вlood & peтalѕ [ ĸoтlc - тιana ]

ch. xli

screeeeeeeeeeeee

what do y'all think NOW?

is it worth panicking over? worth throwing- *ducks various rocks that would have brained me*

apparently it is. duly noted.

one thing that i'd like to make clear. i respect everyone and their opinions, BUT...!! the moment i get any- and i mean ANY- seriously mean comments directed clearly at me, i WILL come down on you hard. i am a force to be reckoned with and no, i am not threatening you.

it's just a warning.

i've seen this happen to another friend of mine to the point where the feedback got bad enough to make him stop doing his happy thing entirely, and i don't want that to happen. i'd probably die if i couldn't write. so please, at least TRY to be civil. *glares at the miyu-killing cult*

okay!! all the heavy stuff's out of the way now. onward!!

(Not that this chapter's any lighter....but mmkay.)

Linh felt empty. Hollow. Couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't speak. All she could do was sit and stare dumbly at the magnificent chaos that had unfolded in the room.

Somehow, Tiergan had materialized in the doorway, soon to be followed by the rest of the Collective, Wylie, and for some reason, Alden, who was currently talking to Mr Forkle, wringing his hands hard enough to pull them clean off. Something about organizing a planting as soon as possible.

She didn't care about anything else anymore. Why should she? What was the point? Would it bring her brother back to her? Would it give her back all the time she'd lost, leaving her with more than mere memories?

"We didn't even have our first kiss, you know," Biana said quietly, cutting through the smog of angst and regret.

Those words gave Linh the strength to jerkily turn her head towards the younger girl's. "For real?"

Biana was making no effort to hide the tears now trickling down her cheeks."Yeah. I mean, it didn't seem really appropriate, but that didn't stop me from imagining it so vividly I had to keep reminding myself that it didn't happen."

"So...." Linh felt her hands curl into fists. "He died before it could even happen."

"Yeah." Biana sniffled. "And I just-"

"LINH!" The shout had her on her feet, as a certain strawberry-blond boy hurtled through the door and stopped in front of her, panting. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"You didn't have to," she mumbled. She didn't want Dex to see the mess she was now.

"I know, but when Mom told me, I knew I wanted to." He waved an arm at Biana, as she offered him her chair. "No, I'm fine standing. Seriously."

"Okay, then." Biana shrugged and sat down. "Suit yourself."

Biana was still crying, Linh noticed, as Dex awkwardly cleared his throat.

"So, um, I'll bet waaay too many people have asked, but....how are you guys holding up?"

Linh swallowed heavily, gathering the courage to answer, but Biana beat her to it.

"It hurts," she said dully. "Way too much. Why does it hurt so much?"

Almost on its own accord, Linh's right hand softly patted Biana's left one.

Dex nibbled his lip. "I honestly don't know what to say to that....shoot. I probably shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry. I'm terrible at this stuff......"

Linh shook her head, gazing upwards at her not-really-boyfriend. "No one is." She was about to say more, when someone new entered the room. Two people, actually. Two very familiar people, with dark hair and silvery-blue eyes.

Quan and Mai Song were here.

SHOWDOWNS FOR DA NEXT ONE, EY???
*refuses to leave impenetrable shield*