Party Games (Frerard)

Twelve

Gerard was lead to a dark room inside the giant tent. Rebel gestured to a spot on the ground that had chains rising from its depths. "Sit." She ordered.

Gerard listened, not seeing a use in arguing. He sat down and she crouched next to him. Cuffs were quickly clamped around his wrists.

"She's not usually that explosive, you know."

Gerard looked up, locking eyes with his friend. Though there was no recognition, there was still a softness to her gaze.

"She's the leader around here." Rebel continued, "She keeps our spirits uplifted, even in the most dismal times... It can take a toll." She avoided Gerard's eyes as she spoke, silently stashing her weapon in its holster.

Gerard looked down. Had he written something like this? He couldn't be sure anymore; art was blurring along the line of reality to a point that Gerard felt unfamiliar with his own, created world. "I never meant for any of this..."

"Even the most well meaning men have their moments of blindness." Rebel replied, softly. Her eyes finally flickered in Gerard's direction. "It could have been so much different, though. She may have greeted you as an old friend under different circumstances."

Gerard shook his head. "I made decisions that brought about the wrong circumstances..." He looked up, locking her gaze.

Her eyes were really pretty.

It was a small detail that he had never taken in of her real life counterpart. The way they looked back at Gerard was something he felt like he had known before, but he couldn't mark it past a feeling.

Unfortunately, she was the one to break the contact as a voice hollered her name. "I'm needed."

"Come back if you have a chance?" Gerard's voice was soft, causing Rebel to hesitate from rising to her feet. She seemed to have a quiet deliberation in her head before she nodded.

"Okay."

---

Fun Ghoul was locked somewhere away from Gerard, but that didn't stop the short killjoy's loud projection of his many, and often, swears.

Gerard had attempted to pull out of his restraints, but it ended as well as could be expected. He was forced to stay where he was, listening to Fun Ghoul's swears mixed with the sounds of others in the large tent.

Laughter was very minimal here. Sometimes people walked by where he was being held with hushed whispers. There were sounds of sadness, followed by soft, uplifting messages from none other than Desert Hurricane. Rebel was right about her being the strength in this place; her words, that Gerard could hear, held a power behind them. She was a leader who tried her hardest to keep spirits up and keep everyone moving.

Maybe Gerard could learn from her...

Maybe Party Poison could learn from her if he actually had turned these people away.

Gerard didn't understand it. He had written Party as a hero! How had he just abandoned so many people in need?

Future Bloom and Solo could almost always be found with two other boys, though Gerard had never seen them. The three youngest, who went by 'the strays' were a quiet group, but sometimes Gerard heard them talk. The ones that could talk anyway.

"I miss the others." Crybaby would sniffle.

"We lost seven, but we're still here. Darling, we'll be okay." Mechanical Kid would soothe her, "Remember what Desert Hurricane says, things will look up."