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The Preserve, Wednesday Early Evening

Today… today was something and Karina was blaming the island. It was the only reason she had for, when her manager had asked her how she was doing, she'd gone off into a tirade about all the petty, niggling little things that had been bugging her.

Karina was pretty sure he was never going to ask her how she was doing ever again.

Once she'd gotten off the phone with him, Karina had talked to herself (feeling like a total loser) long enough to get a grasp on what the hell was going on. Truth. Whenever she tried to lie, she couldn't.

Worse, it was like she couldn't shut up about the truth.

After getting tired of hiding in her room, Karina had made it to the Perk, gotten a hot chocolate (snapping at the barista about how it wasn't a nice day and no thanks for asking), and from there had decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

It was tempting to head off to the mainland but Karina didn't really want to tell strangers her truths any more than she wanted to tell… well, anyone else. So she headed to the preserve instead.

If she said anything, it would be to the teal deer, and that was way less damaging than all the other options. After all, it wasn’t like they could talk.

… Right?

Oh god, what if they did?

Karina decided that, even if the deer could, it was better than, like, her classmates. The preserve was a sanctuary.

Okay, truth compelled her to concede it was really a hiding spot. Shut up.

[Open, sure!]

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Karina really wasn't the only one who was thinking that way, today. Sparkle was in a bit of a mood, himself. Sure, he didn't have classes or anything, and so not running around and telling his classmates all about his actual sob-story wasn't something that was going to happen, but he did have a baby panther in his possession who also happened to be the guy he was kind of dating, and the last thing he wanted was to spend his day telling Alec all about how scared he was of commitment, and how he was certain he was going to just be left behind after graduation and he was cool with that, he was trying not to get attached or anything anyhow, and--

He'd left out extra food and toys for Alec in his room, had gathered up Velcro and some sandwiches he'd stolen from a common room fridge and some cat food in a plastic bag, and had retreated to the preserve post-haste.

He hated today.

Hated today, and this stupid, messed-up island. And that tree. And that deer. And that rock. And that log. And that.... weird buffalo-looking thing that looked insanely honest (there was alot of truth wandering around the island today). And that tree. And... Huh. Hadn't he passed by that tree already?

"I'm going in circles."

Well. Crap.

When Karina had gotten far enough into the preserve to feel like she was alone, she'd found a tree with a few branches low enough for her to reach and swung herself up into it.

"You could do it again," Karina snarked. "Since it took you long enough to figure that out."

She'd been watching you, Sparkle. Which was maybe a bit creepy. It wasn't her fault that he kept passing her tree though.

"Or you could go away. I'd like that better."

Three cheers for honesty!

"Much as you'd like that, I'd probably just double back here all over again." Because, seriously, crazy chick in the tree. Hello to you, too. "Unless you know how to get out of this place, and then I might try to pretend to give a shit about what you'd like better, though I'll fucking suck at it because of this stupid shit that's going on today. I'm usually way better at pretending.'

See Sparkle. See Sparkle roll his eyes toward the canopy.

"And I would be happy to leave you to wallow or whatever you're doing up there, but I'm lost in this stupid tiny fucking forest, so I'll probably just keep walking by here like a dozen more times. And if that happens I'll just get louder about it and way more obnoxious, because that's easier to do than admit that I'm starting to worry that I'm just never going to get out of here."

A beat.

"If today was a person, I'd punch it in the face."

"Take a guess at why I'm out here, dumbass," Karina snapped. And, okay, she normally wouldn’t have called him a dumbass right off the bat but then she also normally wouldn’t have started a conversation with such a blunt go away either so today was fired. "Same reason you want to punch today. But whatever, it’s not my fault you decided to show up here and get lost and you’ve got some nerve expecting me to help you."

Well, he did.

"Punching today wouldn't help anything either," she added. "Especially if this lasts longer than a day."

God, that was a horrifying thought.

"Can we pretend I didn’t wonder that? That's a curse, right? Think something and the island does it? The island is awful."

