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A little something I wrote about my oc Raven in my friend @simplydannie âs au!! She has a similar vibe to the under rageous vibe, so I thought sheâd fit right in :) I had fun having our OCs meet and I already have an idea for a part 2 for this! I also introduced some of my other OCs still in the works. (Also to clarifyâRaven is polyamorous and her lovers are queerplatonic) Hope yâall enjoy Raven and her shenanigans!!
Thereâs some mention of Mistress and Eros, and Eros makes me mad (A+ villain) so I feel like him and Raven would NOT like each other </3 but Raven is very interested in the former hehe (major red flag girl)
(also tumblr spacing is weird sorry abt that!)
The Auction: Part I
//
Ace of hearts, move the six to the seven, ooh! Two of heartsâŠ
It was a rainy day in Midtown, and gloomy weather usually meant no clients. Estrella was gratefulâshe could play as much solitaire as she wanted at the front desk. She liked slow days, especially because she was just the receptionist at the tattoo parlor. She used to be a hair stylist, until her latest arrest. The salon wasnât a fan of criminal records, but the tattoo shop owner had plenty of her own, so it seemed like the best move. Besides, she was also an unlicensed body mod artist, so she fit right in. (And being one of the ownerâs lovers certainly helped.)
Boss was out back, probably having a smoke. She had told the boss that that grape flavored crap would make her sick, and that she should smoke a cigarette like a normal person.
Estrella perks up when she hears the door, but it must have been the wind, since no one was there. Good, she didnât have to deal with customers.
But, there had been somethingâjust not a person. At first glance, there appeared to be a spider crawling on the desk. Then, at a closer look, Estrella noticed that it wasnât a real bug; it was some kind of bug shaped robot. Before she could react, it crawls onto her arm, then uses a laser to scan her face.
This couldnât be goodâEstrella usually flew under the radar for any under city drama. Boss was usually the one in trouble, for stealing someoneâs car or girl; both were pretty common for her. Estrella was about to crush the robot with a stapler, when the door opens, for real this time.
A fellow strobe rageon walks in. Similar to Estrella, he had yellow markings, and his color scheme matched the oranges of the robot. He carried himself with a smug confidence, that she immediately knew would piss off the boss.
âHmm,â he starts, ââThe Bleak DecemberâŠâ Interesting name for a tattoo shop.â
//
The shop was decorated with gothic furniture, and lots of art hung up on the walls. Some works were displayed in elegant frames, some were papers ripped out of sketchbooks and taped up.
Apollo looks down at the papers in his hands: a written address of the tattoo parlor he stood in, and a printed mugshot of a woman. The woman in the mugshot definitely wasnât the woman at the counter, so he figured he should ask her.
Inconveniently, she was already glaring at him. Or maybe that was just her normal face; he couldnât tell. She was a strobe, with dark brown skin and bright yellow markings. Her long hair in braids was a similar yellow, and she had two glowing star outlines under both of her eyes. Apollo was already intrigued; he had never seen a strobe with such intentional designs before.
As for her outfit, she had on a yellow bralette, accessorized with gold necklaces, and a few tattoos in between her strobe markings. Her labret piercing in the center of her bottom lip caught his eye, accompanied by her matching eyebrow piercings, and the chain across her nose that connected both of her nostril studs. She was cute, but Apollo had other interests. Besides, the giant lesbian flag on the wall suggested he wasnât her type, either.
âYou dropped something,â the woman says flatly, holding up the robotic bug on her hand.
âYeah, sorry about that. Just precautions,â he shrugs.
âWhat do you want?â
âIâm looking for this lady. Does she own this place?â
He sets the mugshot on the desk, and slides it over to her. He knew she owned this place, and he knew exactly who she was: Raven.
The queenâor king, he had heard her called bothâof automobiles all across Mount Rageous. If anyone ever mysteriously lost a vehicle, she was behind it. And if anyone ever unexpectedly pulled up in a fresh new ride, she was behind that, too. Based on what he had heard, she kept to herself and her crew, but she wasnât to be taken lightly.
Both his parents had mentioned her a few times; a trade here, some gossip there. They seemed to regard her as not a threat, although he thought he heard Eros refer to her as some words he probably shouldnât have been saying. She frequented some of the clubs he owned, and based on what Apollo had heard, she brought in lots of profit.
In the mugshot, Raven had long black hair in cornrows, and gray skin covered in tattoos. She was sticking out her tongue in between two fingers in a V, and her other hand was flipping off the camera.
âAw, I remember that night,â the strobe woman reminisces, looking lovingly at the mugshot. âYeah, sheâs the boss. Iâll get her.â
Apollo expected her to go get Raven, but instead, she stays seated. She takes in a deep breath, then performs a screechy bird caw, directed towards the back of the shop.
A disembodied caw answers, accompanied by the sound of someone stumbling around. After a minute, the boss saunters into the lobby.
