𓏲 ˖ ִ    𝓓ON'T BLAME ME  ⊹ ݁
⟡   a violet love story  ៸៸
꒰        ❛   willing to lose?   ❜       ꒱

▌CLAGGOR AND MAEVE SAT side by side, maeve's legs stretched across his as she read a random book she'd found ages ago but never finished. everyone else was scattered around the room, doing whatever they could to pass the time and stave off boredom.

but when they heard the clatter of the toy monkey start to move around on the top shelf, panic surged through them.

as it dropped to the floor, everyone knew exactly what had to be done.

the creaking of the floorboards under each step was eerie, sending chills crawling up maeve's spine as they all crouched quietly in their spots. maeve, violet, ekko, claggor, and mylo held their breath, waiting in tense silence.

maeve's gaze flickered to powder, who was struggling to stay hidden from the guard who lingered beneath her. powder's body shook violently, her strength running out as she fought to remain unnoticed.

violet exchanged a worried glance with maeve, who winced, clearly in pain. "breathe," violet whispered, barely audible. drawing slow circles on her back while maeve took slow, steady breaths, calming herself and finally refocusing on the scene around them.

the enforcer swept his flashlight across the room one last time, then clicked it off and climbed back up the stairs, the door slamming shut behind him.

powder let out a tiny shriek as she slipped from the roof, landing with a muffled "ow!" the others released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding, the relief spreading in their bodies.

the room fell into silence, broken only by the sound of vander bursting through the door, his face tight with worry.

"are you all okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. vi jumped down first, maeve following with a grunt, her hand clutching her side.

"no, we're not okay. they almost saw powder. what if they took her?" vi's voice trembled with anger and protectiveness, the thought of losing her little sister making her blood boil.

"no one is taking any of you," vander reassured them. maeve placed a hand on vi's shoulder, standing beside her.

"it's already happening!" vi shouted, stepping forward and flinging her hand out, frustration boiling over.

"you heard him, vander," maeve said, her tone steady but heavy. "they won't stop." violet nodded, her face tight with agreement.

"we need to fight back!" violet declared, stepping up onto the stairs and slamming her fist into the wall, her frustration palpable. claggor, powder, mylo, and ekko stood by, worry and fear clear on their faces.

maeve watched violet for a moment before stepping back, silently admiring her resolve. "and if you won't," she said, her voice cold and firm, "i will."

"it's not fair, vander," maeve continued, her eyes intense. "it's confusing— why won't you fight? you're the ones who taught us how to survive in this world. what's stopping you now?"

"whether you're fighting or just trying to protect us, we're fighting for what we want," maeve said, her voice unwavering. "for what we need."

vander sighed heavily, "i've heard this kind of talk before." his eyes softened, but only slightly. he grabbed violet by the shoulder, pulling her closer. "you, come with me." his tone was firm, but there was something else beneath it.

"why are we here?" vi rubbed her forehead, the hood of her jacket casting a shadow over her eyes as she looked up at vander.

he'd taken her away from the others to cool off, to explain things without the watchful eyes of the group, even though he knew exactly who she'd run straight back to with whatever he said.

vander sighed. "you still don't understand."

violet pushed herself off the wall she'd been leaning against, her voice rising. "what i don't understand is how you can work with them." her words hit like a slap, causing vander to flinch.

"we were there. we saw what they did. i grew up knowing i was less than them— that my place was down here. mae knows that, too. but i want powder to have more than that. i'll fight for it. so will mae."

vander's voice stayed calm as he watched her, but his eyes were heavy with something unreadable. "so was i. i was angry, just like you. i led us across that bridge, thinking things could change." he shook his head, his tone darkening. "if i hadn't..."

he paused, the weight of his words lingering in the air.

"your parents— yours and maeve's— they'd still be alive."

violet's jaw tightened, but she didn't look away. "i know you want to hurt the topsiders for what they've done to us. but who are you willing to lose? mylo? claggor? maeve?" his voice softened at the last name, like it pained him to say it.

"over my dead body if i lose her to any damn topsider," violet growled, her brows knitting together in a fierce scowl.

vander pushed himself off the ledge and moved to stand next to her, his presence heavy beside her. violet quickly averted her eyes, trying to block out the weight of the conversation.

"nobody wins in war, vi." the words hung between them, and for a moment, all they could hear was the distant rumble of thunder, the storm rolling in across the city.

violet let out a long breath, her head slowly resting against vander's arm. breaking the silence, she asked softly, "what are we gonna do? the enforcers will come back."

vander didn't answer right away. his eyes were distant, as if he were trying to find the right words. "i... i don't know. i'll- ill figure it out."

violet nodded, her gaze drifting back toward the bridge. memories flooded back, her chest tightening with anger. she wasn't going to let it end like this.

she would get the revenge she promised.

the basement door creaked open, and mylo's voice rang out, full of excitement. "vi, where you been?" he asked. "rumor is the lanes are gonna fight," claggor added, glancing at the pink-haired girl, whos attention moved to maeve and powder as they worked on one of powder's latest projects.

"oh, yes! that's a great idea," maeve said eagerly, her face lighting up as powder carefully filled a small metal container with nails, tightening the lid.

maeve's attention shifted as violet approached them. "look, i made these for the enforcers," powder said with a proud smile, quickly picking up a couple of the bombs to show her older sister.

"these are smoke bombs," she explained, handing them to violet. maeve picked up the other two bombs, shaking them with a grin. "and these are full of nails."

"they're gonna work this time, i know it," powder said confidently. maeve nodded in agreement as violet set the smoke bombs down.

"me too," violet finally spoke, her voice soft. she moved closer, tucking a loose strand of powder's hair behind her ear and gently caressing her cheek. powder smiled sweetly, her eyes bright.

"you know, powder," violet said softly, "what makes you different makes you strong." she placed an old, dusty stuffed bunny in powder's lap. powder's eyes widened, a flicker of recognition passing over her face as she took it in, the object clearly holding sentimental value.

violet squeezed powder's hand, then stood up. "always remember that, okay?" she said, before turning and walking away.

maeve watched her go, a confused look on her face. something about violet had shifted— her body language, her expressions— everything felt different in this moment. it worried maeve more than anything.

━𝓩𝑶𝑴𝑩𝑱𝑺  .  .  .
guys compared to last chapter this is SO short. theres like no maevi moments. im gonna SOB!

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