Rock it, Nursie!

" You have permission to exploit me however you want! But you MUST defeat me first ♥ " {Wild Encounters RP blog.}

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Cross Your Fingers x Crawled Out of the Sea (interlude) - Laura Marling

And on my word you'll give up your whole life for me, and you'll be reborn bigger and stronger and less alive. x Oh you crawled out of the sea, Straight into my arms, straight into my arms.

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did u know that a lot of coffee can cause a latte problems

no dON’T 

NOT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF COFFEE

YOU’LL HURT THE DELICATE FEELINGS OF THE LATTE

[clems-old-acct-blog]

Two of a Kind-ly Heart! ✦ Clementine & Charlotte

Peak-level stress that comes with competitive battling never seems to exhaust the savoir faire of those ranked highly in society, do they? Not even when it means thoroughly extorting one's Pokemon in order to acquire a higher standing in the Battle Chateau of Riviere Walk?

And just how could the pursuit of material happiness be accomplished when the loving care of Pokemon - the essential medium for bringing about one's accomplishment and victory - is amiss? So many challenges on the matter of morality; so little time, effort, and love.

There is, however, one surefire and minute detail for which Clementine the Benevolent Nurse is positive does not require being questioned: aristocrats are in the running against Smoochums for their greatly-disconcerting vanity.

And if the nurse were to play justice? ☆

○ ○ ○

Camphrier's Pokemon Center seems busier than a Combee hive today. Its lobby is bustling animatedly with patrons making round trips between the clinic and the Battle Chateau, their faces either sunken by defeat or resolute with the strive to emerge victorious in their next attempts to come on top in a Pokemon battle.

Every ten minutes or so, the automated glass doors of the entrance designated for ER visits part to make way for stretchers carrying critically-wounded or crippled Pokemon - all of which are shuttled away to the intensive care units and temporarily sheltered away from the hardship imposed upon them by their's and their trainer's cooperative ambitions. 

From behind the main service counter, Clementine surveys the familiar hubbub with a weary smile. As condemning of the aristocratic battlers as she is, she is well aware of the fact that her take on things is only one way of going about the scandalous yet natural ways of this world. Truth be told, she would have willingly committed herself to becoming a medic even if she had realized the harsh realities of the harm brought to Pokemon beforehand.

Witnessing the pain of Pokemon, correcting their suffering, and mending their wounds with gentle and patient fingers... None of the above needed to be in Clementine's job description to start with; she came willingly packaged with it all. 

But still, it wouldn't be so bad once in a while to see trainers and their Pokemon taking it a little more easy on the dispensable hobby of battling. Unconditional love and care for one's Pokemon should be the requirements to the luxury of owning and using them, after all!

Oh, where? Where is the beacon of compassion and affection that will shine from within this rather lackluster crowd of selfish hearts?

[clems-old-acct-blog]

Reality is Just a Crutch [Clementine & Mars]

[martianmaiden]

In quite the odd occurrence, the dust finally settles and Mars is caught completely off guard. It appears that Clementine isn’t as credulous as the commander was beginning to believe. Backtracking would do no good, not when Mars was this deep into the conquest. 

But, for one reason or another, she suspects the nurse’s Luxray to be somewhat responsible for this sudden change in atmosphere. Those things were a little too observant for other girl’s liking.

What this woman is genuinely implying remains somewhat cryptic for Mars, who had assumed she caught her prey with literally no chase. And although it may be a product of her own culpable pretense, it wasn’t a feeling she could shake.

On the other hand, however, the commander is somewhat able to breathe a sigh of relief; she’s as ready as ever to board the helicopter, resting on Route 30, and head towards Jubilife without another moment to lose. If all it takes is a little more sweet-talk, Mars is absolutely determined to sugarcoat, and perhaps even glaze, her victim a bit further.

Whatever it would take to see that Cyrus gets the attention he so desperately needs, she’s more than willing to put both her life and dignity on the line.

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“Now, you be sure of yourself, Clementine.”

Scrolling up a circle scarf and tucking it into a corner of her compact travel suitcase, the nurse places her back directly in front of her mother. Mama Fairchild is a most august and loving progenitor a child could ever ask for - a woman sensitive to her baby’s feelings even though she tends to make cast iron decrees out of the expectations she harnesses for Clementine.

She has buzzed restlessly about her little girl’s room for the last hour since the change of holiday plans had been broken to her. Even for Clementine who’s become adroit at gaining the trust of others, it is truly difficult to herd a fretting mother’s concerns in the general direction of reassurance.