It must have been a bit since the mugshot. Her long hair was free and wild, and she had a heart outline on her left cheek, and two ravens tattooed on her right. She was in an oversized anime t-shirt, and her baggy jean shorts were sagged so low he could see the waistband of her boxers. Her face was decorated with silver piercings, along with a stretched septum and black gauges in her ears. Her shirt hung off her shoulder, showing off a tattoo of a wing down her upper arm.
The voice that came out of her lips wasnât at all what he expected. It was twangy and feminine, with a thick accent that must have been from somewhere south.
âHowdy!â she greets with a big smile. âEstrella, are you beinâ nice to the customers?â
âNot really,â Apollo answers for her. âI caught her taking a stapler to my property.â
âWell, Iâm sure she had a good reason for that,â Raven shrugs. âWhat can I do for ya? My flash designs are over there,â she points to a board in the seating area, âand I can whip somethinâ up if you want a custom, uhh, I also do piercings but Iâm pretty new at it so donât sue me if it goes horribly wrong, and you can ask about Estrellaâs services if you promise not to tell the cops.â
Apollo had only come here for business, but now he was curious. âWhat⊠âservicesâ? And trust me, I donât want anything to do with the cops either.â
âBody modification,â the woman at the counter speaks up. âI did these myself.â
Estrella points to the glowing stars under her eyes. She contorts her face, and the lights in her face flicker with each adjustment. When she relaxes her face, the left star glitches and shocks her, making her flinch.
âOw,â she reacts, unfazed. âI also do split tongues, teeth sharpening, you name it.â
âShe did my coin slot!â Raven tucks her hair behind her left ear to show off the stretched cartilage, which was styled with stacked silver hoops. âIt hurt real bad!â
âUhh, Iâll pass,â Apollo responds. âIâm just gonna stick with normal piercings, thanks.â
âAw, canât handle it?â Raven teases. âSays the guy with only one face piercing.â
She was cocky, Apollo could already tell. Luckily, so was heâworking with this lady was gonna be interesting.
âNot true,â he shoots back. His piercings probably didnât hurt as much as some of Ravenâs, but he had to stand up for his pride. He sticks out his tongue, and points out the stud in its center with an âahâ sound.
âNice try,â Raven smirks. âBut I got ya beat.â She sticks out her tongue, showing off three silver studs arranged in a triangle.
Apolloâs first thought was of the week-long diet of only soup he had to go on when he had his done, and how Raven must have gone through that at least three times. He had to admit, he was impressed, and a little scared of her dedication.
âOkay, okay, fine,â he concedes. âAnyways, Iâm not here as a client. My nameâs Apollo Rios. Iâm here for⊠your other job.â
//
Crap, who did I piss off now⊠Raven thinks to herself.
âOh great, whose husband is mad at me now?!â Her cheerful demeanor drops at the thought of men being angry at her, which seemed to always be the case lately. âIs this about Irene?! âCause it ainât my fault her husband canât treat a woman right!â
To Ravenâs relief, Apollo only seemed confused at her rant.
âHuh? Whoâs Irene?â he asks. âAnd why are all these husbands mad at you?â
âIreneâs my lawyer,â she answers, and hands him a business card from the counter. âActually, hereâs her card. Sheâs real good. And sheâs goinâ through a divorce right now, so she needs all the money she can get.â
ââŠIs the divorce because of you?â he asks, arching his eyebrow.
âThatâs what her husband says,â she seethes. âBut itâs really his fault for beinâ such a huge ass to her for ten years. She says our affair was the best thing that ever happened to her.â
âOkay, thatâs definitely not what Iâm here about.â
âGood.â
Raven crosses her arms, putting up her defenses. If one of her lovers was in trouble, she wasnât about to let this guy get to them. And if she herself was in trouble, then sheâd get it settled one way or another.
âI was actually sent to ask for a favor,â Apollo continues.
âYouâre one of those lead mafia guys, right? What kinda favor?â
âI guess you could say that,â he flaunts. âThe auction. Me and my people are gonna be there, and we want a deal.â
As the boss of all vehicle-related theft and illegalities in the city, auctions were a huge part of Ravenâs job, and one of her favorites. Under Rageons would pay good money for the kinds of cars she dealt in, especially if they were taken from up in Mount Rageous. Celebritiesâ cars were the most sought after, with one of Kid Ritzâs cars getting Raven enough money for a whole new apartment.
A big auction was coming up, which meant Raven was about to become a lot more relevant for a bit. She had acquired a mix of vintage cars, luxury limousines, and everything in between, and was expecting a huge turnout. (And hopefully the event would bring in some cute girls, too.)
âYeah, Iâll be there,â Raven offers. âIâll be the oneinthetuxedotalkinârealfastlikethis. Whatcha want?â
âI need one of those cars. Well, not me. Do you know the Mistress?â
Estrella groans from the counter. âOh no, here we goâŠâ
Raven knew the Mistress alrightâor at least knew of her. She had had a run in with her goons about a year ago; something about Raven stealing her underlings. Raven didnât really care if her crew had other business or bosses, but she had kept better track of who she got involved with since then.
