#.Kat.

[normallyxstranger]

Fictober22 (@fictober-event) Day 8 —  "Do you remember?"

featuring Kat Matherson & Sara Minder— characters from The New Ashton Chronicles, written & role-played by F.R. Southerland (@normallyxstranger | @frsoutherlandauthor | www.frsoutherland.com) © October 2022

original fiction

general warnings: abuse mention

     She stood still in the doorway, staring across the great marble floor. For all the opulence of her mother’s manor, the foyer was an empty and foreboding space. Large marble columns stretched as far as she could see, a near endless and imposing row of them. Despite the attention grabbing nature of these columns, it was the large sprawling staircase that caught the eye. Kat turned her attention to it now, following the steps and railing, up and up and up until she saw her.

     The light streaming into the stained glass window cast shades of red upon the demon’s face, highlighting her pale skin. When she turned, crimson danced across her mouth like droplets of blood. Though her eyes were usually a rich brown, they never held any warmth. When they looked down upon Kat now, they were positively empty and cold.

     “Oh. You’re here.” No warmth in her tone either, voice too flat for much emotion—not that she ever expressed much beyond anger or disappointment or disgust.

     “Yes. I’m here.” Kat’s voice matched her mother’s, just as flat and unfeeling. What had she expected, coming here like this? That she would welcome her home? Give her an encouraging word? No, those were human thoughts. If she told Sara that, she might sneer, might tell her she’d spent too much time with humans. The latter was true, but she wouldn’t give Sara the satisfaction of knowing she was right.

     “Why are you here?” Sara was dressed in a short black skirt, with gold edging—real gold, Kat suspected, knowing her mother’s desire for all things lavish. Her shoes, too, appeared golden. They clicked as she stepped down those marble stairs. Her long black nails trailed along the railing until she stopped, resting her hand upon it instead.

     “No reason.” That was true enough. It’d been a few years since she’d last set foot in her home dimension. Edaros hadn’t changed a bit and neither, it seemed, had her mother. Maybe there was a reason she’d come back—to see if any of it had changed. She wouldn’t let Sara know that either, nor that it was nostalgia that had driven her back through the Shadows and into Edaros land. 

     “No reason,” she repeated. A scoff followed, eyes rolling. “Aimless. Just like him.”

     Kat lifted her head a bit, unfazed by the comparison to her father. She’d rather be like him than like the woman before her. She said nothing, but moved forward, sneakers scuffing lightly on the marble floor.

     Sara descended the last few steps and approached her, pausing a few feet away. Her cold stare swept over Kat—head to foot then back up. Disgust, disappointment—precisely the reaction she’d expected. “You dress like them,” she said. Humans, she meant.

     “How am I supposed to dress? Like you?” 

     “It’d be an improvement.” Sara watched her face closely. “Why are you really here? No lies.”

     Should she tell her? Rub salt into the wound of her failed expectations? Let her know that humanity had perhaps infected her, made her sensitive and sentimental?

     For a few seconds, she didn’t respond, resisting the temptation to turn her gaze away. Steadily, she held Sara’s judgmental, severe stare. “I wanted to. I wanted to see you.”

     Surprise registered by the arch of one slender, dark brow. “You wanted to see me? Now that’s human nonsense if I ever heard it.” With another scoff, her mother turned and began to walk away.

     “Do you remember?” Kat asked, lifting her voice so it echoed off the immensely high walls and columns. “Do you remember the last time I was here?”

     That gave Sara pause. She turned slightly, peering at Kat from over her shoulder. “Centuries ago.” Her lips pulled to a thin, humorless smile. “Edaros time.”

     Time did move faster here. A few years on Earth might be centuries here. A long time for Sara; not long enough for Kat.

     “Nothing’s changed, has it?”

     “No. Nor will it.” The smile vanished from her face. “You made your choice. There’s no undoing it. Did you hope I’d change my mind? That I’d welcome you back? That I’d want you?”

     The words struck Kat as painfully as a physical blow, as if Sara had slapped her again, like she had last time. Human sentimentality—that’s what it was, that’s what had crawled into Kat’s heart and brought her back here. Sentimentality and stupidity.

      Sara narrowed her eyes. “You stink of humanity and foolishness, your head full of their ideas. I thought you better than that, but you’ve proved me wrong yet again. Now go. Leave! I don’t want to see you here again.” Her heels clicked as she rapidly walked that endless foyer and disappeared into the dark.

     Kat stood there, throat tight, the threat of tears burning her eyes. The Shadows drew Themselves closer, wrapped about her legs, but even They couldn’t comfort her now.

     She never should’ve returned.

[compassionatereminders]

It's a lot healthier to go for a daily walk than to sign up for a gym membership you won't be using because you hate that kind of exercise. It's a lot healthier to eat a frozen meal than to skip a meal because you were too tired to cook something healthy. It's a lot healthier to take a quick shower than to procrastinate an elaborate routine for days. Don't aim so high that you won't be hitting anything!

[likethesword]

king shit !!!

[gravecats]

This is literally my favorite tweet of all time. It’s so powerful.

She Freaken Forgor Me

[bladesandbhaalspawn]

🦆😳Enjoy the passing SCENERY.

by baiyameng on X/Twitter!

[bluumey]

More punks 🤎

[monttagues]

murph, who is not dead, he's just in the sky, looking down on us

[salted-caramel-tea]

[xkat-holstaur]

[chappellrroan]

not a flop post not to me if my 1 mutual likes it

[lunchboxpoems]

KAT GIORDANO

[normallyxstranger]

[compassionatereminders]

"No one remembered my birthday-" Well, but did YOU tell anyone it was coming up and you wanted to celebrate it with them?

"I wish someone would see through it when I tell people I'm fine-" Well, but have YOU considered not lying when people ask you how you're doing?

"I am so resentful of my friend because they keep doing this thing that really bothers me-" Well, but have YOU directly communicated that the thing is bothering you?

"I am burning out because my friend keeps expecting me to help them with serious struggles-" Well, but have YOU tried to establish the boundaries you need to feel okay?

"No one ever asks me about this thing I really care about-" Well, but have YOU brought it up yourself?

"I miss my friend but they haven't texted me-" Well, but have YOU been reaching out to them?

Sometimes people are mean, uncaring assholes, in which case you get to be mad. But sometimes you just need to communicate better. Try communication before you assume someone doesn't care!

[miss-wizard]

DO NOT LET SOCIAL MEDIA TURN YOU INTO AN AMERICAN

[upright70s]

[weepingwidar]

Kat Lyons (American, 1991) - You Can't Get Lost When You're Only Keeping Up (n.d.)