But it was difficult pick her vocation over her vacation - a precious few weeks each year to see her mother - even though Clementine will almost always unequivocally make the initial her default choice. She feels too strong a calling for completely serving her purpose as a medic, even if it does mean parting from the woman who’d given blood, sweat, and tears in order to raise her into what she is right now.

She can’t just falter! Got to make it worthwhile! ☚

Shutting her suitcase and snapping the bolts shut, Clementine shoots her mother a vibrant smile, replying, “got it! I feel as sure as Arceus created green apples, momma,” before she promptly plops onto the bed and gazes into the full-size mirror fixed at the opposite side of the room, adjusting the floral clips in her hair.

Her mother wrings her hands, unsettled.

“Why don’t you go ahead and drop by the Pokemon center? Pick up your father’s Typhlosion from his bank account. The poor dear’s been decommissioned ever since your father received that promotion and they asked him to leave his Pokemon out of the work place. He can look after you - you can never be too sure of what kind of people are out there, Clementine. Don’t forget what happened with Team Plasma.”

“Tuscany?” Clementine lifts her head at the mention of the family’s watchdog, surprised at her mother’s seemingly effortless suggestion. When Clementine was in her teen ages, it was even more difficult to convince her parents to let her borrow the Typhlosion for her social outings than it was to gain access to the car keys. “... I have Kasarin, she’s already kick-ass in every sense of the word! I don’t need Tuscany.”

“Dear, he hasn’t grown senile YET. Your father’s had him for most of his life. He even looked after you when you were a little girl. I’ll feel assured knowing you have him by your side.”

Rather than shrug, Clementine juts her upper lip out, before swinging her legs lightly. The loyal bond between her and Kasarin is simply too robust to be broken. Her mother tries again.

“Or do you want to take Mariabelle…? The poor sheep can have much better things to do than to stay around the house all day long looking after this old lady.” In another substitute of the shrug the medic tugs at the corner of her lips, before swallowing lightly.

At one point in the past, Mariabelle had been a Mareep she’d raised single-handedly into an Ampharos for the sole purpose of having a trustworthy hand present to look after mama Fairchild while Clementine and her father were out working. With so much distance between Unova and home and factions of political terrorists germinating sporadically in every region, she tries to give plenty of gravity to preserving the welfare and security of the three people left in the humble Fairchild name.

Her principle, after all, is to always be prepared to show no hesitation in the face of danger! ✓

On that note, Clementine’s thoughts gravitate towards Eris once more, magnifying specifically over some of the last few words the ginger-haired woman had left the nurse with prior to their going separate ways: you truly are a saint, miss Fairchild.

…

Without the clause of someone else assuming such a thing, Clementine would usually offhandedly brand herself a ‘saint’ for her goodliness - it was after all a punchline gag of hers. Nonetheless, it felt somewhat alien to hear it from Eris who has gotten what she wanted and exchanged the nurse’s leisure for it. I know, Clementine had replied to her before they’d gone their separate ways. But it’ll take much more than a saint to save your friend, Eris, that much I can tell you ahead of time.

At the mouth of route 30 is where Eris awaits her now.

An inexplicable smile overcomes Clementine’s features before the woman latches her fingers onto the handle of her luggage and straightens. If she’ll be exploited, there’s a firm resolve in her to, as per formalities established uniquely by herself, candidly give her client a run for her money! ☆

❀++❀++❀

It's already begun to grow dark outside. Dry, crisp leaves scatter along the dusty path, whipped about by the evening breeze. Clementine treads the familiar route solo, lugging her baggage with ease thanks to the bit of brawn she'd developed from handling stretchers so often.

Surely enough, at the apex of the slight slope of the spacious footpath, a civil helicopter rests quietly and majestically. A figure looms behind the windshield, hardly discernible in this time of day and in such scarce light, but Clementine is sure from the slight bulk in the outline of their shoulders that it's unlikely the pilot is Eris.

As she graduates closer to the aircraft, her marvel for the machine grows. The last time she'd ridden one was at the wee age of 6, when her father and Driftveil's gym leader, Clay, had taken to the skies via an Explorer in order to survey the mountains from a bird's eye point of view and she had gotten the opportunity to be let aboard. 

Spotting Eris standing off to the flank of the helicopter, the nurse beams and raises her arm in some merriment to catch her attention, calling out. "We meet again, Eris! Gosh, you really must be something to be able to afford such a luxury! Having your own ride..."

