[Chloro Smoke]

we are the lost and the silent    tags: Berwyn Rhodes Bianca Sabbato   WHERE THE SKIES END -- STARSET  outfit: As described words: 606/606 Two weeks. Two fucking weeks. Chloro had taken shelter in a rusted, abandoned garage for two god damn weeks. Her fears getting the better of her, causing her to disappear as she always used to. Her dorm room hadn't been touched in those two weeks besides the first day where she snuck in under the cover of night to retrieve all her tools and notes. She made sure no one noticed her, and she made sure no trace was left outside of a note for faculty to not "repo" her room essentially. She was coming back, she just wasn't sure as of when. Even then... she still wasn't sure she was gunna come back yet. She had let her friends down, and they no doubt hated her for it. That's how it's been, and how it'll always be. Now, she was paying the price for being so... weak. It was the first time in a very, very long time that she felt this way. Weak, unable, pathetic. She tried to do what she could, and yet it wasn't enough. It's never been enough. It wasn't years ago, it wasn't now. Chloro had spent the first few days of this disappearance debating what to actually do with herself. She managed to recover her bike and repaired it as much as possible, and that was really it. She spent the days walking around the city, sitting in different spots and watching. She watched so many people walk by, heard so many conversations and snippets of lives. Once these days of self loathing came to an end, she got to work. Gathering scrap metal, scrap electronics and stripping them for reusable parts and working on all sorts of conceptions and contraptions. She wanted to learn more about this, and if she was ever to even come close to being able to create a voice modulator that worked with her broken cords, just so she could even scrape by a normal conversation, it would make it all worth it. So far? Nothing. She procrastinated a few days with making a basic music system that she could connect her scroll to and play music out loud in a wider capacity which was nice. But her research and development of such a modulator? It wasn't going well. She needed better parts, more advanced parts. Today, she took to the streets for the first time in ages, and definitely not how most have seen her before. She was wearing some steampunk industrial goggles on her head, ready to slip over her eyes at any notice, with her signiture mask over her face. Down from there, it was a a loose tanktop and shorts as well as normal trainers but there were no rags this time. The rags that usually covered her arms and legs were primary to cover her scars and wounds from her past, but now she was wearing them as clear as day. It definitely drew attention she was finally comfortable with since her talk with Valeska and the fact her own injuries were out in the light. She didn't feel ashamed of them anymore. Her task today? Was to meet up with a contact she had established to find more high tech scraps. Stuff you could find in Atlesian junkyards. This guy had managed to secure a few bits and pieces and she would buy them off him. A totally legitimate deal. With this, the grenades and tools that Dust Ward Killer had, she should be able to create something with this. If anyone was trying to tail her, today was the chance. Lots of people had seen her now. ♚ Made by SYLVIA of SA and GS ♚

[Bianca Sabbato]

-You are making yourself too visible, asking too much, and offering too little in exchange... People may have noticed you already-

I heard the woman say. The informant, the eyes in the sky. The one we could always come to in case we needed to find something or someone inside the city... At least, for a price.

I scowled and shook my head from side to side. I didn’t actually care what some gangsters and lowly criminals could think of me. I would use them until they outlived their utility. After the fact, I couldn’t care less for their puny complaints.

-So? Send them my way, I can take care of myself. You know? It’s not as if...- I began, ready to go into a likely long tirade about how I didn’t give a fuck and how they were free to try and stop me if they had the guts to do so... But then she said something that made me stop right on my tracks like a truck hitting a stone wall.

-He asked me about you... He wants to see you. And I don’t know how much longer I can keep him in the dark-

Oh no... Oh no no no no... That couldn’t be. That wasn’t right! What did he want with me now? The band was dead and gone, it had been years and now I was a huntress. He was nothing but a shadow now. He didn’t matter anymore... He didn’t matter to me anymore... I... I wouldn’t let him, simply try and come back into my life.

The informant seemed to notice something was wrong, as she shoots a worried expression in my direction. I couldn’t let her see me like this, showing weakness only means someone else will come and take advantage of you. I needed to be strong, or at least pretend I was.

-You’ll see how you take care of that. It’s not my problem... Do as you see fit- I said, turning around al making to leave.

