot more fun since Hong Lin, Qiu's father, was able to pull some strings for his child and his now daughter-in-law. Not only were the location set for their honey moon, but the reception as well. People were dancing, having fun- a room full of family and friends, both new and old, brought together to celebrate the union of Autumn Lin and MC Lin.

By the time speeches were going on, things were settling down- light chatter floating within the room as they all waited patiently for the next speaker to aproach the mic. A light tapping gathered the attention of all those in the room, including the newly weds, to the microphone. There stood Opal Second, MC's loving mother with small tear and makeup streaks on her cheeks as she smiled lovingly at her daughter and new child-in-law. "Hello friends and family alike, I wanted to thank all of you for coming to my daughter's wedding. She and Qiu spent so long on planning this and I'm so glad it's gone as smoothly as possible for them, but that's not why I'm here right now." She had started, looking around earning a few cheers from the crowd before her gaze returns to the newly weds once again. "Let's start with my newly apointed child-in-law, Qiu- or Autumn. Let me tell you, when I had first met him that early morning when they came over to pick my lovely daughter up to walk to school- I knew something was going to be special about his relationship with her. As I watched the two grow closer with time, I knew my daughter's originial thoughts were correct about him." The crowd was slightly confused, unsure of what she was referring to but figuring she'd get to that point in a moment. "I wanted to thank you for keeping her happy, and being there for her when even I couldn't be. You are an outstanding person Qiu, and I'm super glad I get to call you my son-in-law." Opal grinned at the two beloveds as they cuddled closer to each other, Qiu grinning ear to ear- pure joy radiating off of them that made MC giggle lightly.

"Now my beautiful baby girl, god I'm so proud of you sweetie. From the very first day we've been in Golden Grove you made friends with two amazing people, and now you're marrying one of them! Back when you were ten years old and you came home excitedly, telling me that you had found the one you were going to marry I was shocked- but look at you now! Fulfulling that very promise you made all those years ago!" MC blushed brightly, grinning shyly as the crowd laughed lightheartedly at the call out from Opal. Qiu had even laughed before shouting over the laughter "What can I say?! We just knew we liked each other!" they had made the laughter grow, flustering his bride further. Once the laughter died down, the speech contiued. "Oh goodness, I've been waiting two years to make that joke! But back to the point- I am so proud of my baby for finding her true pairing. Despite not being able to witness romantic love as she was growing up, she still found her one and only and I couldn't more excited for her and her future. I love you sweetie, thank you for coming into my life and being my little ray of sunshine." The speech was finished, and more tears had slipped from Opal's eyes gently cascading down her cheeks before MC had stood, tearing up herself, and rushed over to hug her mother. "I love you too momma." She said with a smile, the mic picking up on it- making the audience aw before Qiu stood and approached the two who held each other tightly. Originally he had intended to stand there until the hug broke to escort their lovely wife back to the couple's seat, but once Opal noticed him near she had pulled him into the hug as well. Soon after that both Yi and Hung, Qiu's parents, also joined the hug- a united family. A flash went off, the wedding photographer capturing the familial moment with a soft smile. Once the speeches were all done and the reception had gone deep into the night, it was eventually time to sent everybody home. Opal, Yi, and Hung going to dinner while their children whisked each other away to their honeymoon.

Not going to lie, once Our Life: Now & Forever is fully released I might make a part two to this one of the honeymoon night- BUT not yet. Thank you for reading, and for the request Anon! 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 890

Thalassa

TW: Child abuse, Domestic Violence, Murder, Violence, Sexual Content

Thalassa (/θəˈlæsə/; Greek: Θάλασσα, translit. Thálassa, lit. "sea"; Attic Greek: Θάλαττα, Thálatta) was the general word for 'sea' and for its divine female personification in Greek mythology.

Eavinary is a continent in the world of Vesela. Vesela is a realm where gods walk freely in different parts of the world. Most of them are found in Eavinary. These gods aren't a lot like you're used to seeing. These gods, while they are immortal, can die just like any other mortal when it comes to being mortally wounded. They can only die from unnatural causes. Among these gods are the more well known ones. Life, Death, Sun, Moon, War, and Disease. They're the most known and the most feared.

The moon goddess is all six year old Aurora looks up to. She's read stories about this goddess, has heard how kind she is and how she could never hurt a soul. It's a good escape when you have a drunkard dad that comes home every night and beats your mother while you hide under your bed. And it goes on like that for the next ten years of their life. But everything changes when they turn fifteen and tragedy like never expected hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being a little girl in a world full of gods and goddesses was certainly a difficult concept for a six year old to handle, especially when you were surrounded by nothing but bad things and evil people. 

