𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑-𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 | 𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡

ix. a game of jenga

𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐍 𝐈 𝐍 𝐄

𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖻𝗒:
𝗆𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗍

𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚

𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄. Something she could only describe as one of the most conflicted, hardest tasks she now knew.

Sure, there was sidestepping away from one of Ironhide's hits during their training—

A familiar pang hit her spark, prompting her to immediately clear her thoughts.

There was avoiding the truth of something, much like when she didn't want to believe her carrier had offlined...

While all difficult to feel, much less comprehend in their own ways, this had to be the most of a paradox she stumbled into.

Eclipse used to want him to be standing in front of her, now she walked in the opposite direction.

She used to want to hear him talk and ramble out of nervousness because he couldn't help it and she thought it was adorable, now she couldn't be bothered to see what the notebook of his words said.

She used to want to stare into his owlish, blue optics she adored so much, now... she shied her eyes away from his gaze.

The feelings were there, but yet, not there at all—only hidden by her outburst of hurt so they sank and sank under everything else. Every nice thing that had ever been said by the mech was now clouded with his words from the previous night. It was strange how such things worked. How you spend weeks, perhaps months or years, building a bond, only for it to crumble by one thing. It was like pulling the forbidden piece of wood in a game of Jenga only to send the whole tower built up to the ceiling straight to the floor.

Not to say it's not fixable. It's entirely possible that it can be rebuilt, though it won't be what it was before, only reusing the same pieces. This time, with more care, it can become even higher and stronger than it was before. The second time around the game will move much slower and careful but building all the same.

Or it can be left forgotten on the floor.

Eclipse, in another act of avoidance, found herself wandering down the hall that held their bedrooms. Her eyes were drawn from the wooden tiles beneath her feet to Maria's opened door. She didn't necessarily mean to snoop, but the girl's actions and fast muttering were quite the attention grabber.

The brunette was sitting on her bed, muttering curses and other indecipherable words. Her narrowed eyes were on a folder laying in her lap and she harshly swiped fallen locks of her hair away from her face every few seconds. Everything about her screamed distress and frustration.

Her curiosity overpowered the politeness of minding her own business as she lightly knocked on the door frame.

The girl instantly sat up, slamming the file in her lap shut as her eyes shot toward Eclipse. The faint trace of eyebags didn't go unnoticed.

Concern struck her, "Are you okay? Should I grab Ellie—"

Before she could even take a step out of the doorway to find the other sister, Maria swung her hand up, "No!"

She cleared her throat, correcting her tone, "I mean—no."

Eclipse furrowed her brows, "What's going on, M?" The fact she didn't want to tell her sister was beyond concerning. Whatever it was, it was keeping her from getting a good night sleep.