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All Wounds - 10 (Pt.2) (Life is Strange)

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Life is Strange
All Wounds

Chapter 10 – Mess
(Part 2)
--

(Stella) – (Yep, just take a right at the end of that block.)
(We're by the deli waiting for you.)
(This is gonna be so cool!)

(Chloe) – (cool cool cool)
(u rly think this will cheer her up?)

(Stella) – (I think it'll cheer you BOTH up.)
(Besides, you two seriously need a night out to relax.)
(Especially before going back up to the bay this weekend.)
(Also? This was Max's idea, Brooke just gave us the venue.)

(Chloe) – (Wut's this joint like tho?)
(Is it all kids?)

(Stella) – (Dude, no. It's a club club. 20-somethings for days.)

(Chloe) – (So the theme is like a lie?)

(Stella) – (No? It's retro. Retro stuff doesn't have to mean kid-friendly.)

(Chloe) – (I dunno dude. Idea just sounds...lame.)

(Stella) – (Brooke swears it's actually pretty neat.)

(Chloe) – (Yah well Brooke also swears tequila tastes great and Pokémon is for adults.)

(Stella) – (Fair enough. :P )
(But why can't it be for adults
<(^ u ^<) )
( AND be fun?
(>^ u ^)> )
(Why not both?
¯\_()_/¯ )

(Chloe) – (NO EMOJI)

(Stella) – (YES EMOJI :D )
(Anyway, I had Brooke tell me all about it, but...)
(This'll be my first time there, too!)
(We gon' get RIGGETY RIGGETY WREKT SON!!!)

(Chloe) – (And I thought I was bad with the memetastic lingo.)
(TBH tho not sure I wanna get wrekt so much tonite.)

(Stella) – (Don't be a pussy, Morty. >:^O )

(Chloe) – ( ( ' 3 ' ) )
(AW JEEZ RICK!)

(Stella) – (YOU EMOJI'D)

(Chloe) – (god)
(damnit)

Are we close?” Max sighed, rubbing at her eyes.

It had only been a day since...whatever yesterday had been. But Max had been, like...normal. As normal as she was in recent times, at least.

Chloe, prying her gaze from her phone, squeezed her hand around Max's forearm, their elbows linked.

Yea, just around the corner up here, I guess.”

Chloe made note of the street signs – Max second-guessed her navigation for a moment and they quibbled over whether or not the street they were on was the street they thought they were on.

Before long, though, they had finally found their way to the designated address...A small deli nearby, and, sure enough, there was a little bit of a line leaning into some alley. Not a ridiculous line? It actually looked...way too short to be a club.

Oh.

Because the entrance was a stairwell that burrowed down beneath the sidewalk, leading into some underground…-

Ha. PFF.

OK. Chloe suddenly was able to appreciate the theme already.

Yo!” came Stells, heading their way.

Hey,” said Max with a tired kind of courtesy. Stella gave Max a quick hug, and then dolloped another Chloe's way. Brooke fussed with her hoodie a bit, nodding her chin up toward them.

The group was dressed supacaz that evening (‘super casual,’ which Chloe was trying to short-hand, butcha know, it didn’t seem to be catching on for some reason!). Chloe was sporting an unzipped denim jacket with the sleeves torn off and a tight purple sweatshirt beneath that strategically cut a bit high to give her pudgy tummy some breathing room (and to show off her belly-button piercing). Some semi-ripped jeans and tall black boots pulled things together, along with her usual assortment of various piercings.

Max was in a simple v-neck of red and black stripes with a black denim pencilneck skirt that Chloe was fond of, and a pair of tall cowgirl boots she was borrowing from Chloe. Max had her hair done up in a ponytail – Chloe had noticed that she'd been wearing the ponytail a lot recently. Max was also borrowing Chloe's pair of skull earrings, but a close eye could tell the two apart as representations of Chloe's favorite 'Skelebros' from Undertale, which Chloe had finally made Max finish playing a couple months back.

Stella was dressed in a baggy hoodie of purple and black, printed with a pattern that made it look like some kind of magician's robes (something about 'Robin' from some Nintendo game, if Chloe recalled). Her hair hung over her shoulders, but she had, like, her bangs pulled back over top to form like, a high...ponytail thing? Half-up ponytail? 'Warrior's wolf-tail,' almost? Whatever it was called, it looked sharp on her. Stella also had a small red stud piercing on her nose, a couple of glow bracelets on her right arm, but was curiously missing earrings. Maroon corduroys and good ol' converse sneakers completed Stells' look, along with her sleek violet glasses.

