Fortnite: Project Mecha

Chapter 24: Celebration

Sanctuary had never been more packed with people.
Where the location had once been a dull stone colour, there were bright paints that had been smeared across the now unmissable surfaces. These paints were also strewn across the sand and on some trees (inflatable and natural), with people stepping in the paints and therefore ruining their shoes and staining their feet. It was impossible to know whose idea it had been to do that.
At first, it had been just a Seven party, with TnTina being an honoured guest. But then Lynx had asked Fable if she wanted to come, and Fable had told her friends and so on and so on, to the point where (according to the Scientist) just over 200 people were at the party. Bursting at the seams would be an innacuracte description - the seams barely even existed any more!
And yet, Drift had found a quiet spot where very few people were, just within the second floor of the main building. He was drinking a cocktail that tasted of so many different fruits at the same time it seemed impossible, and was wondering if it'd be a good idea to get another one. Probably not. Getting drunk would not be a good ending to his first night after being free from IO. Besides, he had more days of celebration in which to get drunk.
The onlookers who knew Drift or had seen him around would've thought that he had looped recently. In truth, he had changed his own clothes, inspired by Skye to try something different.
He had ditched his tank top for a tropical button-up shirt that faded from a colour that was seemed neither red nor pink but looked very close to both, like a compromise. It was patterned with kitsunes, and he also wore a wooden necklace that had a kitsune emblem on it. His new swim shorts were black and that same red-pink and on his left leg, he had a very realistic looking temporary tattoo, one which looked like mist. It stopped just above his knee, and his gold and black sandals could be found just before that. It was a very chill fit.
The Imagined appeared beside Drift, and he jumped, having not noticed her, "There you are! Hanging away from all the noise, are you?"
"That's me. Mr Quiet Guy." Drift laughed weakly.
They both laughed before they stared at a fixed point at the wall, silent. The Imagined looked to the floor and then at Drift. Light from a nearby window spread across the Imagined's pale face, not going into her eyes so she didn't need to squint. Her gaze was firm and clear.
"You're amazing." the Imagined smiled, "You were there for me when I was thinking of finding the Paradigm, and you came up with ways to soften the blow if we couldn't find her, and even though we did, you helped me more than anyone's actively tried to help me ever. Thank you for believing in me, my design, everything."
Drift had never felt like he'd been there for her enough, but he didn't argue, "Thanks. You deserve to be helped, you're a good person."
"I know a lot of people who'd say that." the Imagined sighed, "But not many would act on it, not like you did. I'm glad you chose me, which sounds a bit conceited but know that there's sentimental value in there somewhere."
"I don't think it does." Drift smiled subtly.
The Imagined grimaced, "Sorry, being sentimental was never really my thing."
Drift thought back through what she had said before and then what he'd said before and then rushed to reply, "Wait! I meant that I don't think that it sounds conceited."
"Oh. Oh! Sorry, trust me to mess that up!" the Imagined laughed awkwardly.
"No, don't say that. You didn't do anything wrong." Drift shook his head and layed his hand on her shoulder.
"See what I mean? You're just... you're just..."
The Imagined stared at her hands as if she expected to find the next words she could say, but didn't. So, she instead took those hands and used them to embrace Drift, making his heart feel as if it had been wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. In truth, Drift had been happy to meet her too.
"Sorry." the Imagined apologised.
"I already told you not to be." Drift grinned.
For the first time in a long time, Drift didn't feel worried. It seemed that neither did she... and so, it seemed that life has gotten better for the both of them.
"Let's see if they've saved us any pizza." Drift winked.
"I bet they haven't." the Imagined guffawed carelessly. People turned to stare at them and she glanced around quickly before appearing more reserved.
"There's only one way to find out." Drift chuckled.

