- Two days later -
"I need a new dress for tonight!" Velvet suddenly announced out of turn, bursting out of her seat on the balcony as if she had just remembered it. She flicked her cigarette over the railing to the street below and rushed back inside.
Her and Ritz were out there smoking together while Veneer was going through his outfits inside on the sofa, trying to make up his mind on what to wear for the evening. Tonight was the night of their celebration, hosted by Ritz in his penthouse located above the Rage Dome.
"Hey! I've got a damn ash tray- fuck." Ritz called after her frustrated as his eyes followed the lit ciggy's fall down. He was leaning against the barrier, on the opposite side to where Velvet had been sitting at a cute little outdoor table and chair set.
"What are you talking about? We literally got new fits the other day. And plenty of them." Veneer looked up at his sister, as he rummaged through the various luxurious fabrics and accessories he had laid out on the sofa cushions. The TV was playing one of the many music channels available for some background ambience as he made up his mind.
"Relax bro I've got plenty in the bank. If I remember correctly, you were the one who splashed out. I just thought I could use this party thing as a proper new start for us now the whole "facing the public" thing is out of the way. New dress, new me..." Velvet continued to talk as she walked down the hall into the guest room to retrieve her purse and her adjunct disguise, not once stopping as she came back.
"Riiiiiight OK... couldn't you have thought about that yesterday? You went out then too. It's a little last minute don't you think?" Veneer followed her as she started to speed up to go towards the door.
"Last minute shminute, I'm going to get myself dolled up whether you like it or not." She said as she grabbed her phone and subsequently her lighter that she had left on the balcony table. Ritz had it in his hold as he came to the door to give to her. She snatched it from his hand and squinted at him before turning back towards the apartment front door.
"Why don't I come with you? I could do with stretching my legs before the party tonight." Veneer slapped his thighs as he stood up and went to grab his borrowed jacket.
"NO! Uh- no. It's ok. I'll be fine by myself. I need some- uh- girl time." She cleared her throat and fixed the leopard print scarf over her head, looking at him through the tinted sunglasses and leaving before he could argue against her final word.
There was a moment of silence as the door closed and the two men were left alone together. They blinked in unison before looking towards eachother in disbelief.
"Is she- feeling alright?" Ritz broke the quiet as he stepped inside and shut the slider door.
"Velvet actually... left me behind. Again!" Veneer's brain felt like it was about to explode out of his rubber skull. Ever since they were born they were inseparable. He had made friends before when they were in school but they were nothing in comparison to the pedestal his sister had put them both on growing up. She was the possessive type and hated it when he did things without her. Most of the time, he was her only friend. This behaviour started when they were little, and he enabled it as he was made to feel guilty otherwise. Even when they got older and Velvet started to get boyfriends, he was always by her side. Now, this new behaviour scared him as he had never seen her like it before. Even her lying was different. She was usually the calm, collected type of liar that was so convincing that she could tell you black was white and you'd believe her.
"That's a good thing isn't it? Your sister is finally letting you have some space." Ritz plonked himself down on the couch, watching Ven for his reaction. He just stood there dumbfounded by the sudden rush his sister turned into.
"Well yes of course but, in return for what? If I know her well enough. And I know her. She's hiding something. And I don't want to think about what that could be. Last time she did- well... she came home with Floyd in a perfume bottle. Yesterday she went out for lip balm and now it's a new outfit. I hate to say it, but i don't trust her." His mind started spiralling from worry of what she could be up to. He scratched at his wrist and tried to distract himself with his comforting fidgets.
"Try not to worry too much Ven, I think you're just feeling some separation anxiety. I get it, you guys are never apart. But like you said, you're trying to work on it right?" Ritz leaned forward and took Veneer's hand to stop him from fidgeting. Looking up at him with a reassuring smile.
"Tell you what, why don't we head over to the Rage Dome and start setting up to take your mind off of things?"
"By that, do you mean sit around sipping on cocktails while bossing everybody else about?" Ven looked down at his hand in his and blushed slightly, returning the smile as he asked.