-Hey kid...-

She reached with her hand for my shoulder, a strange and downtrodden expression on her face. I caught a glimpse of it but shied away from the touch anyway. Skidding back a little to leave her hanging.

-I’m not a kid anymore... You people made sure of that- I said, and it was clear in the face of the woman that the words had hit her like knives digging into her body. Shaking her head, she put back her mask of neutrality and nodded in acceptance.

-That’s fair... Good luck then, Bianca- She said, and I turned around without deigning to give her a response. Simply throwing the Lien over the counter for her to pick up later. I had work to do, important people to look for. But...

-That was a lie...- I called out, not daring to turn around and face her as the words left my mouth. Not wanting her to see my facial expression, now as clear and unclouded as mountain water. Raw, pure, undiluted feeling.

-...What is it?-

-Could you... Could you tell him you don’t know where to find me? I could even pay you or...- I began, but she cut me off now, probably sensing in that fucked up mind of her, that she could score points with me by saving me the strife.

-There’s no need, Bianca. I will-

-… Thank you- I barked back, more as a formality than anything else.

..
…

The info seemed good... And she had always been a reliable source of info. Had many eyes on the street, many people that owed her favors by the mere virtue of always providing in quality and quantity. And of making no friends nor enemies among the gangs... At least, this was since ours collapsed years ago.

But all in all. I didn’t really have a reason to mistrust her word... But. I didn’t want to get my expectations high for the moment.

I still wouldn’t believe it until I saw her living and breathing. I followed the instructions to the last places she had supposedly been spotted. I found no clue of Chloro, but some people recalled seeing someone similar going around these past few days. Sometimes doing things as menial as sitting down to wait for the day to waste away.

I was about to give up for the day, assuming it was just stupid people being stupid, and reporting things that never happened in the first place... Until I finally saw her.

She was there, it was unmistakably her. She looked fine, healthy at least. And like she didn’t have anyone trailing her nor limiting her freedom in any way. To cut descriptions short, she looked just like her usual self. And I had to stop myself from choking on my own spit.

With shaky fingers. I grabbed my scroll, I had Berwyn in my quick contacts. I sent a single message to her, with my direction, and letting her know that I had found Chloro. I knew she was also looking by herself. So she probably wanted to talk to her as well.

But now, I was indecisive... Should I wait for my roomie to come before going in by myself? Or should I seize the opportunity and speak with her at once... I knew there was a chance I would lose her if I let her go. But even just knowing she was alive and well would do wonders to our anxiety regarding the mute girl.

That was probably the right thing to do. Let Chloro come to us eventually if she wanted, to do by herself whatever she had set off to do without telling anyone... Without even sending a message telling us she would be going away. Without caring in the least... About what we thought, or what we felt...

I knew I should have waited for Berwyn before confronting Chloro. It was the logical thing to do, to have someone who could balance my temper as of now, so I wouldn’t simply go there and rip her head from her neck.

But I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to wait. I couldn’t. I needed to go in there and tell her everything. How she was a bitch, how much she had made me worry, how fucking scared I was that something could have happened to her. How unimportant she made me and Berwyn feel, but mostly me.

I wasn’t thinking straight as I approached the girl in a crowded alley, I could have called out for her from afar, but I didn’t want to give Chloro a chance to run away again. So I approached as silently as I could, making my way between the people, some of them took to my rudeness with trying to complain and stop me in my tracks.

I silenced them with a mere gaze in the best cases, in the worst. I simply pushed them aside, no amount of resistance they could muster was enough to resist it, and that seemed enough to convince them that it wasn’t worth it.

Finally, I reached her. My hand went immediately for her wrist, closing on it with vice-like strength if Chloro didn’t manage to avoid it in time. Whatever the case, I would wait for her to turn around, being really careful to pay attention to her facial expressions.

I would simply stand there for a second, in silence. Shaking lightly with barely contained fury. This bitch, this stupid, imbecile, self-centered, naive, idiotic asshole... I had even begun to think she was dead, that she had somehow got herself killed the night we sought the dust ward killer.

I had begun to fault myself as well. To think that if I had spent the rest of that night checking on my companions, or killing more grimm instead of chasing shadows in a sewer, maybe Chloro would be alright...