As for the Mistress herself, Raven had seen her a few times, usually an auction or a club. Mistress always had bodyguards around, so Raven had never gotten the chance to talk to her. But that didnât stop her from having eyes for her, even from all the way across the room.
âOHH, that gorgeous scary lady?â Raven perks up. âYouâre one of her people? Oh my god, sheâs so fine,â she sighs dreamily. âGotcha. Iâll do anythinâ she wants, uhh, for a kiss.â
âRave, we talked about this,â Estrella scolds. âKissing hot older women isnât worth getting mixed up in some mafia mess, babe.â
âSays you,â Raven refutes. âI think kissing hot older women is totally worth it. This guy agrees. Right?â
//
âUhmâŠâ
Apollo cringes, but of course Raven wouldnât know she was talking about his mother.
âNot really my thing,â he shrugs.
âYouâre missinâ out,â Raven tells him. âI bet I could rock her world. Is she into girls?â
Apollo had only ever seen Mistress with guys, and he didnât know her preferences, and he didnât want to. Raven did share quite a few similarities with what he knew to be her type, though.
âShe does like guys with tattoosâŠâ he contemplates aloud, eyeing her ink.
âSweet! Iâm one of those things,â Raven cheers. âAnd the guy part, uhh, Iâm butch so close enough. Anyways. So she wants a trade?â
âYeah. Sheâs had her eye on that red Thunderbird convertible. Any way you could set it aside?â
âMm, thatâs a nice one. Mayyyybee⊠It depends. I rented out the ballroom from that Vaughn guy and I have people settinâ up now, but I can probably move stuff around. Hang on, I have a binder with all the info,â she turns to Estrella, âBabe, could you be a dear and find that for me?â
Estrella lets out a dramatic sigh, then schleps to the back of the shop.
Oh great, of course she has business with Vaughn, Apollo silently sighs. Actually⊠she didnât say anything other than renting a venue. It didnât seem like that would be an issue, at least he hoped so.
âSit down! Relax!â Raven urges, leading him to the lounge chairs in the waiting area. âWhile she finds that binderâI actually have no idea where it is, good luck Estrella!âcan you tell me if this ad looks good? Itâs for my lawyer. Itâs still, um, in the works.â
While Raven takes out her phone, Apollo flips through the portfolio on a coffee table. There were all sorts of styles, and each picture of a finished tattoo was marked with a date and location. There were way more than just Midtown; apparently, she had tattooed in all the districts, and even Mount Rageous.
Eventually, a phone is shoved in his face. The clip opens with a woman behind a desk, in a professional looking office. She had indigo skin with a mix of blue and purple hair done into a bun, half moon glasses, and the edges of a neck tattoo peeking out from her suit.
âHi, Iâm Irene Lavish,â she begins. âDid you know that you have rights? The Constitution says you do. And so do I.â
âCUT!â a twangy voice yells from off camera. âThat oneâs taken!â
Another take starts:
âHello, my name is Irene Lavish. Have you been injured in an accident? Good. You deserve it. Wait, no, I mean, uh, you deserve compensation-â
âCUT!â
And another:
âHi, Iâm Irene Lavish. Do you know what to do when your piece of shit husband walks in on you having an affair with your client and your client ends up hitting him with a lamp and knocking him out and now you all have to go to court? Thatâs right, you call me, and Iâll help-â
âCUT! Too personal!â
If this lawyer could mostly keep Raven out of jail, Apollo knew exactly who heâd call if he needed that kind of help. Her ads needed work, but something about Ravenâs enthusiasm told him her lawyer was no joke.
âItâs definitely a start,â Apollo comments. âItâs very well lit.â
âThank you! All camera work and staginâ done by me,â Raven flaunts. âI saw you lookinâ through my portfolio; anythinâ ya like?â
âYou work in Mount Rageous? I mean, duh, your auto ring, but also as an artist?â
âOh, yeah! They love me up there. I was up there last Pride, and I got to meet Kid Ritz,â she flips to a page in the booklet. It was a light purple wrist, with a fresh tattoo of two rainbows: one was pink, purple, and blue; the other was blue, pink, and white.
âHe was super chill,â she reminisces. âWe bonded over how hard it is to get an official name change. And Iâm cis, I just wanted a cooler nameâthat sucks he had to go through all that paperwork just âcause heâs a guy. Then we got high and he started cryinâ about likinâ some famous pretty boy that went to jail. Then I stole his car!â
Apollo had only known Raven for a few minutes, but he already knew her well enough that he didnât expect that story to end any other way.
âHeâs rich, he has, like, ten,â Raven adds with a shrug. âI donât think he cared that much.â
A few minutes later, Estrella comes back with the binder. She joins them in the lounge area, and hands it to Raven.
Raven flips through it, while Apollo tries to discreetly look over her shoulder. He knew his parents didnât like how unpredictable and mysterious Raven was, so any information he could get on her might be valuable.
Apparently, he wasnât discreet enough, when Raven slams the binder shut.