"Yeah, good luck pretending anything today," Sparkle snorted. "Though I'd pay money just to see you try. Just not a lot of money, even though I'm working two jobs right now. I'm cheap."

Well then.

"If it lasts longer than a day, then hell, at least if I stay stuck here in the woods, the only person I'll have to worry about telling my true feelings to is some random chick who keeps bitching about me being here, even though she's the one who started talking to me first. You don't want people to talk to you, don't start the conversation. Seems like a no-brainer, psycho-girl."

He kind of liked that name, actually. Unless she gave him something else to call her by, she was going to be psycho-girl forever, and so there.

“I already watched you go around once and then come back,” she said, crossing her arms. “It was either tell you to fuck off and go away or hope to god that you wouldn’t come back again. Telling you to fuck off seemed more appealing.”

Karina glared at him. “Not that it seems to be working because apparently you thrive on being an asshole and seem like you’re going to stick around.”

Ugh.

“Ugh.”

Thanks for that, Fandom.

"Actually, I do thrive on being an asshole," Sparkle sniffed. "It keeps people who aren't worth my time away. Way safer to be an asshole. You seem to have mastered that one yourself, picking a fight with me out in the middle of the woods, and all. You always this charming, or are you one of those shallow twits that runs around the island with a sugar-laced plastic smile, hoping everyone'll fall in love with you?"

Sparkle raised an eyebrow at her, and then shook his head and took a seat right where he was at, opening his backpack and starting to dig through it for cat treats while Velcro stuck his head out to investigate.

"Well, you spoke up. Guess you weren't too worried about some random guy in the woods thinking you were a complete hypocritical jerk." A beat. "Jerk."

Hey, it was truth as Sparkle saw it!

“Ugh, no,” Karina said, disgusted more at his comment than the fact he was staying. Go away, Sparkle. "If people are going to be falling in love with me, it's going to be for a show. Anything else, they get this. Only normally I'm not quite so non-filtery. Filters are nice. I miss mine.”

Boy did she ever miss her filter. This conversation would be unrecognizable if she had it and he had his.

"I figured I could take some jerk." She leaned back against the tree, sipping at her hot chocolate and surveying him like a queen from her perch. "Did you seriously bring your cat for company? Oh god, you're a total loser."

"I took my cat along because my probably-kind-of-my-boyfriend is a panther right now and I didn't want to leave one alone with the other," Sparkle snarked, pulling a treat out of the bag and offering it to Velcro, who was happy to eat it. "Or am I a loser for not wanting to come back to kitten bits all around my dorm room floor? Is that how it works, now?"

He rolled his eyes toward the sky all over again, and then shook his head.

"Velcro is good company, anyhow." Which kind of made him a loser, yeah. "I hate this fucking island."

"I would guess that it hates us too," Karina said unsympathetically. "But I bet someone more into the whole happy family vibe of this place would tell you it’s for a reason and maybe you should learn to share your feelings."

She was totally dripping sarcasm there.

"Also, your cat is cute."

That came out grudgingly but not sarcastically.

"Of course he is. Velcro is the cutest cat on the whole damn island."

Well, he was in Sparkle's eyes, apparently.

"If I wanted to be sharing my feelings, I'd be back in my room, pouring my heart out to a freaking panther. What the hell is the matter with this place, anyhow? Does it get off on this?" Sparkle wrinkled his nose and pulled out another treat for Velcro, who happily ate it out of his hand. "Now there's something I don't want to think about. The island, getting off."

... That was probably something Sparks would share even if he wasn't compelled to tell the truth all day. You're welcome, Karina.

“No thanks are ever coming for that mental image,” she told him snootily, then paused. “I mean, where would it even… like, what part is it’s…?”

Oh god, why was she thinking about this now? Ewww.

“And you’re biased about your cat and that’s kinda adorable.”

"I got you thinking about the island getting laid and that's hilarious," Sparkle informed her, smirking. Adorable was a step up from loser, at least. "And I think my bias is totally valid. Look."