But she was alright, she was right here, in front of me. Strutting through the streets dressed like a whore like it was no-one's business. While Berwyn and I were looking all over for her, worried sick.

I didn’t care to hide away the tears forming in my eyes, she had hurt me by disappearing all of a sudden. She needed to see it. I needed her to see it while she was still around. To convince her to come back, or at least to let her see the consequences of her leaving if she so decided... I wanted to hit her, to shout at her, and drag her ass back to Haven... But I couldn’t, I needed to give her a chance, to explain herself, to give me the reason. Any reason.

-Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you talk to us? Aren’t we important enough? Answer. Now-

And if we weren’t... Well... There was nothing I could do about it, but I wanted to know it. So I would stop treating our relationship as more than what it really was.

---

1504 / 1504 Words

[Chloro Smoke]

we are the lost and the silent    tags: Berwyn Rhodes Bianca Sabbato   WHERE THE SKIES END -- STARSET  outfit: As described words: 556/1162 Thank god. The drop had been set in the right spot her contact had informed her about. Checking over the contents, she could definitely mess around with all this tech and figure more out with it. And as well, it was a full delivery too. Looking up from her spot and gazing around, she couldn't see her contact but she knew he was near and watching. Someone who was better at blending in compared to her, which was rare as all hell. However, she started feeling a sense of unease wash over her. She felt something was off, like not only was there one pair of eyes on her... there was two. Three, four. She suddenly began to feel very off and wanted to be gone quickly. As she knelt down to grab her newly acquired scrap, her wrist was gripped, tight. It made her jump slightly, but she had things kept on her to deal with assailants. In one swift fell motion, she tore out a small knife from her waistband and spun, intending to drive the blade into the assailant's shoulder, in the hopes to dislodge something. As she spun around and the blade came from above, her eyes widened as she diverted the blades path to miss, just by inches before she would sort of drop the knife. Why was Bianca gripping her wrist in the middle of an alleyway. Why was Bianca here. Why had she been found by the people that were supposed to hate her. Her face sort of twisted with confusion before her eyes narrowed at Bianca, but less of a threatening way, more of a confused way. Just why would she be here? Bianca demanded answers apparently though. Like she would know how hard it was to just leave. Taking a deep breath, she would pull her wrist free from the grip before looking around, and picking up the bags by her feet. Holding one out to Bianca, she would also beckon her to follow. If she was here to drag her ass back to Haven, she can make herself fucking useful. If Bianca took the bags, getting back to her hovel wouldn't take all too long. She would take them through the small hidden routes that even Bianca didn't know existed, which would cut the trip down in time considerably. If she didn't take the bags? It'd take a bit longer. Once at her hovel though, she would use her semblance to unlock the garage door and slide it open, gesturing Bianca in first before closing it again. Answers is what she wanted, so answers is what she can have. Taking a notepad and pen, she would start writing a short statement before handing it over. "Why would you want to talk to someone pathetic and weak, who constantly lets you down. Was a matter of time before you left me anyway." Chloro had folded her arms as she learned against her workbench. Random scraps of metal littered the room they were in, her bike would be suspended from the air so Chloro was headheight with the engine block. Small inventions lay wasted on the floor and multiple sheets of paper with drafts and designs of all sorts of contraptions and mechinations dot the walls, whilst the biggest remained above Chloro's head, with bold words "Voice Transmutator". ♚ Made by SYLVIA of SA and GS ♚

[Bianca Sabbato]

I noticed in the edge of my vision how Chloro’s knife shot straight to my shoulder, but that held no interest to me. I knew she would stop before hurting me, she probably had a better reaction time than most people on this planet, and even a regular person would be able to stop themselves before stabbing someone they knew...

At least, I hoped Chloro didn’t truly want to hurt me once she noticed who I was. And I was just mildly relieved to see that this was the case. I was expecting it, after all.

She then gave me a weirded-out look. Like as she didn’t understand what was going on. Even though I believed I had been quite clear about my intentions when I grabbed her wrist. Whatever the case, she freed herself from my grasp and handed me a bag of some sort. Arching an eyebrow, I accepted it and began following her lead.