[clems-old-acct-blog]

A short on Anton passing Valentine chocolates to Bentham.

naw Anton isn't ooc it's a personal fan joke

SPY vs SPY, I TELL YOU. 

I also drew a really shippy Anton x Brielle because asdfghjlk; Latte ships almost ALL of the things;; OTL OTL 

But my handheld scanner ran out of batteries so I'm just going to have to post that next time orz Replies will happen tomorrow! o/

[clems-old-acct-blog]

I AM NOT A MASOCHIST.

Pleased by his vehement denial, the nurse gives him a genuinely enthused round of applause.

"Yes! Shout it from the rooftops, Bentham! ☆"

[hedonisticwildcard]

✦

Clementine was treated as the Queen of Spades card by Bentham ever since their first - and hopefully their last - encounter. He would never admit it, but something about the nurse’s personality both puzzled and terrified him. 

"Do not even attempt to come within 15 meters of me, medic. You aren’t human.”

[clems-old-acct-blog]

“Tsk! You’re too pessimistic, gamester. ♪ Why do you only accept people who trod on your toes, mm? Even though you always return the sentiment in full! I know it!”

"Or… are you secretly a masochist? … You can confide in me, Bentham. No other human will ever know. ♥”

[clems-old-acct-blog]

BENTHAM *AND* DARREN IN 30 SECONDS CHALLENGE

[They had it coming Marjie.]

/edit: fine here is the actual 30-second sketch jeez

what are you talking about I totally drew this in 30 fucking seconds don’t try to think shit about me 

okay fine I changed the rules to “draw continuously without ever erasing”

Clementine: serve me, bitches

[memeinthevoid]

Send me "Draw Me" for a 30 second drawing of your muse.

**Warning: Drawings may be silly, goofy and poorly drawn. Viewer Discretion is advised.

[generationxia]

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Sungha Jung - “Hot Chocolate” from his 2013 album Paint it Acoustic

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Synthesis of Floret & Foliage [Clementine & Samuel]

It's exactly 9:30 PM, and Fortree city has grown quieter than a Rattata sheltering from the routine nightly calls of Noctowl tucked high up within the giants of the forest.

Ever since Clementine arrived two days ago to pay a visit to the Bauers - dear old friends of the Fairchild family - the extraordinary city has kept to the privacy of its own phenomena and the tranquility of its natural landscape. The city is in every bit as quaint as Clementine remembers from the uncountable number of times she's visited since childhood; everything about this place consistently continues to move slowly and placidly through the continuum of time.

Not to mention, a hodgepodge of aged memories of being young and incredibly fun are vested throughout the area for Clementine, even if she had hardly visited anywhere else in Hoenn as a child. But she certainly does remember the holidays spent at least once every year here, along with the days that saw simple games like hide-and-go-seek and right-light-green-light and Commando forest war. Scattered throughout the forestland are fleeting glimpses of two children of the past engaging in worry-less recreation and horseplay.

... Bugs are still plentiful regardless of the climate, however, and they cluster about the territory, confining Clementine indoors day in and day out what with her undying phobia of arthropods.  ✘ Such is the reason why Clementine fights nearly every need to leave the Bauer's tree-house, be it a need to gather groceries or to pick up miscellaneous necessities at the local Pokemart.

It's a bit of a pity that Samuel isn't home on the one chance Clementine found to visit Fortree to look after his grandmother, who snoozes quietly now in her armchair by the hearth with a throw tucked carefully over her lap by the off-work nurse. She does rather miss the shy kid whom she'd had sporadic yet ample opportunities to play and grow up with.

To satisfy her own boredom, Clementine opts to idle by the window immediately adjacent to the front door, gazing out into the star-riddled night sky in an attempt to commit the beauty of it to memory. Setting her tea mug down on the ledge, she leans forward slightly and thumps her forehead lightly against the cold glass, before shutting her eyes and letting a curious smile tug at her features.

"I wonder how Sammy's doing right now...?"

[clems-old-acct-blog]

4-koma: Body-swapped!Leaf & Xander

[Lol it's been ages since I touched the tablet... VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.]

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It's All Yours! [Clementine & Roman | EVENT]

[steel-and-smoke]

They were only a short distance from safety when the nurse stubbornly plants her heels into the hard cavern floor, causing Roman to turn and face her with increasing irritation clear on his face, only to have the sentiment returned to him in full, reflected on the nurse’s softer features. When she squares her shoulders and glares at him with an aura radiating indignation, it takes all of the man’s self control not to simply lose it and vocalize his own resentment.