âSooo, that car she wants is already at the venue, but I can mark it reserved and get one of my girls to move it,â she tells him. âBut before I do that. What do I get?â
âWhat do you want for it?â he asks in response.
âYour mom,â she answers, as if the response was automatic. âSorry, couldnât resist. Hm, what do I wantâŠâ
If only Raven knewâŠ
//
What did she want? Money, always, but she had an opportunity to ask for something else. She kind of had everything she wanted, though.
Eventually, Raven had basically circled back to her original request for a trade. Only now, she had a revised idea.
âHm, lemme meet the Mistress,â she answers. âSheâs the one who wants the carâIâll talk about it with her.â
Beside her, Estrella sighs and shakes her head disapprovingly. Raven could feel her cheeks go warm, but she didnât really careâher crush on Mistress was already pretty obvious.
âGotcha,â Apollo replies. âI can get you a meeting. I canât promise anything more than that, though.â
âDonât worry, Iâll handle anythinâ else,â Raven responds with a wink, which makes Apollo shudder. âChill, I just wanna see if sheâs interested. Business or otherwise, whatever. Iâm very charismatic with women. Right, Estrella?â
âUgh,â Estrella groans, covering her face to hide her blush. âYeah⊠sometimes. I guess.â
âExactly!â Raven cheers. âAlso,â she turns back to Apollo, âBring all your people to the auction! After the actual auction, weâre gonna have dancinâ and drinks and stuff. And jazz. Itâs basically gonna be a huge party. Black tie, very fancy ballroom, all that. âŠOh, and if you see anyone you got issues with, take it outside âcause I ainât payinâ for no property damage.â
âNoted,â he nods. âCool, weâll be there. Eros is gonna be there, too. You know him?â
âYeah, Iâve met him,â she frowns. From their few brief interactions at clubs, she regarded him to be mostly unpleasant. âYou can tell him my nameâs Raven, not a word that rhymes with bike.â
âYikes, sorry about that,â Apollo apologizes. His eyes softenâRaven could tell he was sincere, and he didnât approve of Erosâs behavior. âYeah, he can be a real jerk.â
âDonât worry, I can handle jerks,â Raven assures. âSorry you have to deal with him. So, see ya Saturday?â
âMhm. Weâll be there.â
âAnd the MistressâŠâ she adds with a dreamy sigh.
âYeah, sheâll definitely be there,â Apollo confirms with a strained voice.
âPerfect. Dress your best! Oh, and the bandâll be takinâ song requests. And uh, one of my bouncers is really mean so donât take it personally.â
âGot it, thanks,â he nods, and starts making his way to the door. âSee you there!â
âLater!â She smiles and waves, then turns back to Estrella once he had left. âBabe, are you hearinâ what Iâm hearinâ?â
âThat youâre gonna get wrapped up in some scheme with the Mistress and probably end up in trouble? Yeah, I heard,â she responds sarcastically.
âWorth it.â She crawls over the couch to Estrella, and sprawls over her in a lazy snuggle. She traces over her strobe markings, in an attempt to distract her lover from worrying about her.
âYou got a plan?â
âIâm gonna seduce her while respecting her boundaries, of course,â Raven schemes.
omg yay!! I made her kinda recently and her name is Raven <3 im gonna yap abt her
In just the normal universe sheâs in prison for running an auto theft ring, so she meets the twins when they go to jail and befriends them (+ more than friends with velvet đ€)! Sheâs also a tattoo artist as her side job (and uses the tattoo shop for money laundering lol). Sheâs kinda tall and heavily tattooed so she looks intimidating (and can be) but sheâs actually super bubbly and a huge sweetheart!
I feel like she could kinda fit into your au bc sheâs kind of a crime boss, and I feel like sheâd have lots of connections from traveling for either tattooing or her other job (theft). Sheâs also non-monogamous and kinda flirty, and she gets crushes a lot but sheâs also on the aromantic spectrum which makes things interesting! She likes making friends/connections so sheâd totally try to befriend some of your ocs, it depends how theyâd react lol đŒ
Oh she totally has that under city vibe!!! You have a visual of her!? Iâm super intrigued!! What would she personally think of all my OCs: Neena, Vaughn, Vivian, and Apollo.
Iâm curious on her take. I feel her and Apollo might get along. He looks like a jerk, but heâs really not lol
omg yes! I doodled her the other day, Iâm not much of an artist so i made her chibi
And her interactions with them could be super fun! It kinda depends on ages bc I headcanon Velvet as like 18-19 when they meet and Raven as early twenties, but that could easily be changed for aus
Iâm gonna go under cut bc im a huge yapper lol, also im behind on your fics so i hope this is accurate!
