Star Pox (10) : Genetically modified fruits aren’t exactly new but every now and then something seems to be going on with them. This year, it’s star fruit. The entire batch from Destiny City’s largest supplier has a strange side effect; a few minutes after eating one, star-shaped ‘freckles’ will begin to cover the skin. While this has been colloquially dubbed’ star pox’, it appears to be a harmless allergic reaction. The freckles fade after a few hours and pose no actual health risks; they’ve become quite popular across social media. This might be your only chance to experience the strange trend! …Unless sales are good enough to bring them back.
“Star pox, I heard them call it.”
Mel curled up miserably on the sofa, pulling the blanket Jacob had just placed over her with a quiet groan and clutching the little charm he'd offered to try and cheer her up.
It didn't work.
“I’m not exactly not a young person, but I really just don’t get young people now. On what planet would having this be okay?”
The sound of his laugh made her insides boil, though for fear of exposing herself in her current state she stayed underneath the covers. Not even her wispy sidekick would cheer her up in this moment; perhaps it was aware of that, because it hadn't shown up at all to even try.
Only in Destiny City, only in Destiny City, would a genetically modified fruit with this bizarre of a side effect happen to be released. Considering the other happenings around the city, she probably should have been less surprised. Between glowing things in caves, acid-covered cicadas, the mysterious thing lurking in the depths of the reservoir, and even exploding flowers—and that wasn’t even everything—a genetically modified starfruit that causes star-shaped freckles to temporarily appear on one’s body was just another one of those things that now fell within the realm of possibility.
It was like being punished for loving fruit.
”C’mon, Mel. It’s cute on you, I swear,” she heard him say. Despite herself she couldn’t help but smile a small, hesitant smile. They weren’t dating or anything, and she didn’t think she still had feelings for him like she used to, but she couldn’t not admit that she liked hearing him compliment her in that way. With everything happening in her life—between school and work and her knightly duties—it was nice to have someone just…around. And sure, she had her friends, but Jacob was different.
At least now, he was different.
When they broke up she had an overwhelming sense of freedom. Freedom from having expectations and being disappointed again, and again, and again. It’d become such a horrible pattern with him that, whenever she looked back, she wondered why she’d been so stupid as to stay with him for as long as she did.
Now, though, she wondered where the capacity to be reliable suddenly came from. Granted, they did break up over four years ago now. Even if she did believe the old adage, “People don’t change,” it was hard not to be hopeful while faced with the evidence of possible change on a near-daily basis.
But no, they were both past that. They had to be.
She was, at least.
Mostly.
Hopefully.
She peeked out from under the covers to glance at him. A question had been gnawing at her for weeks now. Her friends had asked back when all of this started last November, when he officially moved back. Or at least said he did; she wasn’t actually sure because she had never asked to go to his place. But ever since then he just started reaching out on a regular basis.
He didn’t push or press for details about anything going on in her life. He didn’t ask too many questions. He didn’t try to push his luck or overstay his welcome. He was just always available, ready to be there in case she needed him at all. It felt too good to be true–and she’d learned her lesson about those types of situations a long time ago–so she couldn’t help the skepticism. The uncertainty.
“You can’t be friends with your ex,” her friends had all told her. And it was true enough, she didn’t exactly plan on being friends with him in the first place. It sort of just…happened.
“Jae?” she started quietly, blue eyes holding a glimmer of determination in them as she looked at him from under the covers. He was seated at the dining table, working; she could tell by the look on his face. When she called, though, he glanced over at her, expression softening.
“Hm?”
She almost hesitated, but the words did eventually come back to her.
“What are we doing?”
681 (gdocs)
