Misc RH OC Scraps

[THE OCHRES] Cousin? You're our Sister now!

CONTENT WARNING: light descriptions of child abuse, animal death mention

The sound of a motor woke Bebe up even before the rooster did. A motor? Who would be driving around their country farm so early in the morning? They threw on a sweater and some flip flops to check it out. 

In the driveway was a giant bus decorated with the Rainbow Dream band logo and colors. Tanya was just getting out of the bus when Bebe arrived. They stood dumbfounded for a minute. 

"Hi, beeb," Tanya broke the dam.

"TANYA! Wh- what are you doing here? Isn't it an awfully long drive here? Did Vanessa drive you? What time do you think it is? Do auntie and uncle know you're here? Are you okay? What's going on?"

Vanessa stepped out of the bus too, carrying Tanya's suitcase. She answered on behalf of Tanya.

"Good morning, Bebe," she said, "Can you get your parents for us?" 

"Yeah. Of course." Bebe shook off their shock (literally) and ran back into the house. They didn't bother knocking before entering their parents' bedroom-- they were asleep anyway. Bebe shook their mom's shoulder, then snatched their dad's sleeping mask. 

"Hey! Wake up! Tanya needs you!"

The parents were groggy and confused at first, and they had Bebe repeat their sentence a few times, but they quickly got it and rushed outside in their pajamas. Bebe followed them outside, but stayed at a distance while they spoke to Tanya and Vanessa in hushed tones. It felt like the conversation lasted forever. Finally, their parents each hugged Tanya, and they all waved Vanessa goodbye. Carmen and Lyric blew kisses out the windows as the band bus drove off, leaving Tanya and her luggage with the Ochres. 

"Bebe," their mother told them, "Show Tanya to your room, will you? She has to stay with us for a while. Your father will bring an extra bedframe and mattress in a few minutes."

"Sure thing, ma!" then they said to Tanya, "follow me." They lead the way into the house and down the hall to their room. It was the largest after the parents' since they were the oldest. The walls were bright yellow and the floor was wood, but it had colorful rugs covering most of it. Bebe moved their toybox and their bookcase to make room for another bed against one of the walls. They didn't try to talk to Tanya. They didn't know if she wanted to talk to them. 

Soon the new bed was put in the room. Tanya thanked Mr. Ochre, and he smiled and patted her head. She looked as if she might cry. The door closed and the cousins were left to sit on their respective beds. 

"...Hi Beeb," Tanya said again. 

"Hello, Tanya," Bebe replied awkwardly. 

"I bet you're wondering why I'm here."

"I wasn't going to ask. If you don't want to tell me..." 

Tanya busied herself by unpacking. As her hands worked furiously, the words tumbled out of her mouth, falling over each other. 

"Maybe you didn't know. It didn't really click for me until yesterday either. But my parents, they were a- abu- very mean to me. I had to apply for rainbow high in secret and pay for it myself, I had to hide my sexuality and then my relationship, I had to hide who I was and stifle it under obedience for as long as I can remember! Do you know what they did? How they hurt me? No, of course, you didn't see it... I never wanted to hurt our animals, but sometimes it was part of my chores to kill a chicken or a pig. And I if I didn't finish my chores. I couldn't eat. I remember a time my father held my arms and made me swing the axe. Chicken blood got all over my dress."