(37) "are you guys seeing this?"

How could they not?

It was huge, the size of a building, easily. All dark mass and dark eyes and… were those trees growing out of it?

“What do you think it is?” Marcy whispered from next to her.

Rui couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

It wasn’t really doing anything, regardless. Just meandering on through the forest, knocking trees back a little to make room for itself.

It wasn’t aggressive, that was… new. The smaller ones were annoying in that nature.

“Should we do something?” Marcy seemed a little wigged out by it, but Steve shook his head.

“No, not right now at least. It’s not that close to home, doesn’t seem like it’s- Rui!”

She’d vaulted out from behind the rock before they could stop her, quietly skittering down the hill. She needed to do something, be closer.

The other animals in the forest didn’t seem to be freaked out by the creature, either. The woods seemed as alive as usual, even though it was gently drizzling.

Marcy should be glad Rui’s getting more data on this thing, anyway. This is fine.

If it doesn’t attack her, that is.

It it attacks her, then she’s screwed.

She stopped just a few feet away from the new treeline, eyes widening again in awe.

It looked like the hill had decided to sprout legs and walk away. It looked as place in the woods, if one ignored the whole void-aspect look.

It was incredible and oh my God it’s looking at her.

There was a short moment of pure panic. Rui found herself reaching for a weapon before its eyes followed her movement and she froze.

The forest seemed to grow silent. Rui’s heart skipped a beat.

Then she noticed how warm the eyes looked.

It wasn’t some mindless creature like the ones she fought, it was something… different.

New.

“Rui!” Steve stumbled to a stop behind her. The creature looked at him, then in turn Marcy when she stopped farther away.

Silence reigned for a few seconds before it turned and continued on towards some unknown destination.

Rui looked at her friends, all teens wearing equally as surprised expressions.

“What… was that?” Steven asked.

“I don’t know.”

“And it didn’t attack you?” Marcy said.

Rui smiled. “Nope.”

---

Take a moment, remind yourself to

Take a moment and find yourself

(36) precious treasure

They were precious to her.

None were related to her by blood. A few grew up near her home, held some of the same values as her, but none were anywhere close to her age.

All the better: she could mother them without much complaint.

It was much more subtly with those that looked visibly older, but Layla didn’t mind. They were the last of their species, the last true Cattlayans in the universe, and they were all very important to her.

The children were the future of their race, and she would protect them. Teach them, guide them, help them grow. Scare away those that threatened them.

She never had a chance to have her own children, swept up as she was, away from her home and culture.

Layla knew they talked some behind her back, about how old she was, what she’s done, what she tends to do. Her methods and habits.

She doesn’t really care. It’s kind of amusing whenever they question her about her age, after all. She can feel how old she is, ultimately. She can feel it in her bones, see it in the tiny lines around her eyes. It didn’t show much, but the signs were still there.

She was old, unlike the others.

Things were different now for everyone. A mix of old and new culture, people trying to decipher who they were now that their home was destroyed.

The children of this era were given a baptism by fire, sometimes quite in the literal sense.

Layla tried to be there for that part, to prevent it if she could, but she was almost always there for the aftermath. The cold that seeped in and broke people from the inside out, tore them down to their very basic nature.

No one deserved that.

---

dOES IT FEEL

GOOD

KNOWING YOU TRIED,

KNOWING YOU’RE ALL THAT REMAINS i hate this part but im just gonna put it here for record purposes

(35) family

Marcy’s parents never spent much time with her.

They were too busy working, or going to parties for work, or going on business trips for work then staying there for a little rest and relaxation.

Although she was small and young, Marcy spent most days with her aunt and cousins. Never physically alone, but neglected all the same.

Her parents got her a dog when she got a little older, something to keep her company when she was without any other supervision. She named the dog Louie and quickly grew to love the companionship.

It might have said something that she was more comfortable with the dog than her parents.

In a way, her parents loved her. She was their only child, an engineering prodigy. Her parents were never reluctant to claim her when the opportunity arose, and yet… it rarely did. They never seemed to be around when it mattered.

Though Marcy craved for their attention, for the single good job, well done, for the sparing smile, she found support elsewhere. Rui took her in like a sister, Rui’s mother never turning her away. Even Steven’s siblings never blinked twice at Marcy’s presence.

It worked, for a time.

Then things started to change. She died, for one, gaining a little scar on her neck. It was easily hidden by a scarf, not that it would have been spotted in the first place.

Things got worse. She went missing for a week. Marcy’s friends worried, her robotics teacher worried, her dog worried, but her parents did not notice. They didn’t notice her absence, her prolonged silences, the ugly scars on her hands.

They weren’t even home when she got back.

Then the world ended and Marcy lost any chance of a normal relationship with them at all.