Neena: I think theyâd be friends, but Neena might be kind of intimidated by her at first but sheâd warm up! When sheâs not in jail Ravenâs also heavily pierced so she could tell Neena about her studio. I could see her doing ASL tattoo studies so she might know a bit, and sheâd totally want to learn so they could talk! I could see her taking her under her wing (pun intended)
Apollo: Sheâd fall for one of his scams, realize it too late, then chase him down đč Seriously though I think theyâd get along but have a little rivalry, especially when Velvetâs involved! They might be connected through gang stuff, so I could see them being like colleagues
Mistress (had to include her lol): Immediate gay PANIC. Ravenâs usually pretty charismatic so sheâd try to flirt with her, and it would go absolutely horrible. Mistress could slap her and Raven would probably thank her đ Raven is usually kinda the assertive one in relationships/in general so when she sees a super powerful/intimidating woman she loses her mind
Vaughn: She kinda reminds me of him appearance wise! Sheâs masc and has a lot of tats, and sheâd definitely tattoo him if heâd let her. Sheâd also be envious of him bc he can pull lol. Theyâre opposites in personality, but theyâre both crime lords so maybe they know each other! With her being bubbly and him being reserved that could be a funny business interaction
Vivian: Gay panic again, but she could actually talk to her lol. I could see Vivian being intrigued by alt style so Raven would totally offer her a discount at her studio! I think they have gal pal potential. Also Raven might try to flirt with her in front of Vaughn just to see what would happen/cause chaos. If they ever needed to launder money sheâd help them out!
hereâs a few doodles of her! Her and her tattoos are super simplified bc im not an artist đ« she also has a heart on her right cheek that she hates, and two ravens under her left eye that she loves!
omg yay!! I made her kinda recently and her name is Raven <3 im gonna yap abt her
In just the normal universe sheâs in prison for running an auto theft ring, so she meets the twins when they go to jail and befriends them (+ more than friends with velvet đ€)! Sheâs also a tattoo artist as her side job (and uses the tattoo shop for money laundering lol). Sheâs kinda tall and heavily tattooed so she looks intimidating (and can be) but sheâs actually super bubbly and a huge sweetheart!
I feel like she could kinda fit into your au bc sheâs kind of a crime boss, and I feel like sheâd have lots of connections from traveling for either tattooing or her other job (theft). Sheâs also non-monogamous and kinda flirty, and she gets crushes a lot but sheâs also on the aromantic spectrum which makes things interesting! She likes making friends/connections so sheâd totally try to befriend some of your ocs, it depends how theyâd react lol đŒ
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V&V fandom my fic is back after my really long hiatus âŒïž if you love putting gay twins (+ ritz and orchid) in situations and dilemmas youâd love starstruck bc plot is plotting đ (and random author projections every so often ofc)
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I really wish we could see more of Velvet and Veneer's childhood. We only get that their parents are dentists and that they grew up in the suburbs. But I want to know what specifically happened to Velvet, since in a couple scenes (driving off the highway to get away from the trolls, and when she tried to grab the bottle that Floyd was in during the perfect family harmony), it's shown that she will risk her own life to keep her fame. Even when she's singing, she's saying that she wants people to remember her name. I sort of wonder if she has some sort of trauma that caused her to be so desperate for attention and being remembered.
REAL i think abt this a lot. I think she definitely wasnât popular as a kid/early teen and lacked attention from her peers, then once she got famous and people actually started liking her it went to her head. Like she had never experienced that kind of excitement towards her until fame so once she got it she couldnât let go
(also ive always disliked the headcanon that she was popular in school bc she calls herself a ânobodyâ like girl def did not have friends (other than veneer) or any romantic attention đ)
iâm thinking about velvet and veneer on hot ones. i have a hc that theyâre both not very good with spicy foods. veneer especially is the type to think salt is too spicy.
wait no bc ive actually thought abt this and i think veneer would have no spice tolerance while velvet is just unfazed. and ritz would be the interviewer ofc so he and velvet would be having a perfectly normal conversation while veneerâs just dying on the side đ
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A little thing I wrote during a rough time about my favorite noodle twins đđ I figured Iâd post bc whatevs. This is just me projecting onto Velvet but I like how it turned out :) (yes I did cry while writing this Iâm just a girl)
I think the twins (especially Velvet) struggled a lot in school with not being popular or having partners (just like me fr). This is a little window into that and I think not having a great childhood explains why Velvet is so desperate for fame/fans, girl just wants to be loved <3
//
Flashing lights. Loud music. Pretty dresses. All things Velvet loved, but she wasnât enjoying herself one bit in the back of the gym, with no one to keep her company but her brother.
No one had complimented her short gold dress, or extravagant hair, or makeup, or anything she had done to try and make herself stand out. She thought her junior homecoming might be different, but that was a stupid thought. Just the same old nothing.
At this point, she wasnât even surprised no one had asked her to the dance. Well, someone didâher brotherâin a kind attempt to make her feel better. She had smiled and accepted, but it only made her feel worse. It only reminded her that no one else would ever want to be with them. He was a nobody, too, taking his nobody sister to this boring dance.
As if to mock her, the DJ chose a love song next: Enchanted by Taylor Swift. Velvet could barely watch, but she couldnât take her eyes away as all the couples paired up. Listening to the lyrics only made her more upset, knowing no one would ever feel that way about her.
