Just like me - Game Gyaru Fanfiction [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 15: Reminising

Arina helped Daniella as she picked up pillows and loose feathers, placing them neatly on the bed something caught her eye. She leaned down to Daniella's bedside table and picked up a small portrait, a wide eyed little Daniella stared back at her. Arina smiled at the wide grin on her face, bright brown eyes beaming with joy. Judging by the bluey green tinge and the fish, she seemed to be underwater. And beside her two tall figures...

"Hey-!" Daniella exclaimed, Arina yelped and seized up as she snatched the picture out of her hands, clutching it protectively in her own.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to snoop! I was just c-curious..." Arina pulled tuffs of hair strategically over her face, her shaky voice stuttering more than ever. A brave glance through strains of hair, Arina was met with a forgiving gaze from Daniella.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have it out anyway..." She said solemnly, she didn't speak for a moment, Arina searched her mind for questions and more importantly the right way to ask them... Loosening the grip on her hair, she let it fall back into place. Just barely forcing her eyes to meet Daniella's she cleared her throat.

"W-Were they your-?"

"Yeah."

"A-are they still-?"

"..."

"I'm so sorry..." Her voice was quiet, a squeaky mouse like whisper. Daniella dazed off into space, looking down at the picture with a blank but pained expression. She traced the rim of the frame slowly with her finger, gliding perfectly across every carving, this wasn't the first time she'd done it. Her finger stopped at an engraving, a symbol... Waves with a music note in it's wake. The knuckles on her left hand turned white around the portrait, she pressed her finger harder against it, then a fist, grabbing at the photo as if she could reach through. A few tears rolled down her cheek and onto the glass. Arina lurched forward as Daniella doubled over, holding the picture to her chest she cried out, sobbing into Arina's shoulder as she quickly reached out and caught her.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologise." Arina said gently, guiding her to the bed she handed her a pillow. Daniella sniffled and hugged it tightly.

"D-do you wanna talk about it?" Arina asked carefully, Daniella didn't respond, her head buried in the pillow she didn't dare face Arina. Cringing at herself for asking, she grabbed a pillow herself and clutched at it nervously.

"I-it was my fault." A muffled voice sobbed at last.

"How?" Arina choked out, eyes growing wide her heart raced at the situation she was in. Desperate not to screw up and make her feel even worse.

"W-we lived underwater... Like I said before. I loved it, I would go out and play with the seahorses, or race the dolphins. I'd play all these ball games that don't quite work here on land, but down there... the way the ball would glide through the water! There's just, theres nothing like it here on land... A-anyway, it was fine until I was 13... My parents arranged a marriage for me, I was to wed this prince when I came of age, but I didn't want to. So I left, I came to land never to return. Nearly fuckin' killed myself breathing air for the first time too. It was new, and scary! Scary as hell. But I learnt how to blend in, learnt what humans do, learnt that my powers can be used for good here! I start fighting crime, bought an apartment with the money I stole from my parents. There was no responsibility, no one to control me, to tell me what to do. Then, next thing I know, a little bottle with a little note washes up on the shore. In my absence the kingdoms had waged war on eachother, I was banished for my negligence and betrayal to the throne and my family, and my parents... They'd both died in battle."

"Daniella..." Arina breathed wide eyed, lost for words. Daniella at last looked up from her pillow, meeting her gaze her eyes were still all red and puffy, but she looked better. She let out a long sigh, it seemed as getting all that off her chest was a huge release. The more Arina thought about it, she was probably the first person Daniella could have ever told...

"S-so you're, royalty?" Arina asked, to her surprise Daniella actually grinned.

"Yeah, bow down bitch." She commanded and Arina bowed her head.

"Of course Princess." Arina replied.

"W-well, anyway- ugh, f-fuckin stutter." She mused, Arina let out a small chuckle relating to her problem. To her relief Daniella laughed a little too.

"Thanks for listening..." She finished, staring off to the side. Arina gave back a warm smile.

"Anytime."