Brooke, meanwhile, had her own gaming-printed hoodie, which Chloe more readily recognized as a design based on the heroine of the sci-fi Metroid games. Heh, the right sleeve was even printed to look like an arm cannon. Brook's black hair was in a long ponytail, dyed with three bright streaks – green, red, and blue. Her earrings looked like-...Was that the little round robot from the newer Star Wars movies? She also had a bullring piercing – was that new? Well, seemed fitting, given how the girl loved to pick her nerd-fights so much. A pair of round, green glasses added an extra bit of 'geek' charm to Brooke's appearance, while her ripped denim shorts and fishnet tights mixed a bit of 'goth' into things.

So. Yea.

They were all lookin' supacaz.

You two took your time,” Brooke greeted flatly.

Took our time, aheh. Hehhhh...If only...

Yep, yep-urrh,” grunted Chloe, nodding to herself as the lot of them approached the back of the line. “Place was a little hard to find.”

They don't exactly announce their presence to the public,” Brooke defended, assuming the lead position in their spot in line.

Prolly 'cuz they'd get their asses sued?” Max theorized.

Probably,” Stella agreed. “But in this day and age, everyone's doing something with someone else's ideas, right?”

Max cited, “This is a little different than AMV's on YouTube and...fandom stuff on Tumblr.”

Thank god,” Chloe sighed. She bitterly grumbled to herself, “Fuckin' Tumblr bullshit...Eternally stuck in hipster high-school.”

Agreed,” Brooke sighed under her breath. “The Internet is a terrible place.”

As they reached the base of the stairs, there was a dude sitting in a foldable chair. He was a chubby little fella, wearing a red beanie with white polka dots. Had on a blue, unbuttoned vest, no undershirt, and white sweatpants. Total stoner, but he seemed sober enough – he was taking cash for entry, checking ID's, and doling out bracelets from the metal bucket to his side. Thing had a red 'W' spray-painted on it all sloppy like, for some reason.

But, anyway,” Brooke went on, “I don't question this joint's existence. As long as this place doesn't get too big, I don't see the harm.”

They're making money off of copyrighted shit,” Max pointed out.

So do people on YouTube,” Brooke defended testily. “So do people at fucking...Comic Con, selling prints or cosplay or...whatever.”

Chloe could feel the muscles in Max's arm tighten a bit. Max let Brooke ruffle her feathers way too often.

The line had moved up a few spaces by now, leaving Chloe to wonder where the backdoor exit was. Maybe led out into some alleyway…?

By that point they had descended down the stairs and faced the mouth of a dimly lit hallway of thin pipes. Like a tunnel of sorts. Chloe noticed they were painted different colors: green, blue, yellow, red...all bright primary colors, but in the dim lighting they looked almost sinister in a weird way.

One by one, they each displayed their ID cards to the hippie in the chair, paid their entry fee, strapped on their brightly colored bracelets, and were ushered through a sturdy door and into the entry hall, moving up the line. Seemed to be going at a good click, so they must've gotten there early enough...

Well,” Max finally picked the topic back up. “Just because a few people sell prints doesn't mean it's OK to do it...”

Brooke ranted on, “Patreon? Bandcamp? Redbubble? A hundred parody t-shirt websites? Need me to go on? People make money off of crap they don't own, even when they're making something new with it.”

She's got a point,” Stella added with a shrug. Stells was leaning up on her tip-toes, glancing forward and backward in a distracted way.

It's still illegal,” Max grumbled, seeming...way more intent on this than Chloe would have figured.

...Right,” Stella agreed grimly, pulling her attention back to her company. “Also...a good point.”

Technically speaking,” Brooke snipped, “it's illegal to so much as draw fan art. OK? Not even sell it, just...draw it. Did you know that? Fan art is illegal. Period. Hell, those photos you took at that costume party the other month? Some of those are probably illegal. And-slash-or some of the costumes themselves are illegal.”

Soooo,” Stella dubiously pondered, “My 'Stuckie' lemon sci-fi AU one-shot is...-?”

Illegal,” Brooke dryly confirmed. She sarcastically added, “And yet, fancy that – it still exists! Out there for...whoever the hell wants to read it.”

Even though I'm not making money off of it,” Stella clarified, slightly bruised by Brooke’s judgmental sigh.

Still illegal,” said Brooke. Glaring at Max with raised eyebrows, she squeezed in, “Technically speaking.” Max frowned with some disinterest at Brooke’s sass.

