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sometimes you try your hardest
but things don't work out
the way you want them too

──● nani
LILO & STITCH

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Delaney couldn't believe this.

More like, she didn't want to believe this. After inviting Rune, who assured her she'd be coming, to her birthday ball, she hadn't shown. The clock read nearly eleven-thirty now, and in proper ball fashion, the party would end approximately at midnight, although Laney didn't doubt that people would be trickling out much sooner than that. 

She stood to the side now, eyes trained on the doors of the extravagant ballroom of their own manor. Because the estate was so old, and certainly did require annual upkeep, they had an in-house ballroom. It had taken her siblings the past week to help her clean it up to be in the best possible condition they could have. They'd done such a lovely job.

And Rune hadn't even bothered to show up.

Delaney grimaced, forcing her eyes away from the two doors, and the heavy clock that hung right above it, delicate metal arrows ticking away the time in roman numerals. She thought that was a little much, she had a hard enough time as it was reading normal clocks. Although, it did add to the atmosphere, which is something she appreciated.

Her friends danced about all around her, alongside most of her siblings. A banquet of food laid spread out on the long table, supplied by Raine, with the help of Elijah - who had recently become determined to cook something right. The ballroom was casted in dark lighting, soft purple and blue hues echoing across the ground, silver glimmers sparking through the air in arcs and circles. It was a beautiful sight. The dresses and attire that adorned the room's occupants made it only more so.

Laney's own dress was a deep violet, cascading in billows of fabric and majesty down past her feet. A tiara sat on her head, something that her sisters had absolutely insisted on, seeing that it was her party. Sparkling purple gems sat in diamonds along the band of it, spider-webbing into crystal lattice. She felt beautiful. She was beautiful.

So why didn't she feel like dancing?

Some of it could stem from the fact that touch, frankly, made her uncomfortable. She wasn't a germaphobe, or anything of the sort, she just wasn't a clingy or physically affectionate person if she didn't know them really well. The majority of the reason though, was that the person she really had wanted to dance with wasn't here at all.

Delaney had even finished the black ball gown early, in hopes of Rune wearing it to her birthday party, so she could see her work outside of the hallways of her school. It would have made her feel so nice, in a way, to see Rune wearing her dress. To watch as all eyes once again turned to the rising model, and gape because she had been wearing Delaney's work. Her blood, and sweat, and tears. 

And now, it was nothing but a dream that would never be realized.

Delaney Morrigan stood on the sidelines of her own party, watching her siblings laugh and dance. Benjamin had just asked Yume, who had been glorified in a navy blue dress, constellations of silver cascading down it. Her smile was bright and warm, mirroring her partners. 

Venus had asked Keitaro, who had looked somewhat reluctant, but her brother would never have turned down someone who was brave enough to ask. He could be obnoxiously polite at times.

Kasumi was sitting near the banquet table, Jasiri with her as they talked. Well, Jasiri talked. Kasumi listened, eyes trained on her sister as if she had never been hearing something more important. Kasumi didn't really have much of an interest in anyone, and if she did, Delaney hadn't heard about it - and Jasiri- Well, Jas was complicated. On one hand, her current crush, slash potentially unofficial boyfriend hadn't been able to come, on the other hand Laney was glad he hadn't. She had a horrible sinking feeling that her boyfriend, or whatever he was, wasn't the most loyal person she'd ever met.

She just didn't have the heart to tell Jasiri, and instead blamed it on her own paranoia, in hopes that she was wrong about him.

Reysa, the last time Laney had seen her, was in the kitchens with Raine, Akiho, and Elijah, doing god knows what. Junpei was dancing with one of her classmates, her name was Aspen, if Laney remembered correctly, and not too far off, Aspen's designer Blake, was dancing with a reluctant Merlene. Merlene looked like she was about to head off to the kitchen herself for a bit of revival. Elliot and Jady, they were a slightly different case. Because of their age, Delaney had told them they could each invite a friend to the ball as well if they wanted someone to dance with. Elliot had brought Daphne, and Jady had brought her best friend, Indigo. They were switching off dancing between them, giggling in spatters of clumsy footsteps and off-beat dancing.

She couldn't help but smile at them, even if there was a looming feeling that clawed at her bare arms, sending goosebumps up them. Even though she didn't want to, her eyes wandered back over to the doors, to the hanging clock above them as it ticked away. It was dark outside, clouds and wind howling distantly, even if she couldn't hear it much over the music. For that, at least, she was grateful.