And then Sparkle was pulling Velcro from the bag entirely, and hugging him to his shoulder.

And then letting go.

Naturally, Velcro stuck there.

"Cutest cat on the whole fucking island."

No, he was still a loser. Just sort of adorable in one aspect.

Karina’s lips twitched, then she was smiling for the first time that day since she’d realized the whole truth-issue. “I see why you called him Velcro.”

It was pretty obvious.

“Can’t disagree with you about the cute factor either.”

So… congratulations?

"Hah!" Laugh of victory, go! "You wanna hold him? If you can pry him off my shirt he likes, like, everybody. Good for shitty moods, too, which is partly why I'm glad I brought him with me, you know?"

In the face of crappy moods and cranky teenagers, it would always be the cute kitten to come out on top.

That was because cute kittens had powers beyond good and evil.

“I don’t want to ruin your shirt,” Karina said, still smiling. “Will he cling for a long time? Or does he get bored?”

But the second bit, she didn’t really know. “I don’t have a pet.”

"It's a cheap-ass shirt anyhow. Got it in a donation box when I was still living in Canada. See, the seams have holes in 'em."

Yeah. That wasn't something Sparkle usually shared. Ever.

"He'll cling until I take him off, anyhow. I think he just kinda likes it there. Little claws like freaking needles, though." Ow. "No pet, huh? You allergic or something?"

Yeah. Karina didn’t think he would normally. Who would? Karina gave him a bit of a look for that.

She did give into the temptation to lean over to get a better look though. So sue her, the kitty had the upper hand. “No allergies,” she said, “my family just never really considered it. Mom and Dad and I are too busy to have one at home.”

Sparkle just leveled her with a flat look right back, as if daring her to make something of his shirt statement. Just daring.

It was short-lived, though. He shrugged and reached up to pick the kitty claws out of his shoulder, one-by-one.

"Yeah? That makes sense, I guess. Velcro's my first pet, anyhow. Not sure if I'll get to keep him after I graduate, but that's a few years off. He's good company until then. You like cats?"

“Who doesn’t like cats?” Karina rolled her eyes expressively. “Small, fuzzy, adorable. Yours got us to stop bitching at each other.”

Because otherwise they’d probably still be hurling insults at one another.

Ah, socializing.

"I mean, besides people who are allergic and shit. THey've got excuses." And, oh hell, he probably didn’t want her to ask but: “Why wouldn’t you get to keep him after grad?”

Sparkle frowned a little, managing to get Velcro off of his shoulder and holding him out toward her.

"Group home," he replied, his tone flat, now. "I'm one of those homeless kids they write about in the newspapers, all underprivileged with no hope of a decent future because society failed them, or something like that."

Flat. Flat. He clearly did not want to be sharing this. He actually looked very visibly annoyed that his mouth was moving and words were coming out of it, as he relayed that information.

"Which I'm only telling you because you asked and this island is a fucking jerk, I don't just run around crying about that and I don't want anybody's pity, you got that? I'll scream if someone tries to get all pity-party on me, here. Just cuddle the cat, he's cute."

Karina sighed and got out of her tree by the simple process of sliding off her branch. She landed easily since it wasn't that far from the ground.

Then Karina took the cat.

After all, he was right, the cat was super cute.

And now she felt sorta bad for asking. Only sorta though.

“Stupid question,” she said, “but why go back?”

"Where else would I go? Sure, I have the whole multiverse at my fingertips. Most of those realities would kill me, though. It's not like I have powers or I can swing a sword or anything like that." Sparkle shrugged and rummaged through his bag some more. "Mind if I smoke? I need a smoke. Like right now. I'll stand downwind."

Talking about this stressed him out.

"I can get by in realities like mine. But I only exist in realities like mine. I don't have, like, birth certificates, government files, whatever, anywhere else. I'd just be in the same position all over again. You need all that stuff to go to... like... real schools. To get real jobs. To get an apartment and health care and a car and a life. It would be easy if I went to space or Fairyland or the end of the world or something, but I'm not in any hurry to die."