Wherever she was taking me, I figured out it was a place where we could talk in peace for a while. And after a couple roundabouts and alleys, we finally arrived at our destination.

The place looked like a workshop of some kind. Absolutely packed with mechanical knickknacks and miscellaneous artifacts. On the side, I could see a big motorcycle suspended in the air, likely the one that was totaled during the whole ordeal with the Dust Ward Killer.

Then she handed me over a small paper with some writing on it, and I had to re-read it multiple times to fully understand what Chloro was telling me... What the fuck was this? It came out of fucking nowhere! She was feeling like I was going to leave her? Why the hell would I do that?

I didn’t understand. And that kinda hurt me. I didn’t hate Chloro, of course. But that didn’t stop me from being understandably angry at her... I mean... I was trying to make sure Chloro felt as comfortable as she could at Haven... Right?

Except, maybe I wasn't... Now that she mentioned it, I could definitely see why would she feel that way. Like I believed her to be weak and nothing more than a liability... I just... I didn’t want her to get hurt. But now I could see how she may have taken that as a personal attack.

Drawing a deep breath. I returned the paper to Chloro. Pretty much as an excuse to get a little closer to her in every sense of the word. After a small pause to collect my thoughts, I began to talk.

-I’m more upset by you leaving without any warning than by anything you put on this paper... But that’s all, I’m mad at you, but I don’t hate you. So I would appreciate it if you didn’t get so defensive with me-

I called out to her body language. As much as I was at fault for this. She also didn’t get to get all pissy and irritated with me for coming here to confront her. I didn’t even know if she was alive or dead. So she was absolutely guilty of not even trying to get in contact with me after all this time.

-And what do you mean by this? That you always let me down? I don’t remember anything like that happening... And about you being pathetic, or weak... I see why it may have felt this way, with how I was treating you with regards to our idea of doing missions together...-

I admitted, with no short supply of shame on my voice, but I still stood my ground. We both had fucked up, so now we were going to fix it, and go back to Haven and to friendly terms and shit. If I had to admit my own mistakes for that to happen, then it was more than worthy.

-But... I just want you to know that this is not the case. It’s just that... Hell, I dunno. I guess I’m just like that. I get too fucking overprotective, and you were new to Haven, so I didn’t know exactly where you fell and how much risk I could expose you to. Why do you think I haven't made any plans to do missions with Berwyn even though we live together?-

I asked out with a tired laugh and the barest hint of a humorous smile on my face. Yep, as much as I liked the big B. I was not willing to risk her following me where I needed to go. Kishka I would, because she was stronger than me and similar in that regard, I liked to think. Argent maybe, because we had been forced to work together in the past and I intrinsically trusted him.

Anyone else? The people who I wasn’t sure I could save if I fucked up again and risked their lives? Shit, I wouldn’t even have agreed to missions with Chloro if not for the fact that I had the certainty that she would have found her way around them anyway.

-But then again, that is patronizing as fuck on my part... I know it. And I apologize-

At this point, I would try to get a little closer to the girl, see if she was willing to open herself a little more to me. If it was clear I was putting her in a rough spot, I would relent and let her have her space.

If the girl was really feeling that way, it was probably something that needed to be addressed... And I couldn’t help but think how sad it would sound if she didn’t have anyone else to talk things through with. I didn’t know if it was what she needed at that moment, but I wanted to let her know that the possibility was always there, if she wanted.

-Chloro, do you really believe any of this crap?... Not that others think of you this way. I’m asking if you think any of this is true yourself-

---

1006 / 2510 Words

[Chloro Smoke]

