"I…"
I can't do this.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "IstoleBen'sphonesoIcouldgetDio'snumberandtexthim."
Miki laughed and slapped her thigh. "I'm gonna like fake my own death at fifty and when you come to the funeral to gloat I'm gonna get up out of the coffin and be like 'haha just kidding' and live for another twenty years."
group
Kissa glares and forces her over with a sudden strong wind. “How do you like that, b-“
Gabriel grabs her arm, “Kissa!”
Violet furrows her brow and she turns her head to look at Sil. “I really didn’t catch that.”
Miki scrambled back to her feet, still laughing, and backed toward the backdoor. "Sorry, Gabriel, you should hit me too if that's what you do to jerks." She opened the door and blew Kissa a kiss. "I love you too, Kissa!" And then dashed outside. As she ran past Cage she said, "Bye, I'm going to live in the woods for a week!"
Silver covered her face with her hands. "Nevermind. It's fine. I promise. I'm sorry. It's nothing."
group
Violet scoots back a little so she can see her face better. “No, no. I caught something about Ben’s phone and… Dio?”
Youve got to be kidding me.
They watch her as she leaves, but as soon as she’s out the door, Kissa tries to yank her arm from Gabriel with no avail.
“Let go of me! You’re so freaking controlling now days! Just leave me alo-!” Her last words reach a high pitch shriek before he covers her mouth with his other hand. He shoves her against the wall, tightening the grip on her arm.
“Listen,” he hisses between gritted teeth. “If I didn’t watch you, you would burn this place down and these people. I know you kiss. I know you could take them. The moment you’re out of line is the moment I’ll have you pinned again, you hear?”
She tries to bite his hand but can’t and starts to shriek even though it’s muffled by his hand. Her face turns red with anger and a few tears streak down her face from frustration.
After she stops struggling, closes her eyes and relaxes, he lets her go. She rubs her arm and stares at the ground.
“I couldn’t take you all.” She admits quietly. “Not you, Ben and Silver together. Not if I wanted to.”
He takes a step back with a glare. “Good.”
Ben watches Miki run past and Cage doesn’t even bother to look, the heels of his hands rubbing at his eyes.
Silver cleared her throat. "I gave it back. He doesn't know." She looked up at Vi, her face turning pale. "Please don't tell Ben. Please, Violet."
Miki reached the treeline before she stopped running, and flung herself down on the grass, panting for breath.
group
“Wait, so you took his phone and contacted Dio?”
Oh goodness, this isn’t half as bad as I thought it was gonna be.
She relaxes a little.
I can live with this.
Silver grimaced, slamming her eyes shut. "…yes."
group
She purses her lips. “That’s all? Nothing else?”
Somehow I feel like I’m missing something.
Silver took a deep breath, eyes still closed. "We… he called me. On the phone. We talked."
group
She slowly nods. “Besides the fact that you wrongly used Ben’s phone, when you could’ve just waited and asked to borrow mine, why do you feel so bad?”
Silver froze for a moment, and then slowly looked up at Vi. "Wait… really? I thought you would get me in trouble for contacting him."
group
Violet gives a soft chuckle. “No, Love. As long as you’re not giving out very personal information or inviting him over, or something equally preposterous, I wouldn’t care.” She smiles, “I trust you.”
Silver stared at Violet in something a kin to horror. "You… what?"
I don't even trust me. You definitely shouldn't, Vi.
group
She ruffles Silvers hair a little. “I trust you to be safe. You’re an adult and you know what you should and shouldn’t do. I trust you to make the right decisions.”
Silver swallowed. "Oh. Um. Thanks." She looked down at the floor. "I didn't think you did."
What kind of adult has to live in hiding and never go in public.
I don't know how to adult or make good decisions.
group
Violet watches, a little unsure of herself for a moment, feeling as if the conversation wasn’t over and the issue not resolved.
Its fine. I’m sure it’s all fine.
She stands, dusting herself off. “You can stay in here till you’re ready to come back out.”
"Okay." Silver picked at her food again, Violet's words repeating over and over in her head.
"I trust you."
"I would have let you contact him."
"I trust you to be safe."
"As long as you don't invite him over or-"
Silver felt the color drain from her face again.
Vi, I'm so sorry.
group
Violet heads down stairs with a sigh, finding the living room empty and silent. She blinks.
And today started so well too.
She rubs her forehead and starts to put the food away.
The back door opens and Ben walks in, Cage trailing behind him.
“Is Silver alright?”
She shrugs. “I honestly don’t feel like I helped at all.”
He sighs and comes up behind her, giving her a hug from behind.
“Let her think this one out, Baby. She’ll be fine.”
