Snippets and Stories: (A) Niche

Sil rushed home and went straight for his room, tossing a quick wave to Ignace so he wouldn't worry too much.

"How--" Ignace blinked as the redhead disappeared before he could ask, "... Did it go."

Maybe he was just feeling worn out. He had been out a long Time.

Sil meanwhile, had clambered into bed, burying his face into his pillow.

How could he have been so stupid.

He felt foolish for having thought otherwise.

He should've known better.

It had been a few weeks since he started when a group had come up and asked him if he wanted to hang out with them afterwards.

Sil had been skeptical at first but they had been so sincere. Sympathetic for the harassment.

"We'll meet up there, you better be there!"

Sil nodded, unable to help the small smile and giddiness in his step, when, at the end of the day he left to their meetup.

He was the first to arrive and he waited, shuddering as the fall breeze swept through the courtyard.

He couldn't wait, they all seemed so nice, they were going to go to the pumpkin patch and go around the carnival.

... But why had they wanted to meet here? There wasn't much around. Sil glanced up.

No one in sight.

Maybe they were running late. He smiled to himself, it would be a lot of fun to be part of a group, to laugh and play with others.

He would wait.

Ignace is a wonderful friend, but he couldn't keep relying on his senior's generosity.

Minutes came and went and slowly turned to an hour. Then another. And another.

Sil picked up his bag and left.

Maybe he had mixed up their meeting spot.

His hands felt numb, it was awfully cold and he hadn't expected to be out so long.

On his way home he spotted the group and waved to them, calling out excitedly.

They spotted him and he froze as a girl pointed a finger at him and laughed to her friends, "He actually waited for us!"

"You really thought we were going to hang out with you?"

"Wow, you waited all this Time? Stupid."

His face burned and he turned tail and ran, their laughter ringing in his ears.

"Aw, look, you hurt its feelings! Going to go crying back to poor Ignace?"

Honestly, what had he expected.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Why hadn't he seen this coming?

Maybe because he thought for once in his bloody life, someone actually liked him.

That he wasn't just the weird kid, the kind that everyone gave a 10 ft. berth to, or pretended they didn't see, or that was good for nothing but being the butt of someone else's joke.

The outright bullying he could take, but this... This had been cruel.

What hurt was he really thought he had made friends.

That someone liked him for who he was.

Not like Ignace who hung out with him for the perks of the buddy system, or was king because of obligations.

In his mind he remembered how happy he felt when they sat together during lunch break, the lively conversation, the closeness.

And it just made him feel all the more stupid for it.

People are horrible.

Sometimes they did things just because they can. They didn't need a reason for anything.

Inconsiderate, insensible, self-justifying, mean, and hurtful, amongst other things.

He had been naive and stupid

Idiot.

It was all just one big lie.

And he believed it.

Nursing his wounded pride, he huddled in on himself, still in his day clothes, and fell asleep.

He awoke much later to a warm hand jostling his shoulder, "Hey."

Sil feigned sleep. He knew what Ignace wanted.

"Fine, don't wake up then."

And he could almost hear the other sulking. It almost made him smile, despite how utterly low he was feeling. Almost.

To his surprise though, Ignace climbed on beside him and lay down on his back, arms crossed behind his head, "I don't know what happened, but it couldn't have been all bad, eh?"

Sniff.

Curses.

If he could see the Elemental, he was sure the other was grinning wider than Cheshire himself.

Ah well. He had him figured out, but that didn't mean he couldn't try if it meant putting off this talk.

"C'mon Sil, think we both know you're about as asleep as I am."

"... Zuzuzuh." He hissed stubbornly, hugging his pillow tighter and almost protectively in front of him.

"Someone's not getting clam chowder tonight."

"You made clam chowder?"

Bingo.

Ignace grinned, flashing teeth at Sil's wide eyes and hopeful expression peeking over the puffed edge of his pillow.

"Depends."

"Ignaaaace!"

As if on cue, the redhead's stomach gave a long, drawled out growl.

He hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and the mere thought of the piping hot, creamy, and savoury, yet delicately spiced clam chowder that Ignace sometimes made was enough to rouse the appetite he'd lost.

Ignace watched as he downed one bowl in the blink of an eye, and another well on its way.

Guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise, he must've been famished, having eaten nothing between his arrival, till the wee hours. Nevermind the Time before he got home.

Certain the other was content, at least in his belly, he inquired once more, prodding gently.

Hunger oft changed people.

Once comforted, most became much more amiable, and Sil was no different.

He divulged his afternoon and evening, if not hesitantly. How he'd met people and thought he'd made friends. They'd asked him to wait. And he had. When he'd finally left and run into them, they'd laughed at him.

Such deception was rather in poor taste.

But there was little he could do to make things better.

So he did what he could and put an arm around Sil's shoulders.

"At least I know who they are now, rather than later."

He nodded, and let the other lean against him.

Inside, Sil wondered whether he had done the right thing.

The girl's voice echoed in his mind.

"Going to go crying back to poor Ignace?"

He'd recounted the day like he normally would respond, though he did hesitate, some immature art of him feeling that he was only proving them right.

But more so, he wouldn't let others sway him. Then they'd truly have won.

Won what though?

You really are just a dumb child.

Sil grit his teeth. There was no real right answer.

All that would come out of this were bad feelings.

Yet even that was giving them what they wanted.

His only comfort was that tears didn't come easily to him. Never had.

And.

At least he had Ignace.

They had a sleepover that night in the main space.

"Lets go to the Fall Fairgrounds tomorrow."

Sil grimaced. It was where they had planned to go. Had gone. 

"I'd r-rather not."

"Not feelin' up for it?" Ignace prodded and the redhead shrugged uncomfortably, "S-something like that."

To be frank it had taken a lot out of the seasonal fun and he wasn't quite up for it, nor the chance of seeing them again on a weekend when he was free to just coop himself up and hide.

But Ignace smiled so gently at him, "Lets at least pass by. If you don't feel up for it then we can come home."

And he found himself nodding. Couldn't help doing so.

Sil stared at the Elemental in his peripheral.

He had Ignace.

Even if.

A maroon eye flickered down to stare at his badge and the small chip that indicated he qualified for Guidance perks.

He wasn't sure he truly did.

Something that didn't escape notice. But Ignace said nothing, just lay where he was, smiling. He wouldn't mention the furtive glances thrown his way in suspicion.

He couldn't fault the redhead for his distrust. A healthy dose of skepticism went a long way.

Ignace would prove himself with Time.

But first, he would make amends. Though he couldn't make the bad memories go away, he could give him the holiday fun and joy as it was meant for.