"Bingo." Ritz smirked, and they made their leave soon after Ven finally made his mind up about his outfit.
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Velvet did not have her driving licence. And even if she did, she sure as hell would have had it suspended permanently. Veneer had his, and as a result of their performance antics had it suspended for a few months during their parole period. As a result of her sudden leave, no such lifts had been arranged for her to travel to and from downtown and so she had to rely on public transport, she hated how cramped the lively jump buses were, but soon enough she got to where she wanted to be.
She couldn't make up her mind, whether she should actually buy a new outfit first or just claim she changed her mind when she came back. Then she saw her. In her usual spot, outside of a lower market designer store. Orchid was tuning her guitar up ready to start performing, it was midday and so Mount Rageous had only just started to come alive. Suddenly, Velvet's mind was made up.
She couldn't for the life of her figure out why she kept coming out to see this girl. She had come to the wavering conclusion that she liked the brief conversations she would have with her passing by. Nevermind the fact that despite Orchid's dishevelled appearance, and gentle voice and charming charisma and-... made Velvet want to know more about her! That's it.
'She's the first rageon, besides Ritz and store clerks I spoke to after coming out- of prison- she should feel honoured that I am willing to take time out of my day even to say hello to her. Even though i haven't dared say who i am.' Velvet thought to herself as she hid behind a phone box, not looking suspicious at all. She reached into her purse and applied a fresh scent of perfume. Actual perfume. Exhaling as she tucked whatever loose hair that had fallen, back under the silky scarf. Her whole body shook before she stepped out and started to strut in the general direction of the small performer.
"Oh hey Miss! Nice to see you out and about again today. Wow you smell amazing, is that Cherry Baker?" Orchid perked up so fast as she smelt the sweet scent tickle her nose. She had one hand on the shoulder strap of her guitar while the other was setting up the mic in front of her, with her foot at the base to hold it steady.
"Why yes it is. Glad you noticed. You must really know your scents." Velvet smirked as she stopped in front of the purple girl, pretending that she intended to walk past her.
"Nahhhh not really. It was one of the things you bought yesterday, remember?" Orchid chuckled to herself as she stood back to look up at the taller woman blocking the neon lights behind her from her eyes. "It really suits you."
Velvet's cheeks flushed from embarrassment, she had forgotten that she had actually mentioned it to her during her outing yesterday. It was just one of the many useless words that escaped her lips during her passing by.
Orchid however only guessed the brand, she smelt cherries so naturally the name made sense. Ever since she had first come into contact with Velvet her heart was doing loops. Like the perfume, she had guessed the real identity of the casual luxury shopper that had started to become a regular chatter. But not once had either of them given the other a name. Orchid feared that if she asked her then she would turn away and never come back if she was right. But the nonchalant flirting between them had become too much of a distraction from her goal on the busy street and she needed to know. It would certainly help put her mind at ease. She wanted to know if she was in fact talking to the criminal she once fell in love with.
Vel let out a low giggle, accepting the compliment but also to hide her mistake. "Aw that's sweet of you, though, speaking of it, i think this scent is a little too sweet for me. It's better suited to you." She placed her hand on her chest, she could feel the rhythm of her heart start to knock against her ribcage. Wanting to be let out. She swallowed hard and gripped onto the strap of her purse.
Orchid blushed, fiddling with her hair due to the sudden compliment. She didn't know what to say other than: "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm surprised you even remembered." Velvet placed her other hand on her hip as she inspected the nervous mess before her. She laughed internally, it was funny to see how quickly she could take away her confidence with a single compliment. But it also made her feel good to give them.
"How could I forget so easily? When a beautiful woman comes up to me of all people, I listen to what she has to say." Orchid fired back as she looked up to her with a new confident stance. Velvet crumbled and her lip wavered unable to speak. Where the hell did HER confidence just go to!?