Silver somehow choked down the rest of her food and crept out of Violet's room. She stood at the end of the hall, out of sight from the kitchen, and floated her plate to rest on the top of the stairs where Ben or Violet would find it, and then she scrambled up into the attic and curled up in her hidey corner.
Miki peeked her head in the back door, glancing around cautiously. "Well, I forgot I need some supplies if I'm gonna live in the woods so… does anyone know where Kissa is?"
group
Violet and Ben ignore Miki, talking in hushed voices in the kitchen. Cage flops on the couch and stares at the ground.
Shes mad at me.
Is this how Ben feels all the time? Since she’s always mad at him?
I don’t really know how to resolve it.
Miki slowly shut the door behind her and crept over to the couch, sitting down on the floor beside it. "Hey, kid."
group
“Why is Silver always so complicated. She’s really hard to ever please.” He quietly admits.
Miki nodded, crossing her arms over her drawn up knees and laying her cheek on her arms, watching him. "Yeah. She's a cranky bean. She wasn't usually this uptight before… before she was taken. She was always more anxious and worrisome than I was, but then again, I had to be the strong one for her. It was hard for me to get used to this version of her, but I just kept reminding myself that I loved her and I fought so hard to find her and I was glad to have her back, no matter what junk or challenges she came with." she shrugged. "I'm sorry. It does bother me when she's upset at me, I just… try to let it go." she reached over and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry about her, kid. She's not truly mad at you, I promise. It was mostly just me."
group
He sighs. “It didn’t feel like it was just you.” He stands and heads upstairs, closing his bedroom door behind him and laying on his bed.
Ben and Vi watch him retreat to upstairs. Violet sinks into Ben’s arm with a sigh. “And today started out so lovely. You even woke up in a good mood.”
He smiles. “Mm, nobody else did.”
Miki sighed and flopped onto the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Dang it, Sil.
I can't even properly be mad at you because I know I deserve it.
group
(Time skip to tomorrow night)(it’s like 10pm since it takes a little while to get to Ben’s house for Dio)
Ryder runs a hand through his hair, pulling it back into a man bun and flashing Lackey a charming smile. “Bet you can’t do that with your hair, Vamp.”
-
Cage sits on the bottom of the stairs with his DS, disguising his excitement of seeing Dio again as excitement to actually defeat a few levels for once.
Ben runs a hand through his hair, pulling it up before starting the dishes. Silver hadn’t talked to him. Actually, he hadn’t really seen her at all. And Gabriel was invisible 24/7.
Kissa glares up at when Ben assumes to be Gabriel glowering about her.
Ack, what’s wrong with those two?
Lackey gave Ryder something close to a disgusted look. My curls are just fine the way they are. Werewolf.
"Help." Dio said, nearly stumbling down the stairs in enough layers of clothing to make him look fat. He almost tripped on another cloak he held, which he handed to Lackey once he reached the bottom. Lackey indulged him and swung it around him, adjusting it over his suit and coat and fastening it under his chin.
–
Silver sat on the roof, balancing on a thin section just outside one of the upstairs windows, facing the backyard. Less than an hour.
Miki lay flopped on the couch, scrolling her phone and trying to look bored, when in reality she wanted to scream with excitement.
group
Ryder raises his eyebrows, looking over Dio. “You know, for a little while I thought you were joking about going. But now I see you’ve finally got some guts.” He puts his hands on his hips and gives a small nod. “I approve. You taking this kid with you?” He asks, pointing at Lackey with his thumb.
-
Ben finishes the dishes, wiping his hands dry, and turns around to lean on the counter and look over the room for a second.
Mm. Something is off. Maybe it’s because Sil isn’t out here again.
He shakes his head with a sigh and starts up the stairs.
“I’m going to bed. You kids better be in bed soon.”
Cage smiles and waves to him. “Alright!”
Dio frowned up at him, confused. "Yes, of course I'm going. I want to make sure those children are actually alright. And…" he grimaced, as if guilty. "Benjamin probably won't invite me back over for a while and… I don't want to wait that long." he trotted into the kitchen and surveyed the pantry. "Should I bring them snacks?"
Lackey followed him, glancing at Ryder over his shoulder. Of course I'm going. Someone needs to keep an eye on him.
–
Miki gave him a thumbs up without looking up from her phone. "Sure thing! Night y'all."
group
Ben stops at the balcony to give them a once over, but turns back to go to his room.
Everything's fine. I just need some sleep.
(Vi is offscreen because she’s currently showering and then going to bed)
-
Ryder chuckles/snorts. “How horrible was your visit? What’s with the guy?” Not expecting an answer, he shakes his head and grabs himself a few fruits from the counter and heads to the couch.
“I’ll be here when you get back! I hope you come back in one piece!”