When Aurora was six years old, her mother meant the world to her, she was her knight in shining armor and no one else could convince her otherwise. Her family lived in a relatively small village on the coast of the continent Taemora. Taemora is a sprawling landmass, characterized by its breathtaking diversity of landscapes. Towering mountain ranges, crowned with snow-capped peaks, stretch like the spine of a slumbering giant along the northern border. These mountains are rumored to hide secret valleys, where ancient tribes guard long-lost treasures. Or that's what her mother told her stories about. 

To the west, a vast, untamed wilderness unfolds, a realm of dense forests where colossal trees seem to touch the heavens. Deep within these woods, whispers of sentient flora and elusive forest spirits capture the imagination of daring adventurers.

As you venture eastward, the terrain transforms into a vast expanse of rolling, emerald-green hills, reminiscent of an artist's masterpiece. The plains were home to nomadic tribes who had mastered the art of horsemanship and whose grand caravans traversed the land in an endless dance of life and tradition.  Towards the south, the continent meets the sea with dramatic coastal cliffs that plunge into a crystalline, bioluminescent ocean. Here, hidden coves harbor pirate legends and rare, elusive sea creatures, while vibrant underwater cities of merfolk thrive in harmony with the tides.

Her mother told her all kinds of stories about the gods and where they came from, that no one quite knew, but that she did. "The Aurora Borealis, which dances in the northern skies, is believed to be a bridge between the mortal realm and the land of the gods, where the divine and the earthly converge." The soft voice of her mother echoed in her head, reminding her of how her name came to be. She'd go on and on about how the gods had blessed her mother with her existence, which is how she got her name, that she was the mortal who would unite god and man as one.

As her childhood continued, she lost faith in the gods, each new day a new bruise and the same grumpy brunette man screaming at her mother. The few times she spoke up, she shared a similar bruise to her mothers the next day. It got progressively worse into her preteen years when she started going by the name 'Rory', their mother adored their name and thought it fit them well. Their father was livid, they convinced themselves that he just didn't understand and tried to give him time. But it failed every time. Everyday, one new bruise.

Eventually, they stopped speaking all together to avoid any conflict. From ages eleven to thirteen they were silent, hardly ever spoke unless Arthur wasn't home. Arthur is what they started referring to their father as, they'd referred to him as such since they were ten.

Manipulators often exhibit a range of common signs and behaviors that can help you identify their attempts to control or deceive others.

 There were days where he was okay, the days when he was sober, the days he didn't recall any of his horrible actions and actually acted like a proper dad. One of those days, he tied a piece of pink twine into their hair and braided it down their back. 

Charm and Flattery: Manipulators often begin by showering their targets with excessive charm, compliments, and flattery. They aim to create a sense of trust and admiration.

He'd compliment it, say it was a nice color and that they should change it to look like that some day. That they'd be such a good and strong person one day and even that he was proud of them. It gave them hope.

  "..Dad?" Rory asked, glancing over their shoulder at Arthur as he braided their hair. "Yes sunshine?" He asked, a light hum in his voice. "...Why do you hurt mom?" They asked, bracing themselves for any form of violent action.

Gaslighting: Gaslighting is a form of manipulation where the person tries to make you doubt your own perception of reality. They may deny things they've said or done, making you question your memory or sanity.

  "I don't know what you're talking about, I'd never hurt you or your mother sweetheart" He said, his voice light, almost innocent sounding. "You know that don't you? why don't I make you something to eat, what would you like?" He asked. Rory paused, turning and facing him again. "My friends say that their moms talk about how you hit her with a lot of things because you drink too much" They said.

Isolation: They may try to isolate you from friends and family, making you more dependent on them for emotional support and validation. This isolation can make it easier for them to manipulate you.

    "I don't think these are good friends for you to be hanging around, they're putting this false information in your head, how about I get you more books and you can spend more time reading than trusting liars" Arthur said, going to the kitchen and starting on food, humming as he did so. "..But you hit me too, this bruise is from last week" They said quietly after having followed him into the kitchen, watching him turn to face them and come closer, kneeling in front of them. Manipulative Pity: They might pretend to be in a constant state of distress or crisis, using your sympathy to manipulate you into doing what they want.    "Oh Sunshine, I'm so sorry, I've just been under so much stress recently with trying to get a new job....I don't mean to hurt you" Arthur said, tears forming in his eyes as he started to hug Rory. "I'm so sorry baby, I really didn't mean to, I'm just so stressed and I need to be able to get a job so I can give you and your mother a better life" He said.