So why hasn't anyone sued me yet?” Stella raised the question.

Max, knowingly, rubbed her palm against her forehead.

Because,” Max stepped in begrudgingly, “Well, actually, like...a few reasons, prolly. Mainly because it's small potatoes. You're not worth suing.”

Ouch, Max,” Stella jested, clutching her chest with melodrama. “Ouch. My feelings...”

Also,” Max continued, smirking a bit at Stella's mock offense. “Fan art, fan fic, I mean...most fandom shit is a good thing – brand awareness, long-term fan engagement, all of that...But this place? Sounds way more shady.”

They were getting toward the entry doors – dark red metal double doors with gray spots painted along the edges to look like bolts. A pair of bouncers stood in front of said doors, dressed in matching outfits with dark green tanktops, with...white and green hockey helmets They each casually had a sledgehammer resting against their respective sides. They were big dudes, too, nice sets of biceps on one, sweet jawline on the other.

Oh. Heh. Chloe got the reference after she finished processing the sight in. Some ghetto cosplay, but Chloe kind of dug the vibes.

Mm, it does look a little dark,” Stells expressed with some wariness.

Uh, yea,” Chloe finally chimed in, “It's a nightclub, not a brightly-lit-club. I mean, like...crunk, dank, dirty, place like this? Don't, erh, seem like the positive, family-friendly entertainment you expect from the happy-go-lucky world of Nintendo.”

The ceiling above them, Chloe realized, was painted with a string of...squares. Mostly squares made to look like they were made of bricks, but a few yellow ones with question-marks drawn inside. But they seemed...kind of warped somehow. Like someone was literally on mushrooms when they were painted.

That's the appeal,” Brooke pointed out, flicking up an impatient wrist. “Childhood fantasy, flipped sideways. A dark underbelly exposed beneath the saccharine fiction...We're culturally fascinated by seeing the gritty reality of the fantasies we consume. Why do you think comic book crap took off the way it did with the MCU or Nolan's Batman films back in the day?”

Max complained, “Maybe everybody needs to chill out with the 'dark, gritty' reboots already, then...”

I actually kind of like my stories to be dark,” Stella weakly found middle-ground.

Max teased, “Big surprise from the girl who lived in Room 217 and wrote ‘Redrum’ on her door board…”

Heh, you still remember that?” Stells sheepishly mumbled, scratching at her ear.

Y-yea, I mean…that was kinda funny, if a bit morbid…I think that was what made me think we might get along in the first place.”

Aw,” Stella cooed bashfully, giving Max a playful nudge. “That’s adorable, Max. I didn’t know that…”

Max just laughed awkwardly, fussing with her bangs. Chloe couldn’t help but smile. This week kept bringing up all these reminders about how happy it made her that Max had found a dependable friend like that.

So dark,” Brooke smugly taunted. “So edgy, Stella.”

Well, ya know!” Stells snickered back. “As long as there's…ya know...still bright spots to balance it all out.”

Brooke shrugged at that, and Max nodded a little.

Well,” figured Chloe, “Maybe this place has bright spots...?”

It does,” Brooke said simply.

Are the drinks themed after powerups, though?” Chloe solemnly wondered on the side to Stells.

They are,” Stells confirmed with a giddy grin, clamping an excitable hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Their entire menu is gaming-themed.”

This whole place just seems wrong,” Max grunted. “I thought maybe, like...they just played remixed music or something, not...-” She trailed off with another one of her sighs.

Corporations make millions off of shit they basically strong-arm from creators,” Brooke huffed. “They guard the gates, they hold the keys. Fuck the suits. Nobody here's going to get confused over branding or whatever bullshit, and I wouldn't be surprised if this actually helps them sell their over-priced retro software by reminding people of their childhood, and the 'Golden Age' of the NES and blabla...-”

OK, well...Chloe was actually starting to like where Brooke was going with this, against all odds.

Chloe frankly didn’t care about this whole topic. She was kinda more with Brooke on this one: big companies made so much as it was. If fans put in some fuckin’ effort and didn’t lie or steal about it, what was the problem with making a bit of scratch on the side? Clearly, Max had different feelings about it, though…Made sense: she was an artist.

Um,” Stella sheepishly threw another two-cents in, “Regardless, fans are going to pay tribute one way or another. Zeal, right? That's the creed of the fan – short for fanatic? Yea? Fans are crazy by nature. I mean, that-...That's literally was being a fan is, you're a fanatic, you're crazy for it. Going after your own fans for creating things in tribute to your own series is...is like the church excommunicating its highest-paying patrons? Donors? It's like shooting yourself in the foot.”