"I thought I was saving your life,” he answers her question simply, seething the words through his clenched teeth. How was it even possible for someone to be such an ungrateful brat? Roman was certain beyond a doubt that if he hadn’t stepped in the nurse would have been lying on the frosted ground in bloodied pieces, yet still she found the brass to chastise him as if he had committed a crime.

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A contemptuous smile tugs at the nurse’s features. Her stubborn gaze burns a hole in the frosty cavern floor.

Roman’s words are like a drone to her ears as she gives him half the owed attention - enough to note the pointed remark he makes about the circumstances, but otherwise scant of being grateful for the favor he’d gone out of his way to do just for her sake. Of course, he seems none too pleased at the negative reception on Clementine’s part - but then again the impression he’s made for himself so far hardly betrays him as someone who’s easy to please, so the nurse does little to concern herself in that regard.

“Well, thank you for that then,” the nurse shoots back without an ounce of genuine gratitude in her words. Grasping the ends of her long scarf, she curtsies and beams a sarcastic smile his way to make her point. “Why, how could I discredit you? But I’ll have you know, I was treating that Beartic. So if you’re looking for real appreciation after maiming my patient then you’ve certainly got something else coming!”

How can he cruise by with the assumption that she actually needed him to come budging in and sending hours of her careful work down the drain? And just what would she do if the mother Beartic died from fatigue after that episode?

"We’re leaving. If you don’t plan on freezing to death or being mauled alive by wild pokemon, Miss Fairchild, then I suggest you follow."

Her eyes resemble two holes in a blanket, hardly giving her a dignified mien. Nonetheless, she narrows them as Roman proceeds to turns his back to her and stride off like the chivalrous gentleman that he is, his Luxray pacing in concert with his composed strides. A string of nasty but silent remarks lash at his ankles from Clementine’s corner, withheld only on preservation of the idea that a young woman must choose from her arsenal of insults with class. ♦

To come to think of it, what on earth is he doing on Twist Mountain in this weather?

“Hmph. Follow? Over my dead b…” Before she can finish sneering she abruptly realizes just how much those words might hit home hard and serve to ironically reiterate his point.

Luckily, the other seems to have gained enough distance to be out of earshot, so she sweeps that mistake under the rug as much daintiness and haste as possible. Refolding her crossed arms so that she hugs them instead, Clementine turns her resentful gaze to her Pokemon. Audino gives her a knowing coo and Kasarin slides her face along the nurse’s calf where a hole has somewhen found a place on her tights. A protesting chirp from atop her head reminds her of the candle Pokemon still stowed beneath her hat.

Momentarily dropping her guards, the medic releases a chuckle and crouches to distribute relieved hugs to her team, lips littering thanks to Ho-Oh - or Arceus, or whichever - for having kept her Pokemon safe and at her side even after barely scraping past death due to a wrong decision on her part. After returning Audino and Litwick to their capsules, Clementine straightens herself and promptly hurries after Roman’s retreating form before it can escape her sight, still prideful yet too jaded to be willing to lose her way once more.

She’s likely never appreciated the feeling of the sheer cold more than she does now as she emerges back into the open after so many hours of being cooped up in the chambers of the mountain. What greets her outside is barely good news: the torrent of snow is so thick that it's nearly impossible to see anything ahead of them. As she and Kasarin trot closer to where Roman’s stopped near the ledge that slopes down to the foothills and the center base of the mountain, she can see that the man also seems to have hit a wall in light of the weather.

“Knight in shining armor, hm? You know, I’m starting to think the Beartics were in dire need of being saved from you,” tucking scarf closer to her neck and her arms behind her, Clementine chooses to pick her snarkiness up from where she’d left off earlier instead of zipping it - even under the realization that she’s no less helpless against their current foe, the climate. Still, what better time than now to settle unfinished business if they won’t be getting anywhere anytime soon?

“Well then, pleased to freeze to death with you, Mr. O’Connell. ♥”

It’s nothing but pure lip and no substance - ungrateful back talk thrown out just for the sake of haughtily contradicting him. Selfish, too, but seeing as she feels as though he’s sabotaged her accomplishments the nurse shows little sign of caring for taking mercy on the poor man’s frustrated state. Sighing and crouching, she leans her chin into the heels of her palms and opts to hold a conversation with Roman’s Luxray instead.

