The air was brisk and smelled of the rain drops still flowing in the wind as Violet and Leon walked while the day was still bright and sunny. Violet carried her parasol with her, protecting her pale skin from the harsh sunlight. Leon on the other hand walked alongside her, admiring the nearly cloudless sky. To anyone else who might’ve been out, they may have looked like a couple. And that thought stayed in the back of Leon’s mind. 

    Together they walked in silence. Violet took the time to think about the feelings she’s been experiencing when near Leon. On one hand, they felt a little scary, and they made her unsure of the many other emotions that she had been experiencing throughout her journey as an Automemories Doll. but on the other hand, they’ve felt… pleasant. Like at that moment, just by walking right next to him, her heart felt warm. And she wanted to experience that warmth for as long as she could.

    “Hey Violet look,” Leon said, driving Violet out of her thoughts. She turned to face him and noticed that he was pointing at a field of violets that they were passing on the left. Each one was sparkling under the sunlight as raindrops clung to them. From where they were standing, it looked as though they were all made of precious jewels. “I’m not too knowledgeable when it comes to flowers but I’m pretty sure those are violets,” Leon told Violet while smiling.

    “Yes,” Violet replied, “They are.” she started to walk towards them and while doing so, remembering the day the Major gave her the name “Violet”. Slowly, she knelt down beside the flowers, her eyes wide. Leon watched her, intrigued as she cupped one of them, in her hands but did not pick it. He then noticed that it began to shine brighter than the others. Like the North Star in the night sky. He wondered why, but he soon got his answer as he heard a few whimpers. “Violet, are you crying?” he asked.

    Violet stiffened for a second, and then relaxed. She held the flower tighter as she realized from the warm, salty streaks on her face, that she was indeed crying. And her tears had fallen onto the violet, mixing with the raindrops and morning dew. As she tried to wipe her tears, they kept on coming. Just seeing these violets, made her remember everything from her war days. Even the memories that only came out in her nightmares. The parasol she was holding fell onto the ground beside her as she tried to cease her crying.

    Upon seeing Violet like this, hunched over, tense, plagued by her memories, Leon looked down at his feet, ashamed at himself for even pointing out the violets. He should’ve known better than to do that, as they most likely did bring back mental scars that were thought to have been healed for the girl in front of him. But then again, he didn’t know.

    “I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking away from her. Oddly enough, he felt like crying himself. “I shouldn’t have pointed them out.” When he’d said that, Violet turned to face him, tears still glistening in her eyes, making them look as though they were part of the ocean. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him as she wiped her eyes. She stood up and patted at the back of her dress, making sure to get rid of any dirt on them. Leon, while still trying not to look at her, grabbed her parasol and handed it to her sheepishly.

    Violet took the parasol from him and wiped a stray tear from her face. They went on their way again, leaving behind the violet field. There was silence again between them. And as it had done so when they had set out that morning, the sky started to turn dark as storm clouds rolled in. So they turned back. And on the way back to the house, Violet kept on glancing at Leon. She could tell he felt bad for pointing out the flowers, even though he couldn’t have possibly known about the memories that they brought back to her.
    Clouds were starting to form above them. Violet looked up at the sky. The sun was barely visible anymore and the clouds above were swirling. The bluish grey clouds folded in and out playfully through the grey and black clouds that were rolling in. It was so odd to her that the sky could display so many colors yet be so dark.

    “Sir…” Violet said while still looking up at the turning sky. Leon who was looking down stiffened ever so slightly. Violet noticed this but continued, “Those flowers, are part of the reason I’m here with you.” Leon’s eyes widened when she’d said that. “What do you mean?” he asked, in a condescending tone, though, he didn’t mean it. Violet stopped walking. So Leon stopped walking as well. He turned to face her with a questioning look on his face. The wind started to pick up when Violet began to explain.