âHey, pretty girl.â
Velvet looks away from the scene to see her brother, holding out his hand to her. She rolls her eyes.
âVery funny, Veneer,â she sighs, taking her gaze back to the couples on the dance floor.
âHow do you know my name?â Veneer responds with shock. âIâve never seen you around before.â
She wasnât sure what he was doing, but it sure was a stupid attempt to make her feel not miserable. Just a reminder that he was the only one who thought she was pretty.
Veneer didnât seem to care, smiling up at her with his statement green lipstick. He takes her hand from her crossed arms, and tenderly kisses the back of it.
âYouâre so beautiful, Iâm almost nervous to ask,â he starts, still playing pretend, âbut would you do me the honor of a dance?â
âFine,â she huffs.
She lets him lead her to the dance floor, then lead in the dance, their fingers intertwined. She could already hear the rumors: those loser twins, dancing with each other because no one else would ask them.
Veneer keeps smiling, and she smiles back, but it was fake. She kept it to herself that they had ended up next to her crush, dancing with her new girlfriend.
Her name was Juliet, just like Romeo and Juliet. Velvet wished she could talk to her through her window, and stare at her through the fish tank, and kiss her passionately in her pool. But that was all a lost fantasy.
She hadnât bothered learning the girlfriendâs name. Velvet didnât know anything about her, other than she hated her almost as much as she hated herself.
She tries to focus on her brother, but it was impossible with all the happy couples surrounding them. Deep down, she knew Veneer was feeling the same way, and he was trying to distract himself as well as her.
Just as Velvet thought it couldnât get worse, the song ends. She freezes in her spot, and watches through watery eyes as that atrocious beautiful disgusting gorgeous bitch takes Juliet into her arms, and kisses her lips.
One wasnât enough. Juliet kisses her back, then again, and again, like they were the only two people in the world. But they werenât, Velvet was right there.
She felt everything and nothing. She must have been crying, though, when she hears her brotherâs voice, back to normal.
âVelvet, whatâs wrong- ohâŠâ
He trails off when he figures out the answer, turning his head to where she was looking.
She could finally feel the hot tears running down her face, witnessing a kiss between lovers. Velvet was nearly seventeen, and she had never experienced something like that, and at this point she didnât think she ever would.
Everyone else was in love, and here Velvet was, watching the girl she loved kiss someone else. It broke her heart, but she couldnât look away. Always a witness, never experiencing it. She would never experience it. Maybe she should just end her own misery-
âLetâs get out of here.â
Veneer takes her out of her spiral and the dance floor, practically dragging her out of the gym while she tried to control her tears. Being away from the couples didnât help one bit; she still knew what was going on in there.
Hand in his, he takes her past the cafeteria, past the bathrooms where the cool kids were getting drunk, past the courtyard with even more couples talking. He doesnât say anything, just guides her to the back door to the parking lot.
âWhat are you doing?â Velvet finally asks him.
âWeâre gonna dance. Just us,â he answers, looking around before he opened the door. It was safe, of course, not even the teachers bothered to look at them.
The parking lot was dark and quiet, the opposite of the gym. Veneer seemed determined to make this their own dance floor, though, taking out his phone and looking for a song.
âI donât want to dance anymore,â Velvet complains. âI donât want to dance ever again.â
âThatâs too bad,â Veneer refutes. âJust one dance, then Iâll drive us home. Please?â
âOkay.â
Fine, sheâd dance if it meant she could go home. Being outside was a little better than being surrounded by couples, but she still felt miserable. She couldnât even see the stars, they were covered by clouds.
Seeing Veneerâs car gave her an ounce of relief. Even when they got home, though, sheâd still have to be embarrassed.
For the past few weeks, she had moved into her brotherâs room. She had made plenty of excuses, like her room was too cold, he was scared of the dark, his room was closer to the bathroom. But they both know it was so he could keep an eye on her. She mightâve done something stupid by now if he hadnât been there at night to calm her down.
Just one dance. Hopefully less than three minutes, depending on what song he picked. Just one dance, then she could go home.
The music was much quieter than the music in the gym, but Velvet recognized it immediately. One of their favorite songs: Love Like You by Rebecca Sugar.
She rests her hands on his shoulders, swaying with him in their own slow dance. When she looks up at the sky, it kisses her with a single drop of rain.
Of course it had to rain. Just another thing to make her miserable.
âItâs raining,â Velvet points out, even more drops falling onto her.
âThatâs okay.â
Despite the rain, Veneer keeps leading her in the dance, and she had no choice but to go along. It his suit and tie, he looked happy, but the sadness was there in his eyes. It hadnât left since⊠She couldnât remember.
At the bridge, something changed.
The music soared over the falling rain, while her brother spun her all around the parking lot. By the bridge, it was pouring rain, and Velvet and Veneer were the only people in the world. He catches her in a dip, and she realized the stars werenât in the sky, because they were in his eyes.
For a moment, maybe only having her brother wasnât so bad. Maybe sheâd survive until they graduated, and then they could move to the big city and leave all this behind.
