.FLOW

Smile was keeling next to the other, glancing over, a frown tugging at his lips whenever he’d taken note of the others hands, a hand reaching out to rub her arm for a moment in a comforting gesture. “Yeah I remember her….we never talked as much as you did with her but…she was a sweet girl.” Really he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for Oreko, memories of his sister being stirred in his head. He’d been fond of the girl as well. Never as close as Sabitsuki and she but, close enough. He hadn’t anything like the funeral dress but he’d at least tried to dress for the occasion, if only to offer some respect. Though the sound of footsteps had sent the hypervigilant boy whirling on his heel and– What. What was-

“…Sabitsuki…Sabi turn around-”

“Hm?” Sabi turned around at Smile’s words, frowning. What she saw made her freeze, the boat tumbling from her hands and eyes widening as she stared in front of her.

“O...reko?” That was the young girl alright, she had the same greenish-brown dress and the diving helmet she wouldn’t let the doctors take away and the splotches of Rust colored skin on her neck and limbs. She looked exactly like she had the night she’d die. Sabi felt a war happening inside her, torn between wanting to smile and cry and hold the younger girl and distrusting whatever this was. “But... how?”

“Hey, hey! I’m not one of the ghosts!”

These were one of those times where Sabi was glad for her Broom Effect. She didn’t have long left before her Effects would shut down completely, but she didn’t need long.

It didn’t matter how freaked out Sabi was by the appearance of those from her past, she would always try protecting those younger than her. Her Ghost Effect on, invisible to the eyes of everyone, Sabi moved behind the Shambler. Turning the Effect off, she slammed her wooden plank over its head. And kept slamming it down until the Shambler stopped moving.

Sabi looked up at the younger girl, frowning. “You okay, kid?”

“What the fuck is happening?!” Sabi shouted as she ducked, a vase crashing above her head.

For the first time in her life, Sabitsuki felt truly and utterly like she’d lost control. She’d seen some fucked up things in her world, both in her mental landscape and in the real world, but not even Rust was like this. Zombies, ghosts, people from their own worlds, dead people. This was all too much. She wanted to go back to hiding in her room and never leaving it.

This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening.

Sabi prided herself on being the type of person who could keep a straight face in the worst of situations, a trait she’d taught herself over the years. She could face down monsters with human faces with nothing but a blank stare.

Oreko was here. Oreko had died. How could she be here? And was that-

Sabi’s heart seemed to stop as her eyes locked on herself, blotches of Rust covering her other self’s face and arms. Its face was twisted into a cruel smile as they locked eyes.

Rust was always trying to destroy her from the inside out, now it would try destroying her from the outside in. This couldn’t be happening.

Oh, she’d seen this man. He was one of the people performing and one of the few actually good acts (in other words, one of the few who actually seemed to know what he was doing). Sabi was almost disappointed that she was meeting him while clearly stealing food, stuffing it into a backpack and her pockets. She might have wanted to actually talk to him about his music. Oh well.

Sabitsuki stood on the outskirts of the party, forcing a frown on her lips even as she had to resist the urge to sway with the music. She shouldn’t be here, who knew if she was still contagious, if someone could get Rust from her, but she couldn’t resist coming. She wondered what she’d sing if she got on that stage, not that she ever would. Probably something angry, righteous anger. 

I also have rp icon commissions open (only done from official art ofc) if you would like to commission me.

“Heh, took years off my life too.” Ah yes, jokes about how the last thing she remembered of her world was dying. Perfect. “Missed me?”