Balance of Darkness

Mothers, Cousins, and Friends

   Richard was excited to see her cousin for the first time in years. They would've meet at the infamous wedding 2.0., but they were driven apart by the same fiasco that may have saved humanity.

   Richard couldn't believe her luck; she was seeing her cousin, her mother, and her friends all in the same week. 

   Her mother and father divorced because they always got in arguments and neither wanted to raise a child in an environment like that. Jonathan never wanted them to split up, but he agreed to it for Richard. 

   Halley was her name; and she was always happy around Richard. Her eyes were a shimmering blue, her hair a roaring red mane that curled around her shoulders. Richard was almost a copy of her father, which was unfortunate because her mother was beautiful.

   And Triste! Triste and Richard had been friends for years and would play together even as small kids, but they're parents stopped meeting as often and they slowly grew apart. Richard was ecstatic about them uniting once more.

   And did Richard even need to explain why she couldn't wait to see her three closest friends again?

   Fleur stopped by most often, once or twice a week, and most of the time they just tended to the flowers on the balcony on the porch and talked. She was surprisingly strong willed, which Richard didn't see her when they first met.

   Lithium and Nyxium had only showed up a few times, and only briefly. Ever since they started dating they had been all around the world, which was impressive for the short time period of a month.

   When they did show up, it was separately. That was sad for Richard, mostly because they were the cutest couple to ever walk the Earth.

   But they all agreed to come back in town for the week for a get together, and to meet Richard's mother and cousin. One of which was about to arrive!

   "Calm down Richie!" Jonathan laughed as his daughter bounced around the room. "Just because you're moving fast doesn't mean they will be."

   "Sorry, I'm just really excited," Richard replied. "I haven't seen Triste in years, and I've never even meet Luna!"

   "You were supposed to see her at the wedding, but..." Jonathan looked sheepish, and Richard gave him a hug.

   "It's okay daddy," She smiled. "It wasn't your fault, it was that demon of woman Karine's."

   "I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I married her," Jonathan sighed. "She has zero redeeming qualities."

   "You divorced her, so everything's better," Richard assured. "Now, let's greet my cousins for the first time in forever!"

   Almost as if on cue, the elevator dinged. Out stepped Triste, holding onto Luna's hand and her bag at the same time. 

   Triste was very different than when they had last met. Their hair was originally a soft brown, but had been colored black with the bangs colored a blue as electric as their eyes. They were also wearing a pair of thick-rimmed prescription glasses. 

   Their outfit consisted of worn jeans, leathers boots, a gray shirt, and a black jacket to top it all off. Although it wasn't Richard's style, she had to admit they pulled it off really well.

   "Hey Triste!" Richard greeted, running up to them excitedly. "Nice to see you again. It's been forever, hasn't it?"

   "Yeah, it really has been," They smile, although they looked a little nervous. "You've certainly changed a lot."

   "You too," Richard replied. "I really like how you colored your hair!"

   "Oh, thanks," They laughed. 

   "Hey Triste, hey Luna," Jonathan smiled. "Your rooms are right over here," 

   Richard grinned from ear to ear had her father showed her two cousins where there rooms would be. Triste was just like she remembered, shy and on edge. 

   "So when are your friends coming over?" Jonathan asked as he left to let Luna and Triste unpack their belongings. It was actually surprising the seven year could unpack, but this family held all kind of surprises.

   "In an hour," Richard replied, checking her watch. "Fleur will be here sooner, though. She's not busy much, since school let out."

   "Fleur's a nice kid," Jonathan smiled. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

   It only took Triste a few minutes to get settled, and afterwords she came out and sat next to her cousin on the couch.

   "Sorry my parents couldn't drop us off or anything," They apologized. "They had to catch their flight."

   "It's okay," Richard smiled. "I mean, you made it alive, so everything is okay, right?"

   "I guess," Triste smiled. They looked nervous, like they wanted to say something. "Hey Richard,"

   "Yes?" Triste took a moment to gather their courage.

   "I thought you should know that I'm non-binary," They said in one quick breath. Luckily, Richard was good at speaking fast.

   "Oh, that's okay," She replied immediately, to Triste's surprise. "If that's what you identify with, I'm cool with it. It's none of my business how you feel."

   "Thanks," Triste replied, smiling widely. "You're the most tolerant person I've meet so far."

   "Wait until you meet my friends," Richard said. "They're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Although Nyxium can be a bit cold at times. Don't take it personally."

   Their conversation was interrupted by the ding of an elevator announcing a certain aura's arrival. As the door slid open, her familiar blond hair shined in the light almost as brightly as her smile. 

   "Hey Richard," She greeted. "It's nice to see you again. Is this your cousin Triste?"

   "Hey, I met you at the wedding!" Triste shouted in recognition. "Your Fleur, right?"

   "Well you two have already met then, haven't you?" Richard pointed out. "Well, I'm introducing you guys anyways. Triste, this is my friend Fleur. Fleur, this is my non-binary cousin Triste."

   "Non-binary? Cool," Fleur noticed. "Do you guys want to make some sweet tea?"

   "Sure!" They both agreed happily. This was shaping out to be a great week.