"Haha aw, you make me wanna punch your lights out and throw up with how sweet you actually are! I'm just gonna pop in for a minute, see you soon." Velvet's glasses were near on the verge of falling off of her face as she jittered into the store beside them. Once inside she took a deep breath and checked her chest, her heart was breaking her ribs.
Orchid giggled to herself as she finished setting up. She began singing through her usual playlist but couldn't help but perform in a much more up beat octave. Whether Ritz liked it or not she was coming to that party. He had told her about it the night of the interview, passing it in conversation but he immediately stopped and told her that she couldn't come. He wanted to invite her, but the unfortunate thing was that her Father would never allow her to go. He knew how much the duo had broken her heart and he worried about the type of people Ritz mixed with, he didn't want to see her get hurt. Orchid had made a plan. But first things, first. She wanted to get Maybe-Velvet's attention before the party.
Inside the store, Velvet stress shopped, buying whatever uncoordinated clothes and jewellery she could, not putting much thought behind her purchases as she took her mind off of the tease outside. She felt sick thinking about the interactions, but in a conflicting good way? As she exited the store with two new bags of junk, she froze in place.
Why is she playing Sweet Dreams!?
Orchid had her tongue out as she focused on riffing the beginning tune of the fallen star's former success song. This was it! Her eyes wondered as she saw Velvet come out just in time and she greeted her with an excited smile. Other rageons passing by started to give the performer some major side eye, as they often did when she decided to perform one of the V's now controversial works. She picked Sweet Dreams as her lure due to her personal affiliation with the song. It was the first song of theirs she ever heard live.
"I'm sure you know this one rather well! Why don't you join me?" She offered, turning to face her. Velvet was too stunned to speak, and she started to feel hundreds of eyes land on her at one time.
"I can sing Veneer's parts if you'd prefer?" Orchid grinned as she continued to strum an extended intro at the same time as trying to shuffle the mic stand towards her.
Velvet's heart started to pound for a different reason. Her breathing started to feel heavy. She panicked.
"Are you making fun of me!? Get that fucking thing out of my face!" She shrieked and heads around them turned. The shrillness of her voice echoed in the mic and Orchid immediately stopped playing to catch the stand as Velvet pushed it away from her fearfully.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I-I thought that-" Orchid immediately felt crushed. Her assumption about the stranger was correct, but her coaxing had been taken as an insult. She attempted to profusely apologise but instead she was making a scene.
"Just shut up! Shut up! This is some kind of sick game to you isn't it? You just wanted to expose me for ridicule..." Velvet felt her hands slip and she dropped the bags she was holding, backing herself into a corner, her sunglasses falling down her face and to the floor with a small clic clac. She felt like she had been betrayed all over again, she didn't know why she put so much trust and attention into a complete stranger. In the end she thought maybe that it was refreshing to pretend to be someone she wasn't. To have a real conversation with someone without judgement of her conviction. But she was wrong, the performer must have known who she was all this time.
"No! I really am sorry! I just wanted to know who you are." Orchid pleaded with her, but her words did not register. She started to feel tears well as she reached out to her.
All Velvet could see was hundreds of eyes on her, closing in as her chest got tighter. She scratched at her throat and squeezed as she tried to find the air to cling onto. Her piercing blue eyes darted from person to person, some rageons had their phones out to record what was happening, and their chatter got louder and louder. She was in the midst of having a breakdown. Suddenly, she was reminded of her time in solitary, the days and nights she spent screaming at the top of her lungs just to fill in the silence that consumed her. This felt worse. She wanted nothing more than the loving attention of her public, but instead, she was met with the weighted anxiety of pressure to perform for an ungrateful crowd. The tall woman felt so small. She quickly pushed her way through the crowd, leaving her belongings behind, but gripping tightly onto her purse for support as she disappeared into the obscurity of the backstreets.
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Heeeeeey, how are ya'll doing? Don't mind me just adding a lil angst to your Velchid for a lil spice hahaha. Lemme know what you thought of this chapter! Stay tuned for more!