And they believed it.

The hope disappeared slowly overtime, disappearing entirely on the evening of their fifteenth birthday.

Rory never got much on their past birthdays, a book here and there, they were always happy with what they got. But every year their mother, Eve, never failed to get them a new birthday outfit. This year it was a pretty knee length powder blue dress with ruffles towards the bottom and they wore their pair of black dress shoes. She did their hair up in a fishtail braid and added a blush pink bow to the end of the braid.

   "Look at you, absolutely gorgeous" Eve spoke, giving their child a kiss on the cheek. The faint purple of a bruise could slightly be seen through the makeup on her face, her ash blonde colored hair draped over her shoulders covering the bruises on her collarbone and neck. Her brown eyes withholding tears in them, breathing out she put a necklace around their neck, a pink seashell with beads on each side on a leather cord. "Perfect, now you're ready" She said. Rory stood from their place at the vanity, following their mother out to the dimly lit living area, seeing a table with a small cake with a singular candle wick in it. It burned brightly, and there was a gift on the table wrapped in paper.

They sat at the table, smiling at their mother as they unwrapped their gift, letting out a soft gasp when it was unwrapped. It was a leather bound book, upon opening it the pages were blank, it was a diary. "Oh...it's beautiful" They said softly. "Thank you mom-" They started, the door slamming open seconds later. The wind from outside blowing out the candle wick on the cake. It was Arthur standing in the doorway, very clearly intoxicated, it very quickly went quiet. 

Abusers may overreact for several reasons, and it's important to note that their behavior is not justified or acceptable. Overreactions are often a manipulation tactic and a form of control. 

    "Did I miss you singing happy birthday?" He asked, his words slurring from the content of alcohol in his body. "No, I was just about to sing" Eve spoke up timidly. Arthur nodded towards her, motioning for her to start before pausing. "Wait, the candle isn't lit, can't you do a single damn thing woman? its a fucking candle for a cake and you can't even light the fucking candle, what the hell is wrong with you? useless bitch" He said. 

"There's no need to overreact Arthur, it's Rory's birthday, I think you need to tell them something" Eve said. "I can react however I damn well please, and I don't need to tell her shit, I created her if anything I should be celebrated" He said. "Them, we talked about this, they don't like us using she or her, please don't disrespect their wishes Arthur...they're fifteen" She said. "Good! then I can go ahead and marry her off so she can stop wasting my time" He scowled. "Over my dead body you will" Eve said, gaining a bit of a back bone for once during the past fifteen years of her marriage. "She's my baby and you are not getting rid of her" She said.

Arthur went silent, sitting on the chair, avoiding eye contact. Eve cut him a piece of cake, bringing over a plate and handing it to him. "You know Eve, you really should be careful with the phrasing of your sentences" He said, grabbing the hand of hers that held the knife and twisting her wrist and grabbing it and stabbing her in the abdomen. After that first motion, he couldn't stop, he had dropped the plate and started stabbing erratically, all over here body. The blood soaking into the wood floor and her struggling to try and crawl away and failing as Arthur stabbed into her spine, stopping her ability to move her legs and she just let out weak cries and screams while reaching for Rory. Her child that stood only a few feet away, eyes wide in shock and unable to make a single noise or move a single inch as they watched their mother being butchered by the man who they used to call their father.

Control and Power: Abusers often seek to maintain control and dominance in their relationships. In some cases, killing or threatening to kill their victims can be seen as the ultimate way to exert power and instill fear.

Running was all they could do. Their heart was pounding loudly in their ears, feeling like it was about to jump out of their chest. Their breathing became shallow and rapid, it began to feel difficult to get air into their lungs, they collapsed to the floor behind their locked bedroom door. The faded echoing of slamming on the door. They felt hot and cold at the same time, and their chest felt like it was squeezing itself harshly, their hands were shaking. They felt nauseous and dizzy. They needed to move, they knew they needed to get out. They needed to run. They didn't know where to go, but they needed to run.

 Panic is often accompanied by an intense and irrational fear that can be triggered by a specific situation, object, thought, or physical sensation. This fear is out of proportion to the actual threat, and the individual may have difficulty explaining or rationalizing it.

