Deleted Scene May Recycle Later
Naota and Fletcher stepped into Strange Heart a few moments later. “Oh hey Naota, you just missed Alicia and Erica,” said Valerie. She smiled at them while wiping the display case with a rag and spray bottle.
Naota had slipped into a pink blouse with lots of ruffles and a violet skirt. “Oh that’s unfortunate. We could have hung out together. Hey Fletcher, this is Tiffany’s assistant, Valerie. Valerie, this is Fletcher. He’s one of the Peppermint Knights.” She presented Fletcher like a host showing off the guest of honor.
Fletcher smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck. “Oh um, hi, it’s nice to meet you.” He offered a handshake that she happily accepted. “So this is Strange Heart. I’ve heard the others mention it once or twice, I’ve been meaning to come but never got the chance. Actually, it’s kind of strange that I’ve never come in before.”
“Card Force is everywhere,” said Naota. “You can get them at the bookstore, at game stores, comic shops, and more. It’s hilarious how long you can be an Enforcer without actually setting foot in a specialized card shop.”
“So did you need to buy new cards?” Naota asked Fletcher. When Fletcher asked Naota where she wanted to hang, she didn’t have any response, so she turned the choice to Fletcher.
A backdoor screaked open and Tiffany herself stepped into the room, wearing a blue and white blouse. She set down the heavy looking boxes in her arms. She relieved Valerie of her duties, letting the younger woman have a break.
Fletcher shook his head. “No, I just thought it might be nice to finally visit this place. The Peppermint Knights seem to talk about it a lot. Although since we’re here we might as well take a look.”
“Hey, Fletcher, what do you think of Rose Storm?” Naota asked suddenly.
Fletcher scratched his head, puzzled. “Well, like Erica said, it isn’t as super powerful as some Tier 7 Cards can be, but with a bit of luck you can turn the tide, just like Erica did.” His shoulders tensed a little as he spoke.
“How did you feel when Erica used it to beat TJ? Because to be honest, you seemed jealous.” Naota’s face was blank, a neutral non-judgmental look, neither condoning nor condemning Fletcher’s emotions.
“It’s normal, you know,” said Naota.
“I guess I did. I felt jealous. I want Erica to like me. I want her to have fun playing Card Force. And when she wins a tough battle, I would have loved for her to think of me, for it to be a card I gave her that did it.
“She and Alicia get along so well, I can’t help but feel jealous every time I see them together. I’m glad Erica won, of course I am. It would have been terrible if she lost to an infected. But when she won because of the card Alicia gave her, I felt so jealous.” Fletcher’s hands started to shake. “And I just want to hit myself for it.”
Tiffany smiled at Fletcher. “It’s normal to want to be special to the one you care about. You shouldn’t hate yourself just for having negative emotions. It’s what you do with those emotions that matters.
“Everyone has negative emotions. Jealousy is normal. What matters is turning that jealousy into something positive. Don’t do anything reckless or self-destructive because of it.”
“You mean don’t lash out at her or Alicia? Don’t worry,” said Fletcher. “They’re my friends, I could never hurt my friends.”
Tiffany narrowed her eyes. “I trust that you will not. We’re all told from a young age that it’s wrong to lash out at others. To hurt the ones we care about, to hurt those close to them out of jealousy, it’s easy to see why this is wrong.
“But there are other ways of lashing out. There’s a fine line between coping and self-destructing. I respect you two as customers and what you choose to do is your business. I will not stop you.”
Fletcher scratched his head. “I really don’t get it.”
Naota frowned. “She’s worried you’ll do the same thing I did. Because we’re the same. That’s why Donovan said I’m at the center of your Beat Whirlwind. You were trying desperately to show Erica how you felt about her, while I tried desperately to show you how I felt about you.”
“What brings you to my shop today, Fletcher?” Asked Tiffany. “I will help you the best I can, but you must tell me the purpose of your visit.”
Fletcher hung his head. “I
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