---

¯\_◔ ͜ʖ◔_/¯

(34) super nova

She popped back into the room with the smell of burning wood and ozone.

Scarlet's breath was loud in her ears, her heart thundering in her ribcage. She felt sticky, much too hot for comfort.

The bedroom was dark, the fireplace empty. It was maybe 2 in the morning. She was alone.

There was a note on the cork board by the door, written in blue ink.

"Out w/ Mar n Will :)

-Rui <3"

Looks like Scarlet was the first one back. Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, causing her hands to shake with worried fervor.

Everything was still too too too hot.

She took a cold shower, wetting her head quickly and cooling off before she slipped into bed and swiftly fell asleep.

---

Bird songs woke her up, from the tree outside the window. The comforter was too warm, jolting her upwards to kick off the covering. Images of solar flares and bright skies filled her vision, coming in intrusively before she was able to focus on reality again.

Cold air nipped at her bare feet. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She picked it up after a few seconds.

Chrys: Is it ok if I borrow ur jeep?

Scarlet: yeah, sure.

Scarlet: bring it back in 1 piece

She dressed in shorts and an open flannel, letting her hair wave about freely. A little too light for winter, maybe, but she’d be fine for now.

Steven and Gloss were in the kitchen.

"Hey, I didn't know you were back already." Steve said, plucking two pieces of toast out of the toaster.

Mmm. Too hot.

Scarlet nodded, going to grab orange juice from the fridge. "Got back last night."

"Welcome, traveler." Gloss mumbled out through a mouthful of sandwich. It looked like the blonde had tried to fit as much between two buns as humanly possible.

"Gloss, that's gross." Steve tutted.

"Eff off, little man."

Scarlet added ice cubes to her orange juice. If either of the other two kids noticed, they didn't say anything.

"Who has time for manners nowadays?" Gloss took another bite.

"Civilized people, apparently."

"You sound like Will. Scarlet, doesn't he sound like Will?" They both looked at her.

Scarlet smiled. "No, he does not have the accent."

Gloss looked scandalized, holding a hand over her heart. "You're supposed to support me here, girl!"

"Nah, don't do that." Steve sat down across from Gloss to eat his toast.

The two continued to bicker as Scarlet downed her glass. The cup felt cold in her hand, and she held onto that. The ice cubes chimes merrily.

She relaxed, if only a little bit.

---

I cant figure out how to end this so just take it already

Wrote this in july but didnt post until just now

(33) expectations

The halls were empty.

It was late, after all. Everyone else had gone to sleep. Even the servants were long gone, leaving her to walk the halls alone, but a whisper in the warm summer wind.

Aidan had said they would be all right, held her for hours, but she wasn’t… she wasn’t sure. She had a feeling. Extra guards were posted outside their wing, extra patrols around the island.

Yet inside, all was quiet. Even the waves were distant.

It was disconcerting.

Queen Marilyn tried to run there are quickly and quietly as she could, out of fear that something sat in the hallways. An assassin or a great lumbering beast, she wasn’t sure. The summer home was built with many windows and skylights, allowing the moon to touch every corner, but that didn’t account for the areas shrouded in curtain.

She knew when she was having a vision, knew when she was seeing into the future, but her abilities as a seer did next to nothing when it came to calming her anxiety.  

When Marilyn slipped into the nursery, the beach was only a bit more audible. It soothed her, if only a little, but that calm was instantly dashed away (dashed on the rocks like the prince's head would have been dashed) the second she saw how open the window was, how the curtains billowed in the open and how her son’s bed was empty.

The blind king blind king lead by his mother the second born son-

She fainted.

She saw a girl young too young her brains dashed on the ground a tower falling a sun covered by the moon a man executed a boy, Greg, staring on as brother was dragged away, a great beast with bright eyes and strong arms tearing away pillars like the castle was made of not marble but sand, they live in a sand castle bound to topple at any second a small girl a navy a crest of silver--

“Mari… Mari. You’re alright, it’s okay.” A hand brushed some hair away from her eyes. Aidan.

It was still night, still dark, but this time a guard stood by the door holding a glowstone lamp (commodity commodity commodity). Her husband (King Aidan the Ocean King King of thousands doomed fromthestart) was cradling her in his arms like one would a doll.

Marilyn focused on him-- his golden eyes, his lumpy nose, the little scar on his cheek. The whispers faded, if gradually.

“...Hi.” She rasped. Aidan’s shoulders visibly sank with relief.

“You scared me there, for a second.” he admitted, just as softly.

“I’m sorry.” She tried to smile.

“Mom.” The voice was small, scared. Out in the hallway, the crown prince hid behind another guard. He’d wrapped his chubby hands in the guard’s golden cape, afraid to step forward. The guard himself was kneeling, trying to comfort the two year old the best he could.