They set their sights on the window in their room, they blinked but suddenly they thudded to the grass outside their bedroom window and then they were running. They spread their wings out of their back and tried taking off the ground, jumping, crying, unable to catch their breath. They heard a crash from inside the house and gave up and started running and didn't look back. They couldn't turn back, not now, not ever. Their mother was dead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please stay tuned for new chapters every other Sunday on Wattpad. This is a story based on my minecraft lore based SMP called Wisper SMP, streamed on twitch every other week, told from the perspective of the water goddex Rory and things that have happened in their life.

Wattpad

Thalassa

TW: Child abuse, Domestic Violence, Murder, Violence, Sexual Content Thalassa (/θəˈlæsə/; Greek: Θάλασσα, translit. Thá...

▀▄▀▄▀▄Their Warm Embrace▄▀▄▀▄▀ (𝚏𝚎𝚖!𝙼𝙲)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍: 𝚀𝚒𝚞/𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙱𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗 𝙾𝚙𝚊𝚕 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝙲 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 (𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙾𝙻:𝙽&𝙵)

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝:

Step 2, as the request says- so the main trio are all 14! I'm also going to take the insecurity part a bit further- so warning for that.

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗)

The sun was beaming down on the town of Golden Grove, most would see this as good- but for one girl in particular, it felt like irony. She was best friends with some of the prettiest people in Golden Grove, at least in her opinion- and yet as the sun shone brightly on the small town she felt...out of place. MC Second, that's the girl silently suffering from her own thoughts on herself- hiding behind a carefully crafted smile that's been almost perfected through her most recent years of life. Middle school was rough, it's when everyone started to develop physically and everything started to change from a happy, colorful, childhood day dream to a dusty gray, worrisome, life hazard. But like I said before- she had almost perfected that sunny sweet smile. Almost. Most people wouldn't be able to see past the blinding light of that smile, those who knew MC best- people such as Tamarack, Qiu, and her mother could see something was wrong. The three were worried for her, after all- even when asked she'd avoid the question and give them that sickeningly sweet smile, her own mask.

It had been around a week since MC had taken time to hang out with her friends outside of walking to and from school back to their homes in the cul-de-sac, or lunch periods- which they've even noticed she had been eating far less then usual, it only made them worry more. Autumn was the first to bring it up without MC around to her mom, seeing if she knew what was making their friend act so differently. Sadly, it was a dead end from her as well- Opal's work had been more demanding lately, resulting in her coming home late into the night.

When he had discussed it briefly with Tamarack, hoping he'd get something from her- but she also knew nothing due to being busy with strings practice. Soon they knew they'd have to take the initive and confront MC personally, and that's where we stand now. Autumn standing right outside his best friend's, and crush's, door- waiting for an answer after knocking.

(𝚀𝚒𝚞'𝚜 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎)

When I received no answer, my worry grew ten-fold. MC wasn't the type to not answer the door, hell they used to rush excitedly to open it- the memory made my cheeks warm slightly but I shook it off quickly. Now was not the time. "Luckily I know where the spare key is kept." I muttered to myself, quickly grabbing it- unlocking and opening the door as quietly as possible. I carefully closed the door behind me, being as quiet as possible as I slowly searched the house for MC. Once the first floor was cleared I headed for the stairs, before hearing a loud thump of something hitting the wall before clattering to the floor. I quickly rushed up to her room, hearing soft crying on the otherside of the door- cautiously I entered the room. The sight broke my heart. Seeing MC balled up in the smallest corner of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest and crying into herself- her room was a mess, old photos from before she moved torn to shreds and her phone on the ground. The screen was shattered, it must have been what hit the wall.

"MC? Hey- sorry for barging in, but... what's wrong?" I ask softly, taking off my blue plaid jacket- putting it on the floor as I slowly approached the bed, her gaze snapping up to meet mine. Her eyes were wide, red and puffy- she had been crying for awhile that much was obvious. "Q-Qiu! Oh- uh-" she said, wiping harshly at her eyes- trying to hide the evidence despite being caught. "I'm fine! Just...saw a sad ad for an animal shelter! Yeah..." she lied through her teeth, avoiding eye contact as I sat on the edge of her bed carefully.