we are the lost and the silent    tags: Berwyn Rhodes Bianca Sabbato   WHERE THE SKIES END -- STARSET  outfit: As described words: 472/1634 She wasn't sure how this was going to go down, but once Bianca opened her mouth, she laid out all that was concerning her. She was mad that Chloro disappeared without notice, and whilst that was true... it wasn't okay on her part to do that and make them worry for so long. That wasn't her concern though. As Bianca continued to speak out her worries and concerns, even to start approaching her to try and comfort her maybe, she tensed up instinctively for a split second before relaxing. She was a friend, and she had come all this way to find her. She owed her to hear her out at least. However, she wasn't getting it. She seemed to have forgotten. As Chloro got closer to Bianca, her memories of her came back more and more, and she was remembering alot of what happened in her first few years of her old homeless life. She clenched her fists lightly before taking out a pen and notepad again to communicate. She needed to make Bianca realise. Realise why she was like this. All the pain she's been through before. Why she was so distrustful to begin with. "You're not getting it Bianca. I let down my old friends before getting to Mistral and they left me. I let down newer friends during my years of being homeless and they left me. I let YOU down once already, and you disappeared for a month. What else am I supposed to believe? Every scar, every aching memory and pained nightmare is about those that left me because I was not good enough. It makes me sick, I am sick and withering away as it is. I'm tired, I've been trying to win back what I've lost over and over and over again, but I fuck it up every single time. No one was time for a waste like me. I'm sick Bianca. I'm sick, tired and alone, yet my mind tells me everyone is out to get me. I want to feel better, I want to become better, but I don't have anything to fight for. It's all so temporary for me. Friendship, romance, love..." She would stop, her hands trembling as it was coming to the first time she ever really accepted this part of herself. If Bianca was looking at the page, the word "family" would be in the messiest handwriting she's even scribbled in. For once, since she was young and fresh to the streets, her eyes filled with tears. Years of anguish, exhaustion and defeat threatening to break everything she had built up. She would toss the notepad at Bianca before pulling herself onto her workbench and curling up slightly, her breathing becoming raggedy and light as she tried to control the overwhelming emotions she kept under lock and key. ♚ Made by SYLVIA of SA and GS ♚

[Bianca Sabbato]

When Chloro didn’t shy away. I dared inch a little closer to her, to at least let her know that I had her back for the moment. I was about to put my hand on her shoulder when I noticed her began moving and taking her notepad to scribble some quick words.

I watched in silence as she finished up her writing. Realizing how upset she looked as she kept pouring her thoughts into words on the paper. Getting a little more agitated and distressed with every passing second and letter running down the note. I tried to reach for her, but she threw the note in my direction and bent over her workbench.

She looked... Sad, really sad. Tentatively, I held the notepad up to eye level and began scanning the content of the note with a feeling of dread pooling in my stomach. Once I reached the accursed word, I slowly set the paper down, closing my eyes and trying as best as I could to suppress a wave of negative emotions already threatening to take hold of my mind. Until I couldn’t hold it anymore.

So many things, so much crap that I had bottled up about my own past. It was not the same, of course, but I felt like I could relate to so much of what Chloro was experiencing. Loss, loneliness, feeling like you should have done something else when you had no way of knowing what would happen.

-You were ten... Chloro...- I finally rasped out, as I felt a streak of tears dangerously close to slipping down my cheeks. I held them back because of course, I did. That was my gig, after all. It was what I used to avoid facing those shitty emotions.

-You cannot blame yourself for what happened... Y-you were ten... You had no obligation of doing anything...- I said, trembling a little myself. And I knew, deep down, that I was one of the persons who had betrayed her just as much as everybody else.

-You didn’t let me down, nor are you at fault for me leaving... That’s all on me... That’s... That’s my fault-

I was stolen from everything I knew, left so empty I needed something to fill the void, I needed something to believe in, but I didn’t know how to properly fill myself again, so I poured so much shit inside of me...
Where I went, I didn’t want Chloro to follow. I was small, but I was not stupid. I knew what I was doing, and I fully accepted it. Before plunging myself headfirst into it.

-All my life, people have let me down too, the ones who I loved the most always abandoned me... If anything... Chloro, you are one of the few people who have not let me down. You know? It may not seem that important, but it is to me... I don’t want you to feel like a waste-

I knew Chloro had all the right in the world to feel that way. Like everybody was against her, like she was worthless, a waste of space... It was logical, and that was the problem... Horrible, horrible things happened, and they happened for no reason whatsoever. But you could not be at peace with that, so you searched for an answer, and having no one around to blame, you ended up blaming yourself. After all, if bad shit kept happening to you, then you must be the common denominator for it.

