⠀

⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ ❛  ehh,  seein’  as  the  fucker  dropped
          ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ dead  from  both’a  our  bullets  at  the
          ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ same  time  ..  ya  wanna  split  the  cash,
          ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ girl?  dunno  how  much  they  paid  you,
          ⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ but  i  got  a  solid  400  grand.  ❜

➢⠀⠀⠀when  i  fuckin  MANGLE  you.

⠀‬‬ ⠀⠀ ❛  what  do  you  want,  i’m  busy.  ❜
          
          
          completely  disinterested  tone;  montresor’s  not  even  looking  at  her,  busy  watering  his  plants.

⚔ ﹕⠀⠀idkkkkk  cb  +  spec(opt.)  i  guess…  i  am  alive  every  once  in  a  blue  moon…

⠀
          bernadette  halts  mid—step,  golden  eyes  locking  onto  the  sunflower  like  it's  a  crime  scene.  bright  and  audacious  in  the  middle  of  her  otherwise  meticulously  controlled  space.  it  wasn't  there  before.  she's  certain  of  it.  sure,  she  could  have  auditory  hallucinations,  sometimes  visual  ones   ⸺   especially  on  the  brink  of  psychosis.  but  she's  not  experiencing  anything  negative  right  now.  so  this  definitely  means  …  the  flower  is  real.
          
          her  fingers  twitch  at  her  side  before  she  reaches  out,  barely  brushing  the  edge  of  a  petal.  it  bends  under  her  touch,  then  springs  back.
          
          alice  wouldn't  have  brought  this  in  here.  that  much  is  obvious.  if  that  girl  had  a  sunflower,  she'd  be  parading  it  around  and  chattering  about  how  she  found  it.  no,  this  isn't  her  doing.  this  is  deliberate.
          
          which  could  only  mean  one  person:  per͟c͟i͟v͟al.
          
          she  glances  around,  wondering  where  that  man  could  possibly  be  hiding   ⸺   no  easy  feat,  given  his  gargantuan  stature.  ever  since  he  called  it  quits  with  a  certain  blonde,  she  lets  him  crash  in  her  humble  abode  for  …  who  knows  how  long.  what's  one  more  person  in  her  flat,  right .ᐣ
          
          ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀perci  …
          
          ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa ﹚
          ⠀

⠀
          the  second  she  hears  goodbye,  something  in  her  snaps.
          
          bernadette's  body  moves  before  her  mind  can  catch  up,  and  suddenly  she's  lunging  forward,  yanking  the  door  open  so  hard  it  nearly  slams  against  the  wall.  percival  barely  has  time  to  turn  before  she  crashes  into  him,  her  arms  locking  around  his  torso  in  a  desperate,  almost  frantic  embrace.  the  force  of  it  sends  them  stumbling  back  a  step  but  she  doesn't  care.
          
          god,  she  really  is  a  walking  contradiction.  she's  clutching  at  him  like  she's  afraid  he'll  slip  through  her  fingers.  but  wasn't  she  the  one  who  kept  pushing  him  away  in  the  first  place .ᐣ   wasn't  she  the  one  who  swore  she  didn't  want  to  see  him,  who  had  told  herself  they  were  better  off  without  each  other .ᐣ
          
          it's  humiliating  …  this  vuln͟e͟r͟a͟b͟ility.  she's  spent  so  long  being  angry,  being  hurt,  trying  to  shove  every  complicated  feeling  into  a  box  and  pretend  it  didn't  exist.  and  yet,  here  she  is.
          
          ⠀⠀⠀❛⠀⠀i—   i  don't  know  what  i  want
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ from  you,  perci.  i  don't  know
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ if  i  can  even  look  at  you
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ without⸺   without  wanting  to
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ scream  or⸺   ( … )   just⸺
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ple͟a͟se.  i  don't  want  to  be  alone
          ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ again.  i'm  so͟r͟ry.
          
          ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa ﹚
          ⠀

⠀
          it  takes  her  a  second  to  register  what  she  just  heard   ⸺   percival's  voice,  muffled  through  the  door  but  unmistakable.  if  she  hadn't  been  slumped  there,  lost  in  self—pity,  she  might  have  missed  it  entirely.  bernadette  scrambles  away  without  thinking,  her  movements  clumsy.  why  the  hell  is  he  here .ᐣ   did  her  sister  tell  him  to  check  up  on  her .ᐣ   or  did  he  come  here  of  his  own  accord .ᐣ
          
          the  words  die  in  her  throat,  rendering  her  speechless  as  she  glares  at  the  door,  helpless  and  foolish.  a  part  of  her  wants  to  get  up,  to  swing  it  open  and  demand  why  he's  here.  but  another   ⸺   the  part  still  reeling  from  his  confession,  from  the  weight  of  those  three  words  she  never  expected   ⸺   keeps  her  rooted  to  the  spot.  what  could  she  even  say  after  that .ᐣ   what  does  he  want  from  her  now .ᐣ
          
          looks  like  he'll  be  the  one  making  the  first  move.  again.
          
          ⠀ ┈┈┈┈┈⠀⠀﹙  @draquIa  ﹚
          ⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀funny    bumping    into    you    here.    this    place    doesn't    seem    like    your    kind    of    scene.

⠀⠀⠀⠀go    out?    i    don't    know...    it's    a    bit    last    minute,    plus    i'm    not    sure    if    ashton's    fine    with    me    leaving    so    late.

⠀⠀⠀⠀if    you're    gonna    lie—-    at    least    come    up    with    something    believable.    you    look    like    shit,    bernie.