“How about you, darling? Are you alright at least? Do you need any treatment?”

[reedingtherapy-deactivated20140]

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The Call - REGINA SPEKTOR

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Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light You'll come back when it's over No need to say goodbye ♪

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13

TMI: Grab-bag Prompts - (13) My muse meets yours in a brothel, and rents you for the night.

[AU where Pokemon don’t exist & where Clementine works in a brothel or something (……idfk Meltic you are lucky I love you)]

"Lovely evening, isn’t it?"

It’s only when the voice of a young male pipes up that Clementine realizes she isn’t alone in the boudoir. For how long had she unwittingly had his company? How had he even entered through the door without her noticing?

The walls are rather thin; normally, any sort of human movement would have alerted the woman’s attention - even if the noise wasn’t created from within her immediate vicinity. There is most definitely someone standing behind her, however - she can make out his stationary form standing beneath the meager lights of the old chandelier, watching her with a solemn aura around him.

Somewhat astonished, Clementine pivots in her seat, drawing her night robe over the scant amount of clothing she’s wearing beneath, swiftly concealing her legs beneath the silk garment. A tricky silence dawns upon the room as she surveys him wordlessly, unsure of what to respond with at first. There’s a peculiar, impenetrable look in his eyes, which fail to instill fear in her, as if telling her that even if his presence is unwarranted it… is not exactly unwelcome.

Why, despite most likely being a legal adult, the ‘boy’ looks as though he could be her younger brother. Never has she had such a client before.

Quietly shifting her gaze towards the window where the thin curtains are drawn back, she finds an answer to his question in the foggy night, where the streetlight can vaguely be discerned from the thick mist. Looking back to him, she replies amiably, “I agree.”

When he doesn’t motion to approach her or say anything else, she releases a small sigh and returns to fixing the flowers clipped in her hair above the nape of her neck. Whatever it is he wants - be it her services or even her life - he can most likely take without sanctioning her alternate options, but with her integrity as a girl long lost Clementine figures even her life wouldn’t be worth much to him. Not to mention, it is already beginning to feel like none of the above are his motives for presenting himself tonight.

So why is he here?

"There’s no need to do this to yourself," He says finally, and she knows exactly what he is referring to even though this is the first time she’s heard it from one of the many strangers who have visited this room - and from the youngest one of them, no less. "The world outside is much more opportune, much brighter, you see."

Clementine lets out an entertained, delighted and soft laugh. “Oh, my. Are you one of those knights in shining armors like in those childhood tales? A bit young though!”

He shakes his head, a long cascade of green hair shifting with the movement, before his shoulders raise in a quasi-shrug. “Nothing of the sort. I may be naive sometimes, but I can assure you… My will is steadfast. I have the means for getting you out of this place.”

"That’s alright, boy, some naiveté from you will probably do me good," She gives him a particularly bemused look. "But, why me? Hypothetically speaking, I mean… if you do wind up getting me out of here, that is. There are a lot of girls who come from good backgrounds who wound up in his hell hole just like I had, you know. I am no more qualified to be rescued than they are."

"I hear you’re different." Clementine’s brows arch.

"Different?"

"Don’t tell me you’ve resigned to this fate. It isn’t any good for you. With my help, you can take back your old life, I guarantee you that much. You love restoring things with your hands, don’t you? You were a nurse, a healer."

She bites back tears. “Even now, I heal all sorts of things. You couldn’t imagine. Everything still has sentiment even now-“

"Looks like you’ve lost your way," He interjects, and even if she’s still rattling on with excuses his clear and resolute voice overpowers hers. "Accept the help, Clementine Fairchild. This isn’t the life you were meant for. Once you restore yourself to your former glory, it’s only then that you’ll be qualified for this rescue. Once that happens, you’ll be able to rescue the girls here as well, won’t you? Your hands were meant to restore."

Clementine is pale as a ghost, and she stares emptily at her reflection in the mirror, observing the shadow of her former self within it. Is she dreaming? Is it simply going to be over just like this? Her lips tremble as she turns back towards him, gloved fingers grasping onto his hand.

"I concede, then. I don’t have the right to argue against that kind of logic. But how…?"

"Leave it to me," He finishes lightly, drawing her up onto both feet. "Just swear to me that you are as kind as the rumors say. The girls in the rest of these parlors need you. The world right now will do well with another hero."