But sometimes... Life was way simpler than that. Sometimes your life got ruined and it meant shit. As special and meaningful as a coin that falls on heads when your money was on tails. Walking towards Chloro, I stood directly behind her. I was thankful that she couldn’t see the expression on my face.

-And that which you lost? I’m sorry but... That’s not coming back, Chloro. Ever... I tried. But it’s impossible... We ain’t getting that back... I did many things I regret to try and get that back... I let you down in the process, and still accomplished nothing...-

Family. Chloro missed them, they were so dear to her... While I... I hate them... I couldn’t understand... Even now that I was older I still doubted I could ever forgive them...

But... I still missed them. For some damn reason, I still daydreamed sometimes, of they coming to wake me up and tell me it had all only been a nightmare... But dreams won’t fill your belly, and dreams won’t fill your soul either.

-Of course, you feel like this... It’s everything you know. No one will blame you for feeling this way. It is okay to miss them, it is okay to feel like you messed things up, but please don’t say that you are a failure!-

Unable to hold it back any longer, I stepped forward and almost collapsed on Chloro’s back. Hugging her from behind and not letting go no matter how much she wriggled and protested.

-Back then, when we first met... I was meaning to ask you something... Something I didn’t get to ask because I was a fool and a coward... But, I’d like to try again...-

No, you could not regain what you lost. You could not turn back time and make things different. The only thing at our reach was to try and make the best of what time we had left in our life. Chloro was a good girl, she was bright and kind. Even if she had a hard time realizing it, I would not let her wither away alone.

I simply didn’t want Chloro to suffer in silence. I wanted to be there for her, I wanted someday to feel confident enough for her to be there for me as well... What I wanted of her...

-Chloro... Do you wanna be my friend?-

I was getting flashbacks, memories still too fresh from the night I spent in Ryan’s room. Uttering the exact same words. Wishing and waiting for a response that only came punctuated with the roar of a gun.

I was feeling desperate because I didn’t know what to do to make Chloro stay with me, just like I hadn’t been able to do with Ryan. Nor anyone else in my life.

But then again, that was just the past...

-Just... Stop playing the thought girl and fucking cry already! So I can cry as well...-

It was late, due eight years at least. But I felt like this was time to set things straight, to properly do what we should have done so long ago. What I should have done from the start.

---

1111 / 3621 Words.

[Chloro Smoke]

we are the lost and the silent    tags: Berwyn Rhodes Bianca Sabbato   WHERE THE SKIES END -- STARSET  outfit: As described words: 417/2051 It was becoming too real too quick, and there was nothing Chloro could do to stop the inevitable. It had been locked away for so many years, but today was the day. Walls were crumbling, memories were flooding back and those long lost feelings were making their way to the top. Her memories of her old family, mama and papa, came back. The village was so lively, so free, and so far from the conflict happening around them. Then her newer family, the one that ran away and made haste for Mistral. Ben, Frankie, Alicia, Maeve, and of course Misha. Her childhood love, crush or whatever. That soon faded to dust, all because she couldn't save them back then. It made Chloro tense up, and whilst she listened to Bianca try to consol her, her memories didn't relent. Then Bianca asked that crucial question. It made Chloro freeze, as some tears dropped from her face as she slowly stood up straight, a bit shaky if anything. Her head turned to the side as she nodded, before she turned fully and hugging Bianca tight, burying her face into her shoulder as the flood gates opened. It made short work of soaking Bianca's shoulder as she quietly sobbed, with choked noises and a shaking body. It was too much, this was the kindness shown only by those that were exceptionally close, and who else better than Bianca? They had known and worked together for so many years, and even if Bianca joined Garrik and his goons, she still held a special place beside her... even if she never made it known. Her hands gripped onto whatever Bianca was wearing as she sobbed and weeped like a ten year old girl again. For those moments, she wasn't the 18 year old student. She wasn't Chloro, the one who helps the poor. She wasn't Chloro the grand thief. She was just a 10 year old girl again. So much of her growth had stopped then, and now it was time to start growing again. Time to become better, and the first step was accepting everything. Bianca was right. No amount of work would ever bring them back. But she still could honour them, especially Misha. She owed it to her at the very least. She kept close to Bianca as she cried all she could, making sure to get it all over and done with, so she can continued with her work and rebuilding the relationship she had damaged so easily. ♚ Made by SYLVIA of SA and GS ♚

[Bianca Sabbato]

I watched Chloro, as the walls around her slowly began to crumble since this whole situation probably stirred feelings inside of her that were likely barely contained in her day-to-day life... Which was good, I wasn’t trying to make Chloro feel better, that wasn’t something that a person could achieve with a few encouraging words. I just... I just wanted her to realize that it was alright to feel bad. That it didn’t make her a bad person.

