Promised Land

[4] Why Do I Ruin Every Good Thing I Get?

Of course, his pen decides to die out in the middle of him writing. Of course.

It's not that he doesn't have any other pens around him. Ranboo has quite the collection of pens formed, of black ballpoint that he does all his classwork in, and writes in his journal in, so another dead one doesn't mean much to him in the long run.

But it happens in the middle of him writing down the details of the zoo, and he hates how the ink fades out in the middle of one of his words.

It's a simple thunk in the little trash can by his desk and a woosh of his desk drawer opening to find another pen. His hands graze one of his older journals, from a few years ago, when he first started to write down his days and thoughts in order to remember things.

His memory issues are getting better. Before he would have no idea of the things that happened the previous day. The nuns were wearing thin on patience when Sister Marie handed him a composition notebook to write down all his thoughts in so hopefully he'd remember when he promised to read a kid a book or when he promised to help someone make dinner.

It was much better than it used to be, but it also wasn't.

He sighs, finishing the sentence he was writing before shutting his current journal. It lays comfortably under his pillow when he's done. Not out of a shame of hiding from any of the Sisters, or because he doesn't want them to know. They never look through his journal because it's mostly boring , in Sister Anne's words.

It was a habit for when he still lived in a room with other boys. They would find it and read it and laugh at him. Even if it was under his pillow, they would still sneak it out when Ranboo wasn't around and read it. But now that he's alone, he should feel free to leave it out wherever. None of the younger kids come into his room anymore.

The echo of the key locking, and a faint "Goodnight, Ranboo," from the other side of the door seals his fate for the night.

He lets himself fall back on the bed. He hasn't changed out of the clothes he wore to the zoo, yet, even though they're a little sweaty. He had wanted to get a quick shower out of the way before it was night time and his door was locked, but it seemed like the hours got away from him. And he forgot. Too focused on trying to remember every detail of the day he had just had.

It was one of the best days he's ever had.

Even though it started out a little awkward. Phil and Techno were strange adults, but if they were related to Tommy, then it made sense that they were all that way. Tubbo, too, was strange, but not in the way that Tommy and his family seemed to radiate.

The zoo was interesting, too. He'd finished his report on the lions he had saw and turned it in as soon as he had finished it, and then immediately went to recount the details of the day. From Tommy taunting the birds and getting attacked, to Tubbo in the garden and how happy he was, to the awkward conversation that occurred in the cafe with Phil and Techno.

He didn't want to forget anything.

The Odyssey.

It was strange his brain jumped to that so quickly. The book Techno had been reading. Ranboo hadn't gotten to ask what it was about, or if he liked it or not. The eldest brother had his nose buried in it for most of the day, and was in the cafe the entire time, but he had seemed to finish it by the end of the day and mostly made a few snide quips to Phil in the car on the way back to the park.

He wondered if he would be able to find a copy of it at the library on their next library trip.

The flicker of lights and laughter down the hall brought him back to the present moment. The electricity was worn down in the old orphanage, and they should definitely get it checked out before a fire starts, but he hadn't seen any electricians in the building in years.