    “The person that I told you about at the observatory, named me Violet,” she began. “And he was the only person in my life who didn’t see me as a weapon of war.”
    “A weapon of war?”
    “Yes.” Violet took a deep breath before continuing. Before it wouldn’t have been as hard to explain her past. But now, she found it a little difficult. “I was told from many people that unlike most, he only ever saw me as another girl out in the world. And because of that, his entire existence became my world. And before he…” her voice trailed off. Leon noticed that she tensed up, and that she was clutching her brooch as if it were a lifeline. “Before the Major died, he told me that he loved me. That is why I’m here. As a doll.”

    The wind picked up even more. Leon stared at the girl in front of him, eyes wide, and in shock. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. And at that moment, he found it a little difficult to breathe. That’s how hard to believe what he’d just heard… was true. That the girl in front of him. The girl who smiled so sweetly and innocently. The girl that he found himself falling for… was a weapon of war. And that the only reason she was traveling the world as a doll, was because somebody told her that they loved her.

/

    Tick… Tick… Tick… the clock ticking in the corner made Leon more anxious as he set down two cups of tea on the coffee table. He then folded his hands and tapped his foot as he began to process the information that had been given to him earlier that day. He just couldn’t believe that the girl who sat to the right of him on his old couch, was a weapon of war.

    He watched as Violet picked up her cup of tea and drank it, taking in the fact that she looked so elegant and normal as she did it, and not like a soldier who’s taken the lives of so many. Violet noticed him staring as she drank her tea. And she knew what he was thinking. Silently, she put down the cup and folded her hands, which even concealed by the gloves made a metal on metal sound. Her mouth formed a straight line as she tried to think of what to say next.

    “Hey Violet,” Leon suddenly spoke up. Violet looked up at him and saw that he was staring at her with a determined look on his face. “How would you,” he began to ask her, “how would you describe your love for the Major?” This question caught Violet off guard. And it didn’t make sense to her. “How would I describe it?” she repeated. Leon nodded and said, “Like what kind of love did you have for him?”

    Violet didn’t answer for a second. Instead, she looked at the cup of tea in front of her, watching it vibrate as the storm outside shook the house. To her, there was only one kind of love. And it was the love that she had for the Major. She didn’t know any other kind. And that’s why she didn’t understand the question. After all, she thought everyone experienced the same type of love as what she did.

    Slowly she closed her eyes, and gave her answer as she imagined him in her mind. “My love for him, is a bit complicated,” she said. “He took me in, treated me like a human, and was the only one who told me that he loved me. When I think of him, I feel safe and protected.” she opened her eyes and looked at Leon. “Does that answer your question Sir?”

    Leon smiled slightly. “Would you describe your love as a romantic one for him?” he asked. “Romantic?” Violet once more repeated. “I’ve never experienced romance before, at least, not that I know of…” her voice trailed off as she remembered how warm her heart felt when near Leon. “So no… I don’t think that it’s romantic.”

(This is where the chapter gets slightly bad because my dog was being annoying and wouldn't stop squeaking her toy lol)

    Violet found it strange that after she said that, Leon let out a slight sigh of relief. She raised an eyebrow at this, not understanding what that sigh was for. Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, a large BOOM came from the outside, shaking the house to its core. Both Leon and Violet jumped, a little surprised from the sound. The boom was quickly replaced with a flash of light, and then the soft pitter patter of rain drops colliding against the window.

    Leon clutched his chest and chuckled softly. “That was quite loud,” he stated the obvious. Violet nodded. Her heart was racing and she felt a shock of adrenaline run through her veins. It had been quite a while since something had startled her. Quietly, she regained her composure and stood up. She felt emotionally exhausted. “I’m heading to bed now Sir,” she said as she walked towards the hall. 

    “Already?” Leon asked, surprised. “But it’s only 5 o’clock.” Violet shifted her gaze away from him. “I’m a bit tired, though, I don’t know why,” she replied, before walking away. Leon, who was about to go after her, suddenly remembered the night before, and the nightmares she was having. So he sat back in the loveseat and sighed. 

    He felt so pathetic.

/

Once again, I didn't know how to end this lol. I’m slightly proud with this chapter, though only by a little bit. I hope you enjoyed and until next time! Farewell!