Anxiously, I waited for Chloro’s response. I really wanted her to say yes, but if she didn’t felt that way, I would respect that... It didn’t mean I would think less of her or stop trying to help her. But I still hoped she would accept me nonetheless.

I didn’t notice the tears running down my cheeks until Chloro finally responded with a silent nod. Before she turned around and hugged me fully. Closing my eyes, I accepted the embrace with all the sincerity it deserved. Holding her tightly. I let myself cry on her shoulder as well... She was making a mess of herself, and of me...

It made me so happy for a second... I know it’s fucked up, that those tears were the byproduct of years of suffering but... but I didn’t know if she had a chance to do something like this before... It was bittersweet. But maybe it was something that needed to be done.

Such sincerity on her part, there was no falsehood, nor trickery in her tears. I could not allow it to be in mine. So I let loose, I cried as well, ugly tears while rasping for air. Holding her tightly, she needed me, I needed her... It had all been so... So fucking shitty... Why? We were only kids who never hurt anyone... What did we do to deserve everything that happened? Why did it have to happen?

Why, why, why... I asked this to myself a million times. I would have taken any answer, I did, actually. That it was my fault for being a bad daughter, that something in my nature made me deserving of it, or that it was a test by fate to see how much it took for me to break.

But those were lies I told myself. The truth? I didn’t know... Probably there was no reason at all... And that sucked... And maybe allowing myself to recognize that didn’t immediately make me evil. I had the things I know I did to feel ashamed of, and I was certain that I needed to try and compensate for them as best as I could... But maybe that didn’t mean I should beat myself for things that... That...

...That were not my fault.

I gently started rocking Chloro, closing my eyes and just enjoying her presence near me until a sudden fit of coughing forced me to separate for a second.

I took the chance to give a proper look to Chloro, even behind all the grime and tears. I could still see something beautiful in her. Something that transcended everything else. Raising my hand towards her face, I did my best to try and dry away her tears as I stared deeply into her eyes, mine being likely as red and watery as hers.

-The worse, It passed... This, It will pass... Everything changes... It’s up to us to decide what it becomes...-

After the fact, I felt like words would just be valueless filler. I merely remained by her side for as long as we needed. Until it became clear that it had been enough for the moment. Doing my best to smile at Chloro, I took a small look around her workshop.

A voice transmutator... It made me happy to see she was working in something like that. That sounded like a lofty goal. It would help a lot of people if she managed to develop something like that. And of course, it would help Chloro as well, nothing wrong with that. The people who believed doing something harmless for your own betterment was a selfish act, they were persons who never truly needed anything in life.

After admiring her work for a while. I turned back to the girl.

-Chloro I... Look. If you really feel like you’d be better leaving Haven. I will respect your decision- It would still hurt, but that was not something she needed to worry herself with just now. The very last thing I wanted was to manipulate her into doing what suited me best. -But I don’t want you leaving for the wrong reasons... Neither Berwyn nor I believe that you are a failure. And I’m sure other people at Haven would think the same if they got to know you...-

I honestly was worried about the girl, the idea of something happening to her terrified me. And I knew that I was awful for wanting to keep her by my side to protect her like she was a baby instead of the capable woman she was. And this was my defect, I would not let it affect Chloro if I could help it.

-If you need time, that’s more than fine. But this is an important decisión, okay? So I think you should think this through before taking it hastily- I asked with as good of a neutral expression as I could muster, reaching for the notebook and placing it in her hands again. It was on her to decide what she would do with it, with all of this.

---

924 / 4545 Words

[Wolfe]

XP Distribution:

Bianca: 45

424 + 45 = 469

Chloro: 20

261 + 20 = 281