Had she done something wrong?

Had she pushed her away?

If it wasn't a problem with Rune, then it had to have been a problem with her. Certainly Ru wouldn't have done a full 180 like that, one moment waiting patiently to stake her claim on herself as a designer, and the next wanting absolutely nothing to do with her. Delaney had thought they were friends, as least, she considered them too be, but maybe she had been wrong.

Maybe Rune had wanted a designer. Not a friend.

Or anything more than that.

Laney had to resist the urge to laugh at herself. Silly. It had been silly of her to think that Rune Stellan would have wanted to do anything remotely romantic with her. She was - well, she was clumsy, and panicked, and anxious, and shy. Rune wasn't any of those things at all. It had been a ridiculous thought to think they could have been friends, or anything more than that. Her not showing up tonight more than proved that theory.

It was yet another case, where Delaney wanted to be wrong in.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the gentle touch on her arm. It was Venus again, cocking an eyebrow in her direction. "Nothing?" 

Delaney shook her head, earrings jingling in her ears as she turned her gaze to her friend. Venus looked stunning, a mermaid style dress that slid down her curvy frame, sparkling with silver as it ran down her body in waterfalls. "No."

Venus watched her for a moment, eyes searching her own in desperation. Her voice lowered, speaking underneath the mumble of music that reverbrated across the room. She always spoke like this to her, when she was concerned. "Are you alright?"

The question burned into her chest like hot iron, slowly sinking in the ocean of her thoughts. She would have been alright, had Vee not asked that question. That kind of question was always the one that broke her. She felt the prologue of tears in her eyes, that firey sensation rising up her chest and throat, but she nodded anyway. Only able to manage a hushed whisper, horse from her staying off any kind of giveaway of how upset this had made her. "I'm fine."

Venus didn't look convinced, not even a little, and instead slid her arm into the crook of Delaney's. "She's not worth it, you know."

Yes, she is.

Delaney wanted to say it, she wanted to say it so bad, because Rune was not this kind of person. Rune was apathetic, and unemotional, and confident - but she didn't put herself above Delaney. Never once had Rune questioned her judgement as a designer, as an artist. Rune had brought her warm drinks in the early mornings of their sessions. Rune scolded her for apologizing when she didn't need too. Rune liked watching snow fall, and hearing the underlying harmonies of jazz music. She liked black cats, and had a fountain for aromatherapy in her bedroom. She believed in reincarnation, and had broken two of her left knuckles in a fistfight when she was in middle school. Rune liked the feeling of midnight, and hadn't cried in about four years now. Not something that Delaney would have bragged about, that last one, but it was something that she knew about her nevertheless. Rune liked horror movies, and paranormal podcasts. She was consious of her ears, and didn't like that they sometimes stuck out of her hair. She loved feeling tall, and could sprint in heels if necessary. She didn't like deep water. Rune was more than just a pretty face. She was loyal, and kind, and more observant of Delaney's habits than anyone had ever been.

Rune wasn't a one-and-done kind of person.

Maybe that's why it hurt so much.

Maybe that's why Delaney felt so scared.

Because this wasn't like Rune, not the one she'd spent the month getting to know. So if Rune wasn't here, something must have happened. Something. 

But what?

She turned back to Venus, pushing away the rising anxiety in her stomach. "Hey, Vee?"

"Yeah Laney?" Her friend looked back to her from where she'd been glancing at on the dance floor, meeting her eyes in sincerity.

"Have you asked Ben to dance yet?"

Venus hesitated, then shrugged. She looked back to Where Ben was dancing, gracefully gliding across the dance floor with Yume, who was smiling as bright as she usually did. Venus didn't speak for a moment, before sighing. "We've just been..friends with benefits for so long, that I don't know what to say to him anymore."

"I told you, you didn't have to take him-"

"Right, then I would have been stuck with Rune, who'd be busy talking about how talented you are." She fake gagged, "plus, then Ben would have known something was up, and I really don't want to risk anything."

"But-"

"But now I have actual feelings for him." She looked sideways at Delaney, "And no, i'm not telling him because I can't tell if it's just me mixing up you know, like sexual pleasure and aftercare with romantic and platonic feelings."

Even if it was Venus saying those things, Delaney felt heat rush into her face. "Have you talked to him any about it?"

