The Girls of Virtue

[14-1] Throw Fading Thoughts into the Sky

Time passes. And that's the extent of it. Avoidance doesn't come back, and Beginning tries not to think about it too much. She did the best she could. Hopefully. It's difficult not to wonder how things could have gone differently. There's always that hovering bit of doubt that doesn't fade.

But doubts only get you so far. Beginning wants, tries to push things from her mind that won't do her any good. Somehow, the tension in the World of Fog is rising. She's getting an increasingly bad feeling as the moments tick by, and that feeling puts her on edge. Beginning isn't exactly the kind of person to trust her 'instincts', and yet... there are things she wants to avoid for now. Maybe forever, if she can. If that's possible.

So she occupies herself. That takes the form of finding someone to bother, as she's sure the other girls would put it if they had a say.

Beginning wanders the streets, humming under her breath, and thinking about what she should do next. What winds up coming to mind is her previous interaction with Negativity. Looking back on that, she's somewhat proud of herself. She held up well against that solid wall of pessimism and unkind words that the other girl seems to embody.

And yet, it didn't end quite so well on Negativity's end. That might be fixable, Beginning thinks. As fixable as anything can be when it comes to people who act like they're allergic to basic decency and kindness.

It's a good enough place to start. When it comes to taking her mind off of things, Negativity is a fairly safe option. She's not prone to hitting (or anything physically painful, for that matter), and Beginning has gotten plenty used to her sharp tongue and unfortunate attitude. Nothing Negativity says bothers her much anymore, even as... abrasive as the girl can be.

It takes some searching. Beginning winds up on the roofs again, and this time, she enjoys it. The cold, foggy air against her face is almost grounding, and the headrush that comes with every leap and land is becoming familiar. Even though it still feels like something is out of reach in the back of her mind, and even though her movements still feel somehow wrong, Beginning manages to hold onto the good in that moment. She can move how she wants to, keep up with everyone around her, and do things that she never would have thought to be possible upon waking up here.

Soon enough, she catches sight of a familiar curtain of inky hair. Negativity appears to be perched on a toppled lamp-post, long uprooted, and lying in its own crater on the street. Beginning hesitates on the rooftop where she stands. Is this really a good idea? It almost feels like inviting trouble, and yet... No, she can't back down. This is the kind of thing she has to get used to if she wants to make any difference in the world she's in.

Beginning drops from the roof, landing with a soft thump.

As soon as Beginning's feet hit the ground, Negativity startles. As in, she lets out a small, tense squeak, and whirls around instantly.

"What the fuck!?" she demands as soon as Beginning's presence registers. And then, in a surprisingly shrill, tense voice, "Don't do that! Dropping down behind someone— I thought you were Hysteria!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you." Even though Beginning apologizes without hesitation, she's getting the impression that something is off. It's not like Negativity to be so jumpy. Maybe it's the hovering threat of the plan— and the even more present threat of Judgement behind it.

"Well, you did. Now, what do you want? Hurry up and spit it out so I can say no, you can go on your merry little way, and I can be left alone."

"I wanted to apologize, actually. For something other than startling you." Beginning approaches Negativity where she sits. Without asking permission, she seats herself on the lamp-post right beside her. "So I guess you could say that I want to talk. And I'm not going to take no for an answer, at least not for a little bit. There are things that I need to say."