"Starting with you?" She chuckles through tears, drawing him into a hug. "What is your name?"

"Natural Harmonia Gropius. Come," He draws her wrist gently. "Pack lightly, you won’t need to keep anything from this old life."

"Natural! I am forever indebted to you."

He has a warm smile, it shines through the fog of the night. “Don’t mind what my background is. As long as our objectives are working in tandem, we’ll be equals.”

[herroyaldarkness]

Without looking, put a number between 1-42 in my ask box! [grab bag edition]

So you all know how these go, below the cut is a list of 42  RP prompts that came to me. If you’re feeling extra brave, reblog without looking! This list has a nice mix of shippy, non-shippy, fluffy, cracky, angsty, nsfw, and sfw and such forth. Who knows what you’ll get?  *Also gender and sexuality neutral!

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☂ or ✘ ! or both! o wo

TMI: Prompts

☂ : muses are caught in the rain together;  

✘: muses get into a fight.

Serious conversations have been scarce, if not absolutely nonexistent between Roman and Clementine. Up until now there has been an abundance of everything else: plenty of raillery here and there, basic communication ordering each other what to do and what not to do, one-sided narration-esque commentary on the ex-detective’s moods and actions… It’s almost as if their relationship - whatever it is right now - relies heavily on what Clementine chooses to touch upon.

And maybe she’d underestimated the magnitude of how much their interactions had grown to depend on the things that do or don’t come out of her mouth. They’ve been acquainted for a while now, and she’s learned little in regards to where Roman’s berserk buttons are located - let alone gotten the chance to figure out how to avoid them. Or maybe, in the illusion she’d fabricated that they could be good friends, she never really realized there was a necessity to be sensitive to how he feels?

Up until now, it hadn’t even really mattered all that much what they both thought of each other - their relationship is one of those ‘something like that’ things that don’t receive much plot and leaves plenty to be desired - not by the two of them, though, and that’s what makes it all the more dysfunctional. Well, he seemed content enough to have her in bed with him once in a while,  and for a while it was kind of a sentiment shared by the medic herself: as a result, they never quibbled over anything completely personal.

Not until she cleverly joked, you won’t be able to keep anybody around with an attitude like that, and he said, that would be none of your damn business, and simply left her standing on the gloomy streets with the rain soaking him and his umbrella in her hands. For a little while after watching his retreating back vanishing around the corner of the block, she’d just stood their motionlessly, wondering what it was it was that she’d set off.

At first she’d seethed over the fact that he couldn’t take her well-meant joke for what it was.

Slowly, however, the dreadful feeling that she’d just committed a big wrong sank into her, tormenting her like one of the demons possessing him that she’d never actually learned about. Suddenly the umbrella in her hand is uncannily heavily, and she allows it to drop without an ounce of protest available in her.

Fine, so maybe she does care about Roman’s feelings a lot more than she makes herself out to - but with this being her ‘first’ offense, can’t she at least receive a little bit of leeway…?

I am irresponsible! But I meant well! she wants to shout at him, but he’s gone and let Castelia of the nighttime swallow him up. He’s always out of her reach, and it’s now occurring to her how much she actually wants that to change for the better. That can probably easily start with a simple ‘I’m sorry’, but Clementine can’t say those words easily. Somehow, even when born with a selfless temperament, the words ‘I’m sorry’ are not something she can compute and spit out - not to him, at least.

Why?

Because he always refuses to open himself up a little more. Because he never smiles at me. Because our relationship is far more meaningful than the ones I have with the countless guys I’ve dated, and even so I’ve never received gratitude or flowers or candy from him like the others at least bother to…

Before Clementine knows it she’s struck herself hard across the cheek with the flat of her hand. This is absolute lunacy; where had she allowed her melodramatic mind to wander off to?

She hasn’t cried in over nine years over anything at all, but now she’s not sure if she’s actually doing it or if the rain is just warm and salty. With a sniff, she runs a sleeve across her eyes and tries to suppress the guilt she feels for offending Roman. She doesn’t know how she’s done it, but she just doesn’t want to be on his bad side, that’s all.

She stares at the spot he’d stood over before he’d last given her that poisonous look and turned to go, muttering, “I’m sorry, Mr. O’Connell, I trampled all over your feelings…” but there’s no one around to hear it.

Hanging her head, she stoops to gather his umbrella from the asphalt ground. He’s going to need this back, at least, right?

So until next time he needs to see me, I guess. I’ll practice my sorries until then! ☆