He smiles, and she smiles back, and it was real. The rain was messing up her hair, but for the first time in her life she didnât care. It wasnât like anyone was watching her.
At the next crescendo, Veneer lifts her off the ground and spins her around. It felt like flying.
Up in the air, Velvet wasnât sure if the water on her face was rain or tears. That wasnât her problem. She just spreads her arms like wings, letting the rain ruin the outfit she had worked so hard on.
She couldnât remember the last time she had really laughed. But she laughs now, laughs and laughs in the face of the crying sky. She was crying, too, but it was a good cry for once.
When Veneer puts her down, she saw he was laughing and crying just the same as her. As much as she wanted to finish the dance, she couldnât stop herself from throwing her arms around him, hugging him tight in their rain soaked outfits.
They stay hugging until the song ends, then some after that, until their laughs and sobs overpowered the rain. Maybe⊠No. They would get out of here. They would make it.
âI love you so much,â she sobs, or laughs, they sounded the same at this point.
âI love you too!â He squeezes her tighter, and she could hear the smile in his voice. âI love you more than anything!â
âIâm cold as fuck,â she changes the subject, finally noticing how freezing the rain was in her short thin-strap dress.
âOh! Here you go,â Veneer offers.
He takes off his coat, then puts it over her like the gentleman he was. If more people were like her brother, maybe Velvet wouldnât feel so depressed. At least she had her brother, and that was the best thing she could ask for.
âYou still wanna go home?â He asks.
Right, their dance was over. She was actually sad it was, but she definitely didnât want to go back in that building.
âYeah, I think so.â She takes his hand, leading him to the car.
She takes out the keys from his coat. Before handing them to him, she takes a moment to admire a little picture of her and Veneer on some vacation, attached to a keychain. They couldnât have been older than five, and the light was still in their eyes. Once the picture was obscured by raindrops and tears, she hands him the keys, then gets in the passenger seat.
Just as Veneer reaches to start the car, she stops him. She puts a hand over his, and connects their fingers, taking their hands to the armrest. He doesnât comment, just sits there in silence with her.
She mostly looked down at the ground these days. But something compelled her to look up, through the moonroof, towards the sky. It was completely dark except for the lights illuminating the parking lot. The rain poured onto the moonroof, and if she tried, she could make out shapes in the drops. One figuration of raindrops made two stars, side by side.
Her ears rang, lingering from the loud music in the gym. She didnât want to think about that place, so she takes her focus back to the rain. It was its own kind of music, pattering against the metal of the car. If love had a sound, this was it.
Her gold lipstick tasted bad, metallic. Velvet didnât know why she even put it on, no one had any interest in her lips. But if she focused enough, she could still taste the chocolate chip cookie her brother forced her to take in the cafeteria. She barely felt hungry anymore, but right now, all she wanted was another one. And, for the first time in all her teenage years, she remembered how much she loved chocolate.
She had tried a new perfume, and in this moment, it was her new favorite. It was lemony with a hint of sweetness, and now she wanted to wear it every day until it ran out, and then sheâd buy a new one. It mixed with her brotherâs cologne on his coat, vanilla and some kind of citrus. She wished she could mix them together, but figured that would waste the nice bottles they came in.
Being touch starved was rough for a girl like Velvet, who craved physical affection more than anything. Veneer always made sure to hug her and hold her hand when she needed it, but usually something was missing.
Not tonight.
His hand, slippery from the rain, was still warm in hers. Her rings pressed against his fingers, and she looked forward to taking them off so they could hold hands again. If she really felt for it, she could feel his pulse.
While it was her main focus, his hand wasnât the only thing she could feel. Her strapless bra dug into her sides. Veneerâs jacket fit her perfectly, keeping her warm after the cold rain. Her gold heels were uncomfortable as hell. She could feel her own pulse, still beating, even after everything.
She looks over to the reason it still was.
âVels?â
âHm?â She meets his eyes with a soft smile.
âYou okay to go? I want to beat the traffic.â
âYeah. Letâs go home.â
Veneer starts the car and drives them out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road, he switches to driving with one hand, and uses his other to hold Velvetâs. She squeezes, and he squeezes back.
He had turned on the radio, the volume just loud enough for Velvet to hear it mixed with the rain. She didnât know the song, but she liked the singerâs voice. At a stoplight, she kicks off her uncomfortable shoes.
She stares out the window as they drive past the suburbs she hated so much. Through the rain, she could almost see it: them driving through the city, past all the bright lights, away from all of this nothingness.
Less than two years, then theyâd be out of here. After tonight, they were one day closer.
//
Veneer pulls up to the driveway, greeted by the average sized middle class house he couldnât wait to move out of. His hand was still in his sisterâs.
He was about to talk, but stops himself when he notices Velvet fast asleep in the passenger seat. With a sigh of relief, he turns off the car.
As quietly as possible, Veneer walks around to the other side. He picks her up out of the seat, making sure her head rested on his shoulder. Her bag and shoes were still in the car, but they could deal with that tomorrow.