"Not really." Another shrug, and Venus herself glanced at the clock above the twin doors of the ballroom. "It's too late to do it now, but I'll think about it. Maybe I'll tell him in the New Year, or at least talk with him about it." She shook her head briefly, "It's close to midnight now." People had already begun to trickle out, waving to Laney, leaving gifts on another broad table. It was already stacked with delicately wrapped presents, some internationally imported, some homemade and handcrafted, and some bought at the cheapest location one could manage to find in New York City.

Delaney would cherish all of them

In fact, one of her favorite gifts from last year had been a crocheted top. It was soft, and it looked exceptionally nice over her swimsuits when they'd gone to stay at a beach house near La Jolla Shores, California. 

"It's late, Laney." Venus rubbed her friend's back gently, and she nodded to her. "I'm gonna head home soon too, okay?" A pause of thick silence, almost hesitant as she pulled away, standing in front of her instead, gripping her arms in her hands. "I'm proud of you no matter what, alright? And, maybe- maybe Rune just forgot or something."

"Yeah." Delaney's own eyes lingered on the door for another moment before returning to the girl in front of her. "Yeah, maybe."

She gave a short nod in response, reluctantly letting go, and waving over to Ben, who was already practically at the door. "Goodnight Laney! Love you! Happy birthday!"

Her smile was impossible to stop as she mirrored the wave, "Love you too! Drive safe!"

And just like that, the last of her guests had gone. For the next fifteen minutes or so, as the siblings skittered around, gathering up as much as they could to assist in the cleaning process, cars could be heard rumbling carefully down the path, one after another. Starlight gleamed through the open windows, and the music had quieted, now harmonizing against the howling winds of late November. 

It was 11: 58 now, and time had slowed to a soft stop. Her siblings mirrored her own quietness as they gathered up their things, placing them away, and helping Raine carrying the left over food back to the kitchens. The only sound between their footsteps, was the echo of the wind, and its underlying music.

All was silent, until a loud clamoring sound came from upstairs. Delaney looked up in time to see Jady, clutching a book in her arms, leaping down the stairs with little hesitation or caution at all, her eyes wide. Skidding to a stop, and nearly tumbling down onto the luxurious carpets that combed over the foyer, she darted towards them "You guys!"

She was yelling, but it wasn't alarm in her voice. It was excitement. She rushed past Delaney, grabbing her hand in almost impressive dexterity, and dragging her into the kitchen where the majority of them had already gone. Breathlessly, Jady slammed down the book onto the kitchen table, her siblings staring at her as if she'd gone insane.

Not just any book.

Delaney's book.

For a moment, everything was quiet, and then a glimmer of light sparked from the inside of the pages. Beaming through worn and weathered writings and sketches. It was short at first, coming in bursts, until the book shot open, pages up towards the ceiling, and began moving all on it's own. It nearly floated into the air, turning towards Delaney so she could have a clear vision. 

Then, sparks of lightning silver shot off from the writing of the books, creating images of glittering line-art before them. Pictures of ball-gowns, and sewing needles. Clocks, and mice, and cats who crashed into walls trying to chase them. Carriages, and princess tiaras. All glittering images as one word burned into the blank pages at the end of the book, rising in a three diminsional image, as if she could touch it and take it into her own hand.

midnight.

Beside her, Yume gasped. "Oh my god. You're the story of Cinderella."

Before Delaney could even process the words, there was a hurried knock on the large doors of the room, and the book collapsed, magic vanishing from the skies. The siblings looked at each other in deadbeat silence for a moment.

The knock sounded again, and pressing anxiety flooded Delaney suddenly, because it was like she knew who was on the other side of that door. Could feel that it was desperately important to finish whatever story she was now living out. Delaney turned on a heel, picking up her skirts, and darting to to door, throwing it open as the old clock above her struck midnight.

And there, was Rune. In her black ballgown, wind anxious and bitter behind her. Delaney's rush of excitement was struck down the moment she looked up, at her lovely, perfect, face.

Her hair was matted and pulled, tangled with whatever had grabbed at her, and thick streams of mascara flooded down her tear-stained cheeks. She was holding onto a present in her hands. Not wrapped, but a cardboard box, with such intensity that her hands were beginning to go white, and a stream of blood was spiraling down her arm.

It was Rune, who spoke, whispering the softest sound that Delaney had ever heard, voice waterlogged with un-cried exhaustion. "..happy birthday."

✦

✦ OPHELIA ✦

- I wonder how many words
i've actually written for this
book already tbh

- short answer: a lot

- my brother got married today
so that's pretty cool

- have a great day !!
ily all sm !!

what would be a dream
birthday for your character ?

──● answers