mellifluous (life is strange 2)

EPISODE ONE / touch

honestly, rewatching the episode with that racist white asshole really made me remember just how much i hated him lol

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Juli was nine years old again. Her father had gotten home from his job at the police department, and something had happened. Even now, she couldn't remember what it was. Maybe the chief had pissed him off. Maybe a case had gone wrong. Maybe nothing had happened and he was just looking for a reason to be angry, and that reason was her. Whatever the case, Mom wasn't home and she needed to hide.

"Juliana!" her father yelled. His footsteps echoed throughout the house. Dad was a pale and lanky man, but the way he carried himself and the way he sounded contrasted greatly with those characteristics. Dad looked like someone had taken a painting of Mom and thrown it into a washer with bleach. "Where are you?"

Juli held a hand over her mouth to keep from breathing too loud. She knew exactly what was going to come next. Any minute now, Dad would find her hiding underneath the shelves in the pantry. The lights would come on--

She flinched as the door slammed open. Dad looked around, and for a split second she had hope that Dad didn't see her. He almost walked out, too, but Juli shifted just a little in her spot, and the effect was immediate. Threatening gray eyes focused on horrified brown eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "Get up!"

Juli complied. She hoped her loose pants would hide the shaking of her knees.

Dad grabbed her arm so tightly that bruises would form later in the morning. He threw her out into the kitchen and blocked her exit. "Why are there dirty dishes in the sink? We told you to wash them!"

"I didn't have time," Juli said, keeping her voice quiet. It was like a T-Rex, she had figured: no sudden movements or noises, and no loud ones, either.

"You sit in your room all day and mess around with those stupid drumsticks," Dad snarled, "and you say you don't have time? What about your mom and me, huh? We work our asses off just so you can afford to goof off, is that it?"

Juli's eyes widened. "N-No, that's not--"

Her head whipped to the side. Pain flashed through her cheek. Dad's face swam back into focus, and it was like someone had flipped a switch. His jaw loosened and the hands that gripped Juli's shoulders held such gentleness that the feeling was foreign.

"I had to do that for your own good, do you understand?" he asked. "You've been acting up lately and I don't want anything bad happening to you out of the house. You understand, right?"

Something wasn't right. Even little Juli knew that. But this was her Dad; he could never really mean to harm her, right? Everything was for her own good, right?

She nodded. Dad smiled and patted her head. Even that slight movement made her flinch.

"Good girl. There's some ice cream in the fridge. You want to watch a movie?"

A gentle hand touched her arm. She let out a strangled yell and lashed out with her fists. "Get away from me!"

"Juli, it's just me!"

Her eyes shot open. Sean's hands were wrapped around her wrists, keeping her quivering fists from striking him across the face. Behind him, Daniel peered at her with concern.

"What..." She looked around. They were still at the riverside. She hadn't gone back. Dad wasn't here to hurt her again. "Oh."

At least now she understood that her relationship with Dad wasn't standard.