Trying his best to shield her from the rain, he carries his sleeping sister through the front door. Only one light was on, meaning their parents were asleep. Thank goodness, he didnât feel like explaining why they were home early and soaking wet.
He carries her up the stairs to his room, then gently lays her on her side of his bed. Too tired for anything else, he changes into the nearest sweatpants and t-shirt, then lazily wipes off his makeup. He wasnât sure why he put so much effort into his appearance for the dance, maybe some fantasy that a cute guy would approach him.
But thatâs all it was. A fantasy.
Once he was done getting ready, he figured he should at least take Velvetâs makeup off and get her a dry jacket. Careful not to wake her, he trades out his coat for a zip up hoodie that had been lying on the floor. He takes off her jewelry as well, making sure they were laid out nicely on his bedside table.
He then gets out a makeup wipe, and tries to remove as much as he could while sitting beside her. She had put on quite a bit, and she looked beautiful as ever. With or without makeup, he loved looking at her, especially her smile. He saw less and less of it lately.
Despite what he thought was a delicate touch, her eyes start to flutter open.
âHi, sleepyhead,â he whispers, taking off the last of her blush.
âHeyâŠâ She groans, sounding just as sleepy as she looked.
She swats his hand away, then changes her mind, and holds it instead. It seemed like she was about to fall asleep again, when she suddenly sits up, her eyes wide.
âI am not sleeping in this bra,â she declares.
âGood idea,â he agrees, though he was glad he couldnât relate.
âI know youâre gay and my brother, but,â she finishes her sentence by standing up and throwing a blanket over him, sending him into darkness. âAnd Iâm stealing your pajamas!â
That was fine by him. He stole her clothes plenty, though it wasnât as fun now that she didnât get mad. Still, it was one of his ways to be closer to her.
After a minute, she pulls the blanket off of him. She had changed into a set of hot pink satin pajamasâthey fit her perfectly. They were one of his favorites, but he would gladly lend them to her whenever if it would make her happy.
She sits down next to him on the edge of the bed. Without a word, she wraps her arms around him in a tight hug. Her head fit perfectly in his shoulder, like he was made to hold her.
âIâm proud of us,â Veneer whispers into the hug.
âWhy? Weâre total losers,â Velvet disagrees, squeezing him tighter.
âBut weâre gonna make it. In two years, weâll be done, and we wonât be losers anymore,â he reminds her.
He had managed to do the complete opposite of his goal, when he hears Velvet sniffle. He understood, thoughâit had been a rough night for her. For them both. She needed this.
âIâm right here, I gotcha,â he comforts, gently rubbing her back.
âI know,â she lets out a quiet sob. âI know.â
He holds her through the tears, just as he had countless times.
//
A million thoughts raced through Velvetâs head, sadness flooding back the more she thought about everyone and everything. At least she had a shoulder to cry on, the one person who was there for her.
She had cried plenty that night, but of course her stupid brain had to make her cry again. If only she could be anyone else. But then she wouldnât have her brother, and she decided that was even worse.
She knew what to do: in hope of blocking out the thoughts, she takes her focus to the rain. It tapped against the window, reminding her that it was okay, even if it was raining.
Velvet focuses on Veneerâs hand on her back: up, down, up, down. She breathes with it, in on the up, out on the down. Veneer breathes with her, until the tears were done.
âI love you,â he tells her, brushing off the last of her tears. âI love you, just the way you are.â
âThatâs,â she takes a deep breath, then snickers, âThatâs so cheesy.â
âI mean it!â He laughs with her, and flicks her on the arm.
âYeah, yeah,â she accepts with a playful eye roll. âI love you too.â
âCan I tuck you in?â
She nods, and makes herself comfortable in his sheets. Veneer stands on her side, bringing the blankets up to her shoulders. Once she was tucked in, he leans down and presses a soft kiss to her forehead.
He smiles at her, and she smiles back. Before he moved, she takes his face in her hands, and kisses his forehead next. She already knew it was his favorite.
Veneer lays down beside her, and she quickly wraps her arms around his shoulders. He hugs her close, just as he had the past few nights. Something felt different about this time, though. It was less like she needed him, and more like she wanted him to hold her.
She tried not to think about the after parties she wasnât invited to, or Juliet spending the night with her girlfriend that shouldâve been Velvet. Instead, she was right where she needed to be: in the warm embrace of the person who loved her more than anything.
Her head rested next to his heart, the gentle pulse starting to put her to sleep. She feels a kiss on the top of her head, so she gives him one last squeeze in the hug. She didnât need to say anything else; her touch was her language.
It couldnât possibly get worse, so it had to get better, right? Something had to change, they just had to get out of this awful place.
For now, it was raining, and that was okay. The rain would stop eventually.
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I updated recently happy pride month!!! I couldnât help myself to include the galvanized square steel reference pls tell me yâall have seen those. I figured Iâd post on tumblr bc Iâm having mad writers block rn and I canât match their đŻđ»đźđȘđŽ rn đ