“Smoke,” she said, shrugging around an armful of cat. “Fine by me. It’s disgusting but, whatever, your body.” And he’d said he’d stand downwind, which would have been Karina’s biggest complaint anyway.

“And, no, I didn’t mean that,” Karina continued, frowning a little. “I meant, okay, so you’ve got to go back to that world. That makes sense to me. Government red tape is ugly. But you’ve got the time here to get the education to maybe get a scholarship or a student loan in one of your schools and go do something else. I know classes are weird as fuck here but you can sign up for normal online classes and the library’s got free computers for use. Why not take advantage of that, I meant?”

Sparkle was fumbling for his pack of smokes and his lighter now like a man drowning. He briefly considered digging a little deeper and pulling out the bag of weed he had stashed down there, but there was no way in hell he was up for explaining that to a perfect stranger.

"Normal online classes that have nothing to do with this messed-up school cost money or something, don't they? I'm working two jobs but part-time money doesn't go that far, and I'm crap at actual academics. Like, I can read okay if I really try but math is way beyond me, and it's not like there are math teachers I can go to around here for help. Tutors cost even more. I could probably fake my way through French if I knew more than how to sing Happy Birthday."

He needed to just take a moment and not talk, now. It was way more important to kind of haul his ass around to the other side of the nosy girl and light his cigarette, visibly perturbed.

Karina actually had to pause and tilt her head. Did the normal classes cost money? Hell, if they did… she hadn’t noticed. Shit. Maybe he wouldn’t notice that she hadn’t. That was a bit awkward.

“Are you crap because you’ve never been properly taught or because you think you’re worthless and can’t go any further?”

This was a super unfair conversation. Karina still wasn't feeling particularly sorry for it though. He could turn the tables on her at any time.

“And I’m pretty sure if you needed a tutor you could find one that worked for free here. Sob story at them. They’d fall over themselves to help. That Evan kid in the library would probably be thrilled.”

Evan was not Karina’s most favorite person ever. Still.

Really, Sparkle was way more concerned about trying to word things in ways that were somehow less humiliating, in spite of being completely true, than he was about figuring out whether or not Karina paid for classes here.

"I'm crap because I missed more classes growing up than I actually made it to, and was thrown from school to school so much I didn't actually learn fuck-all until I was taken away from my family."

God damn it.

"I don't want to talk about it." His family. No. Big, thick line in the sand, no. "I know someone who works in the library, though. I guess I could talk to Sholeh, see if she can help with... I don't know... studying..."

Yeah, no way in hell was she asking about his family.

"I'd offer to help," Karina said. "But I don't know that I like you enough to bother with the amount of effort that would be."

God, the idea made her shudder.

"Which is kind of a shame because you could pay me with letting me cuddle Velcro and random smoothie buying."

... That was true. Sadly. She sulkily took a sip of her hot chocolate.

Edited 2013-03-28 02:28 (UTC)

Sparkle stood there and gave the girl a kind of weird look. How they went from swearing at one another to talking about how he could beat his future into submission was kind of beyond him, but he wasn't complaining, really.

"See and there's why it pays to be able to lie," he decided. "I totally would've drafted you for study help if all you were asking for were friggin' smoothies and quality time with my cat."

Seriously. Easy.

"I know," she said with a sigh. "If we could lie, I'd never have told you that. I'd have told you to keep dreaming or that it would cost a million dollars and get lost blah blah blah. No one would ever have to know I'm a super easy mark for shit like that."

"Well, now I do, so I feel obligated to take advantage of that on principle," Sparkle teased, though there was obviously no small amount of truth in that. "Hell, if I knew it was that easy... kitten playdates. Heh."

Honestly, Karina. You were kind of doomed, now.

"So if I don't, like, chicken out and I actually manage to register for online classes in... I dunno... something, you know I'm totally gonna pester you if I have problems. And I'll have problems."

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The Preserve, Wednesday Early Evening

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