***

The temperature outside was getting warmer, but the room Mothy hung around in seemed to be getting colder by the second, a second Winter approaching in small bursts like cracks in a window pane. Mothy hugged himself, wishing for comfort that was there but blocked out by a solid, unmovable and yet invisible armour.
Raz looked different. Mothy barely noticed, but he chose to give him a little look. Raz's shirt was black and had grey graffiti patterns on it, the sleeves almost at Raz's elbows. He wore jean shorts with small rips in them (a stylistic choice most likely) and below he had white socks with small red stripes on them, accompanied by sleek black trainers. There was a hand on Raz's shoulder. The Origin was stood there. Mothy hadn't even seen him.
"Plague wouldn't want you moping around, he'd want you to enjoy your life. I want you to enjoy your life." Raz whispered into Mothy's ear hidden behind his mask.
"I don't want to." Mothy mumbled inaudibly. He shuddered with tears that wanted to come but were all dried up.
"What was that, my love?" Raz asked, softly and patiently. Mothy wasn't in the mood for what was obviously meant to patronise.
"I DON'T WANT TO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he shrieked.
Mothy stood up sharply, yanked his helmet off of his tear-stained face and threw it with all of his might at the wall. When the mask rolled over after it hit the ground, Mothy knew that Raz could see that one of the eyes had been chipped a little. It left a gaping hole, just like the gaping hole in his heart which Plague had left.
"No!" Mothy gasped.
"I-it's fine. I can fix it." Raz replied nonchalantly, his voice only stumbling a little. Mothy looked at him, wondering what he could possibly be thinking about him.

***

Raz was sure that his stress would just go away after the war, but it still clasped at him like a beartrap bites into a helpless victim. He just wanted Mothy to be ok. That was all he wanted, but the chances of that happening soon were slim. Really slim. Dangerously slim.
"I-it's fine. I can fix it." Raz told Mothy, and himself. He hoped that he could, but he couldn't confirm anything.
"Let's hope so." his father added. He didn't sound like he believed it was possible.
The door opened. Lynx and Skye stood there and Skye looked as if she was about to say something, but stopped herself when she saw the helmet. Her jaw dropped for a moment, but she shut it again quickly enough.
"Um, do you guys want pizza? There's some left, but it's going quick so you might want to hurry." Lynx winced.
Raz smiled weakly at Mothy, "Do you want some pizza? Let's go down and get some."
"I don't want pizza." Mothy blubbered. He sat down again, hugging his knees.
"Then I'll get you some." Raz replied flatly.
"I don't want..."
"It'll be there if you want it. Let's go, dad."
Raz picked up the helmet and held it under his armpit. He walked out of the room and the Origin silently followed him. Raz could see Skye and Lynx glance at each other in his peripheral vision but didn't say anything. When the door closed, everything was silent.
"Are you ok?"
It was Skye. She looked worried. Of course she did.
"I'm fine. I'm going to fix Mothy's helmet and then he'll be happier." Raz nodded.
"Don't lie to me, Raz." Skye tutted.
"I'm not lying."
"You so are! I've been your friend ever since you arrived on the previous island, I know when you're lying." Skye shook her head with a laugh that sounded exasperated. It was the sort of laugh someone did when they didn't think that anything was funny.
"I just... I just felt like things were-" Raz's voice cracked. He told himself that he could not going to cry in front of Skye, "I felt like things were supposed to be better when you came back and the war ended, but it's worse. I've never known Mothy to be this distraught... I need to fix this helmet. I need to fix us."
"What about the Scientist? And I have some skill in scrapbooking, that must mean something." Skye reminded him pleadingly, "You aren't alone."
"Ok." Raz choked, "I missed you."
Skye smiled meekly, "I missed you too. Also, I got John to save you a slice of your favourite, let's go get it!"
"Mushrooms, really? Why did anyone even order that?" Raz sniggered.
"Because you wanted it, and we all know that you're stressing." Skye explained.
Raz felt his heart double in size as he stood there, the care that she gave him making him feel warm and safe. Happy, almost. But there were problems that needed to be addressed... but they'd fix themselves in their own time. Raz, too, had won this war. He deserved to enjoy himself while the parties were still going on, and so he followed Skye down the corridor along with the Origin and Lynx to eat his mushroom pizza.

To be continued...