“Ronan.” Marilyn breathed. He was alright. He was--

Her throat caught at the memory of what she’d seen in the vision.

“Come here, honey.”

Slowly, Aidan helped her sit up a little more so she could hug their son.

The King knew enough to recognize that his wife was shaken by whatever had happened. Marilyn hugged Ronan with what strength she had left, burying her face in his curly head of hair, breathing in his smell. The child likewise melted at her touch, holding her tight.

For now, she was conforted.

It was Aidan who saw the thing standing in the corner of the room, empty eyes bright enough to sear into his memory forever.

Then he blinked, and it was gone.

---

I wrote this like… two weeks ago

(32) trust

Louie the dog was sitting on the lawn right in front of the kitchen window, enjoying the fair summer day with a smile. In fact, nothing could bring her from her joy. Not even, apparently, Mulder the bird landing on her back to chill as well.

Mulder, Steven’s weird zero-zone1 crow.

What… Huh?

Behind Rui, someone else walked in-- Luke.

The older girl turned quickly, hissing “Look at this.”

“Look at what?”

“Look!”

He, too, was befuddled by the coexistence of nature.

Mulder ruffled their wings, settling in a bit more. Louie continued to relax with a look of content on her face.

Rui and Luke were still staring, open mouthed, when Will meandered in to refill his mug with tea.

“What are you two sods staring at--”

“No, no, shh, look at this!” Rui grabbed him, much to his dislike.

“Hey fuck off--”

“Look at what Louie and Mulder are doing!” Luke exclaimed in a hushed tone, as if the two animals could hear him.

“So?”

“So, isn’t that a little weird?”

“I--” Will’s anger cooled, if only slightly. “Well. I mean, yeah. A little.”

He stayed to watch as well, if only a little sheepishly.

A few minutes passed by, and nothing happened. What the kids thought was going to happen was probably different for each of them, but they all stayed regardless.

“Whatchya guys doing?”

“Steven!!” Rui and Luke both turned with matched enthusiasm. Will took a sip of his tea, averting his gaze.

“...Why are you all staring out the window?”

“Louie and Mulder are both coexisting!” Luke said.

“Um… what?”

“Isn’t that weird?” Rui pulled Steve forward a little to get a better look, but Steve just looked puzzled.

“You haven’t seen them do that before? They do it all the time.”

Um. What. No?

At their confused silence, Steve continued. “You’ve seriously never seen them do that before?”

“...No?”

Steve shrugged. “Huh. Alright.” He walked away.

Will sniffed, bringing his cup up to his mouth and slinking away. His face was red. Rui and Luke just looked incredulous for a few more minutes, taking a few more glances out the window before they too wandered off.

---

1. I was trying to come up w/ different names for the weird space in-between dimensions and came up w/ the ‘zero zone.’ There are probs a lot of different terms tho, like slang n shit.

also. i THINK i edited this. I think.

(31) rain storm

He’d been there for too long, again.

It felt like he had sand in his eyes, and his back hurt. Gloss came and peeked in earlier, left a cup of coffee on the table for him to drink. He’d forgotten about it until it was too cold, but he still drank it anyway.

She looked so pale, just lying there.

Will felt like he couldn't blink too often, or else she’d disappear again.

He’d left his phone in his room, didn’t want to get it.  There wasn’t any clock in this room yet, so he didn’t know the exact time. It was early morning, that he knew. A storm had moved in a little while ago, and it was still raining.

The sheets on the bed were fresh, just recently cleaned, and she’d look as if she were sleeping if it weren’t for the oxygen mask on her face and the various tubes connected to her. The tubes keeping her alive, stable.

No heart monitor yet, but Artie had been reading up on the best ones.

Layla said they could all be self sufficient for a certain period of time, but she herself had only seen that once and wasn’t sure of the certain requirements for such a situation to take place. No one wanted to take any chances. This was a rare case.

Half of the time he just spent blankly sitting there, his mind clear of any thought or feeling, but the other half he spent replaying the events that lead them to this point.

The Change, finding her, losing her again.

The way she looked just… lying there. Why she was lying there. The…

...The way her brains looked splattered on the floor like that and Oh God Will you dumb motherfucker you could have stopped all of that why didn’t you you’re useless--

His breath caught.

The the rain thrummed on the rooftop. All else was silent.

He really needed to stop going there, mentally.

Focus on her. Study her face, how familiar it was. How it brought back waves of nostalgia.

He wasn’t going to let anything touch her ever again.

Will moved to drink from the coffee cup again before he remembered it was empty.

---

haha i wonder who that is

I dont wanna strinctly say b/c it’s a big part of the plot/will’s character arch in the final Story