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 Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:45 pm
 Riley hovered her cursor over the link dangerously. She had spent the last hour getting ready for the Prom, and took a minute to check her Groanspring - and all she could see was pages, upon pages, of her friends and fellow students proclaiming how they'd passed their exams.
Sure, she was a knob, just like the rest of them. But they had passed.
They had passed, and she had not.
Groanspring felt diseased to her, right now. Tainted with her failure, just like everything else.
She clicked the link.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:51 pm
Malodore hummed to itself as it walked the now-familiar path from undead to demon dormitories, a garment bag held in one hand. The plague doctor was near-giddy with delight - not only had it ascended a year, it had passed with flying colors, and it was about to spend a most enjoyable evening with its precious, beloved Riley. The entire world seemed suffused with the soft glow of success, like the candle at a pumpkin's heart.
It tucked its other hand behind its back as it entered the demon dorms and knocked on Riley's door, rocking back and forth on its hooves as it waited for her. Mia cara? it called to her, mentally; the words came with a wave of affection and something close to tenderness.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:10 pm
Riley's head turned automatically as she heard - and felt - Malodore's arrival, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as the tender affection had her forgetting her problems for just one second. They were back before she could truly enjoy it, however, and she quickly flipped the website closed. It's open. Riley returned, and stood up to finish getting ready. She had already dressed, though her shoes sat tumbled against the bed. Her hands reached for a set of earrings on the dresser, and she set about to putting them on while she waited for Malodore to enter.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:33 pm
Malodore pushed the door open with one hoof, as one hand was still carrying the garment bag and the other was tucked behind its back, tightly clutching... something. It moved surely through the darkened front room to Riley's boudoir, pausing in the doorway.
"Ah - you look lovely, mia cara," it said approvingly, radiating appreciation at her; she did have excellent anatomy, and she always chose clothing that flattered her most aesthetically. It stepped up behind her and nuzzled at her cheek with its beak, then pulled out the hand that had been hidden behind its back.
It held a bouquet of purple flowers, poisonous and deadly to a petal, their thorny stems carefully wrapped away so not a single p***k would sully Riley's hands.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:45 pm
Riley was an expert at hiding her feelings. She took great care in never letting anyone see past the cold, collected exterior unless she deemed them trustworthy. She had, however, come to the conclusion quite some time ago that hiding anything from Malodore was futile. It was this conclusion that led her eyes to look so distant and troubled when Malodore first walked in, though she could not maintain her unhappiness from the moment she felt it brush against her cheek. She lifted her hand, pressing it against the beak as though to make it hesitate from leaving her too soon, but she finally let it pull away to offer her the bouquet.
Her eyes crescented just slightly. Malodore. They're positively beautiful. I love them. Her hands wrapped around the bouquet, breathing a sigh of contentment as she gazed down at them.
Grazie, il mio amore. Her quiet, unsteady voice emitted weakly.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:13 pm
Nulla e tutto per voi, mia cara, it replied, clearly pleased that she liked the flowers... but also perceiving, as Riley had suspected, that something was a bit off.
...? The question was gentle, wordless.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:34 pm
There was one thing Riley realized - no matter how angry she was, there was no hope that she would ever be angry at Malodore. So, she didn't even try. When she felt the inevitable wordless question, she laid the flowers on the dresser beside her, and fiddled with their wrapping. Her eyes were focused on them fiercely.
Congratulations on passing your exam, by the way. Her voice didn't sound very congratulatory, but neither did it sound angry. It was even, and toneless, though there was just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:40 pm
Grazie, it thought back, but it was an absent thanks, nearly overwhelmed by the sudden flood of concern for her.
"... Tell me?" it said, its own voice sounding a bit odd given all the silent speaking that had passed between them since it came in the room. The entreaty was a little awkward, but given that Riley could assuredly feel its emotions, it didn't feel it had to worry about a little bit of awkwardness.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:43 pm
The truth was simple, and succinct. And yet, it cut like a knife to say it.
I am a failure. That is all. She continued to look at the trim of the bouquet, as if it would suddenly turn into something else if she stared at it long enough.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:47 pm
"No," Malodore said, simply - the spoken expression was as basic as could be, but the emotional expression was far different. A shock of denial, hard and fast, an unsinkable confidence in Riley's not being a failure... and, behind it, the faint and fleeting question of why she felt this way.
Why she believed this lie.
"No," it repeated, dropping the garment bag to the floor and encircling her in its embrace.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:56 pm
Riley's body physically jolted in an automatic response to just how powerful Malodore's denial flowed through her. There was no arguing that kind of intensity, but Riley was determined to try. She turned, just in time to feel it's arms wrap around her and envelop her just as physically as it's thoughts were doing to her mentally. She shuddered, just once, and her head fell down to rest in the crook of it's neck.
A moment later, the feeling of moisture against it's wrappings would betray her tears.
Yes, I am. A tiny, distant voice emitted from her - it didn't sound like her at all.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:06 am
"What happened?"
To Malodore's surprise, the words came out as more of a snarl than it had intended; its backblades lifted slightly, like a dog raising its hackles at an intruder. It curled over Riley, that protectiveness in its stance echoing its emotions.
Who made you think that/who did this to you/I will make them bleed.
Sharp, staccato thoughts - subconscious, but no less powerful.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:45 am
Riley lifted her head just an inch, taking in a small breath with every staccato thought. The last one had her head lolling back, eyes fluttering closed. Sexier words had never been spoken.
Finally, she opened her eyes and let out a weak chuckle, tilting her head back to finally look at Malodore. She hadn't reached up to wipe away her tears, so her full white irises were rimmed with them.
No one made me think anything, Malodore. Her expression looked as though it was smiling through great pain. I did not pass my exam. Do you see Hellma's pin anywhere? I graduate this year as a failure, a knob with no teacher's pin. A sub-class. A lesser being.
She blinked, and the tears that had rimmed her eyes finally fell. She lifted up one hand to brush them away harshly.
I don't know if I can face them all.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:05 pm
"Who said this to you?" Malodore said; its claws had found her wrists and gripped them tightly, a little tighter than was entirely comfortable. "In my exam, Kasumi did not pass - must I now think less of her, my friend? Must I also now think less of Amrita? Who places this judgement on their heads?"
"Uno stolto."
The pronouncement fell like an axe, but it was softened by Malodore's nuzzle.
And you are not a fool. The furthest thing from a fool.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:59 pm
Riley, the master of manipulation, the coercer of the uncoercable, was left at a loss for words. With one solid slice, Malodore had refused her insecurities and cut them to the core. What power was this, that the plague doctor had over her? What dangerous, all-encompassing power.
Her brows were furrowed deeply in despair. There was nothing bubbling forth from her mind to counter-act it's argument. She couldn't. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't.
Her arms snaked around it's lithe body, pulling it flush against her. She rested her head against the mask, brushing her cheek against it fondly.
I don't know about that. They do tend to call people in love, love fools. She pulled away slightly, and one of her tentacles arched around and puckered against Malodore's beak. And I am in love with you, Malodore. She whispered.
Thank you. Her eyes blinked slowly as they looked at it. I really don't know what I would do without you.
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