"We both know that's not true. MC...what's really wrong? You've been acting strangly for awhile, but this last week- you've been so closed off from both me and Tamarack. Did we do something wrong, or did someone say something to you?" I asked, ready to track down whoever would dare to hurt my MC- er my best friend. Yeah. Best friend. Her eyes widened drastically before she jumped forward towards me a bit, quickly shutting down one thing I had said. "No! No. You and Tama did nothing wrong I swear- I just...." she cut herself off with a sigh, visibly deflating.

Carefully I reached out, gently grabbing her forearm- rubbing small circles into the skin. She offered me a small smile in return- forced but genuine. "Lately I've been feeling...insecure? I think that's the word for it- but it's not just insecure y'know? Everything seems to be so dull now, I just- I feel so out of place. I mean- it's like I'm on auto pilot, my mind is so foggy..." she explained, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes again. "Foggy?" I asked softly, slowly pulling her closer to me to wrap her in a small hug.

She nodded and leaned into my chest gently- she appeared fragile, ready to shatter at the slightest gust of wind from the wrong direction. "Like I'm viewing myself from outside of my body...I don't know it's hard to explain." she said softly as I gently fiddled with her hair, hoping it'd help her calm down a bit. "I get it, thank you for telling me- but why'd you hide this from me, Leafy, and your mom?" I asked carefully, noticing she stiffened slightly.

"I didn't want to be a burden..." she said softly- had we not been this close, which totally wasn't making my heart pound, I wouldn't of heard her at all. I wasn't going to have that- nobody, not even her, could speak that way about my best friend. "Now you listen here and you listen good, okay? You will never be a burden to any of us MC. You're important to all of us. You're the sturdy bridge that holds me and Tamarack together, and you hold me together as well. Always keeping an eye out for others yet never keeping one out for yourself. You are one of the kindest, beautiful, and self-less people I know MC." I said quickly without thinking, making eye contact with her to ensure she was listening- making sure she knew I meant it to the ends of the earth.

Her cheeks seemed to brighten in a pink hue, eyes fluttering as she stammered for words. I give her a soft smile, pulling her into a proper hug. "You mean the world to me MC. Never let yourself forget that, but if you do? I'll just keep reminding you, over and over again." I whispered softly, holding her tightly to my chest so she couldn't see how red my face or ears had gotten. Though I doubt she didn't hear my heart racing.

She started to shake and shiver before the damn in her eyes finally burst, crying into my sweater- sobs coming from her as she finally let it all out. Softly I smiled, glad to see she was letting it out now- no longer hiding behind that sticky sweet smile she wore so well as I gently traced shapes into the back of her shirt.

"And about those insecurities of yours? I'm going to show you that those kinds of thoughts are so incorrect that they defy all known logic." I say softly, but trying to make her laugh even just a bit- I was successful as she giggled lightly through her choked sobs.

"Oh yeah? How exactly are you gonna do that Autumn?" she asked, looking up from my chest with a smug smile- cheeks still damp from tears. "Well- what are you insecure about?" I ask returning the smug smile full force as my heart fluttered at the use of my nickname. She took a moment before looking down at herself, puffing her lips out a bit with a pout. "My looks mainly...I mean- you and Tama are so pretty and then there's just me. Average MC." she degraded herself- pinching and pulling at her skin. I grab her hand to stop her from contiuing to do so.

"Average?" I started with a chuckle, deciding to focus on being called pretty by my crush later. "MC you are far better than average! You may not see it but I do. Your eyes are so gentle yet whenever you are standing up for Tamarack or settling an arguement- the look of determination gives them this shine I swear the stars wish they could replicate it. And don't get me started on your hair! It's always so pretty! Even when it's a mess because of the humidity of spring or tangled because you just woke up- even then it's so soft and compliments your complextion as well as your stunning eyes!" I rambled, letting out every single detail I've noticed about them- it was natural.

(𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗)

Qiu continued to go down the list- naming the smallest things about MC and explaining why every part of them was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. They didn't even notice how long they'd been rambling until they heard a small embarassed whimper come from the very female he was praising for earnestly. That's when he saw just how red her face was and their's quickly began to glow an even brighter red. Both incredibly flustered for what Qiu had so shamelessly spewed on about- as if MC was a hyperfixation he just couldn't look away from.

From outside the door, Opal stood and watched the two fumble about- embarassed. She smiled softly, glad that her daughter was feeling better with Autumn's help- and proud of the selection of friends MC had made four years ago when they first moved here. Quietly she retreated to the kitchen, deciding to make something sweet both teens would enjoy to snack on after such an emotionally taxing day.

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