Stars Forever Falling

Chapter 2: Life under the Glass

~2 Months Later~

The majority of the main city area was populated by the enthusiastic and youthful. Skyscrapers touching the heavens, embracing the cool mountain mist which sparkled with an array of colour, reflecting the building's neon lights and prism architecture. A perfect paradise for those wanting to achieve greatness and live a life of luxury and fun.

The further you travel down the mountain the further away you found yourself from your dreams. The jailhouse was of course aptly named "Rock Bottom Rehabilitation Centre for troubled Young Rageons." Where the inhabitants inside were mostly teenagers, an entire other section was dedicated to its few adult inmates as there was a separate prison for them altogether underground.

Initially Velvet and Veneer were processed further up a glistening marble white sky scraper cop shop, that only just reached the bottom of the cloud line, until they were transferred via a lift all the way down to ground level where the cell blocks were located. The two of them over the last couple of months faced several court trials and interrogations, and when it came to those, they both weren't the open books they had once stated to be.

The trolls involved in the crimes against them had cut all communications off from Mount Rageous and had returned to the obscurity of their forest home miles away from the lanky giants. However, despite this, charges were still brought against the twins as they were labelled as dangers within their world's community. Troll torture was in fact the least of their society's concerns. Fraud, however, in a society made from plastic perfection, was incredibly frowned upon and was more or less the main focus of the investigation into their deception.

Some arguments were made that the fraud side of this huge scandal was blown up into proportion, more by the fact that after interrogation, any further leads on how Floyd and eventually his counterparts were captured, and the methods used to extract his and their talent went cold. During a solo interrogation with Velvet, she admitted to have been assisted by a known wanted bergen citizen that had long been on the run from Bergen Town by the title of "Chef" but she refused to give anymore information on the matter. Though it was more than likely that she didn't have every piece to the puzzle herself. Upon further pressing, it was revealed that Veneer was unaware of this collaboration initially and appeared visibly upset for a short moment but not entirely bothered by the news.

Rageon society had taught them one thing growing up; you can be fake, but don't get caught being so.

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Prison life was very much similar to a student's, filled with routine, chores, discipline, and a playground like hierarchy. One morning, Veneer had been given mopping and cleaning duties in the bathroom areas, although it wasn't to his liking, not that it was supposed to be, it wasn't the worst, despite the fact the bathroom floors were never truly clean, like most of the prison, he tried his best. Sometimes. A guard would stand watch while he and another inmate cleaned up, and on occasion would get yelled at for stopping to look in the mirror, attempting to fix his hair. It had shrivelled and frizzled under the harsh conditions of hair gel confiscation, and lay limp on his scalp to the point that you could mistake it for his mop.

"Hey- head warden said we've been doing a pretty good job round' here lately and said we could have another hour in the music room if we wanted this afternoon. You in?" The blue haired inmate beside Veneer asked with a little encouragement. He waited for a response and stood there leaning on his mop for support, while blowing his long hair out of his face.

"A little late notice don't you think? But sure! Always up for entertaining you guys~" Veneer responded, bending over, inspecting his teeth in a cloudy mirror before wiping it down with spray and a stained cloth then standing up right to inspect. "Right after I visit my sister."

Blue hair shuddered at the thought of hearing Veneer's true voice again later and for a moment regretted asking. But in the short time that his cell mate had been inside he noticed that Veneer had managed to create some connections, especially with him and a few others that took particular interest in using the music room to form a small amateur band for their enrichment activities. Although really their small gatherings were a glorified karaoke club. He tilted his head to the side as he looked his workmate up and down as if to say with his eyes 'are you serious?' "What makes you so sure she'll want to see you later? You've tried every week to get her to come around but- let's just say she's not in solitary for no reason."

Veneer looked back into the mirror and raised his chipped nail polished hand to his brow, tracing his fingers along the long deep scratch that had faded since his arrival there. He paused and exhaled before snapping his neck back to blue with attitude in his stance. "My sister isn't crazy! She's just a bitch!" He corrected and leant down to pick up the now mucky mop water bucket by the handle, passing him with his head raised high and walking out of the bathroom to confirm he was finished. Blue grabbed the other cleaning materials he had left behind and followed.

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Velvet's long locks draped down her shoulders and back like a funeral shroud. Her back to the light, her face half buried in a hard pillow, facing the wall as she looped her arms under her knees to pull them up to her chest. So far her experience inside had been quite the stark contrast to her brother's. For the most part she was her usual stuck up self, expecting royalties due to her nevermore status. She would get into fights with other inmates trying to call herself the Top Bitch of her block and act like tough shit. She was punished for her behaviour each time, even for using the dyes from candies as makeup, she was unaware that Veneer had also received a slapped wrist for doing the same thing a few weeks prior.

But, unlike him, she was completely and utterly alone. She had been paired with other inmates in a sharing cell before but due to her continued disobedience she was removed. There came long periods, days at a time where she would just lay there staring at the wall. The reason for this? It was her punishment. Four walls in a cramped box cell all to herself. The silence was deafening and the only thing louder in there that wasn't herself was the continued buzz of the yellow light on the ceiling that barely worked. When things got a little too quiet she talked to herself out loud, which turned into singing which turned into screaming.

Alone. A faded yellow spotlight and a crusty orange uniform. Thousands of voices used to call out her name, and before that, her sibling did the same. She'd never been alone like this before. It frightened her, drove her off the edge into shakes until her eyes flashed magenta and she punched a wall. Usually in the same spot as she paced her room on repetitive days.

She lay there in the shadow facing the wall almost still until-

"Hey Vels, are you up?" A familiar voice asked from outside, and she lifted her head.

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Henloooooo to the one person reading my fic so far I love youuuu hahaha I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I shall be back with Chapter 3 soon, stay tuned! 💖