At this point?” Brooke bemoaned. “Nintendo's feet might as well be goddamn Swiss cheese.”

Leaning over toward Max, Stella teased, “She's still butthurt they started making games for cellphones...”

Brooke huffed, tossing up her arms.

I don't care if it's ‘not a bad game,’ the fact that Super Mario Run even exists is a travesty to gaming.”

Stella shrugged, quietly slipping to Max and Chloe, “I thought it was good, and I still play Pokémon GO here and there...”

Sure,” Max sighed, pushing the chat forward. “Whatever, I don't care what piece of plastic a game is on, I care how good it is. And when fans make things, I don't care what it is, but if they're making money off of it-...Just-...Fans don't make a fucking profit off of it, that defeats the point! A nightclub that exploits a brand: that's making a profit off of something that's not yours! It-is-illegal.”

W-well, OK,” Stella defended, “I do have to admit that step is maybe a bit too far...”

Pretty weird,” said Brooke dully, “how the girl addicted to marijuana is lecturing us on legalities...”

I got my medical license,” Max was quick to point out, to which Chloe nodded in confirmation.

Heh, well,” Brooke raised a brow. “Not having one didn't exactly stop you for...how many years? Two? Three?”

Max rolled her eyes and shook her head, and they moved further up the line.

Looks like you made her mad,” Chloe whispered teasingly into Max's ear.

Just the word 'Nintendo' does that, though,” Max whispered back grumpily.

If you're so pissed off about this shit,” Chloe said, raising her voice back up, “why the hell are we going to a Nintendo-themed club?”

For one,” said Brooke, “whoever owns this place gave it a subtle name. And for another, just because I have issues with the current state of its inspiration doesn't mean I can't appreciate its retro charms and origins.”

Brooke pointed out the understated metal plaque wedged onto the stone wall to their right.

[ ? ] ( I ) {District 7-6} ( I ) [ ? ]

Dafuq kinda name was that for a nightclub? Made it sound like a sci-fi government lab.

District 7-6...?” Chloe murmured in narrow-eyed confusion.

Yea, I bet that one sails right over your head,” Brooke said with a smug, soft chuckle.

Ooohhhhkay. You're heading back toward the negatives, Brooksie. Chill.

Brooke went on, “It's a little more subtle than some bullshit like 'The Warp Zone' or whatever cliché you'd expect.”

Max sighed but smirked a little.

Fill us in, Oh Enlightened One.”

Gladly,” Brooke said, matching Max's smirk. Shuffling her glasses for effect, she prattled matter-of-factly: “It’s a reference to Super Mario Bros. 3, circa 1988. World Seven, Pipe Land – Level 6. So...Seven-Six. Set underground, it's a cylindrical level in conceptual design where if the player reaches one edge of the screen, they show up on the other side, thus running in circles, progressing in a never-ending loop. The goal is to keep ascending in what equates to an upward spiral. Said spiral never ends unless the player ascends, reaches the exit. Otherwise, they just keep running in a loop, disappearing off one edge of the screen only to reappear on the opposite side. It's a mechanic that only exists in this specific, single level of the game.”

Brooke's explanation caught the attention of the pair of dorks in line in front of her, and Chloe could tell at least one of them had just gotten a case of 'insta-horny'. Yeesh. If that damn girl stopped being so salty over not getting whatever one specific person she wanted at any point in time, she'd have her pick of the nerd litter.

And to be clear, the nerd litter was Chloe's favorite one.

How...-?” Max balked, confused at Brooke's burst of knowledge.

They moved up the line a few more spaces.

How did you figure that crap out?” Max demanded in a baffled murmur.

Brooke shrugged pretentiously, her head offering the slightest of dismissive shakes.

She then cocked her brow and flatly explained, “I asked one of the barkeeps about the name, they told me what game it was about, and I Googled the rest. Coming across as 'smart' to people is really more about just having done your homework and presenting it with confidence. You know, Max, knowledge is fifty-percent memorization and fifty-percent hindsight. Basically.”

Max's eyes popped wide for a moment and she smiled awkwardly. Chloe knew exactly why – on multiple occasions, Max had used the Rewind to 'learn' things she...didn't know.

Yea,” Max agreed, all low-key. “It's, uh...all about doing your research more than anything, huh?”

And retaining it,” Brooke amended. “Research is useless if it's not recorded, memorized...You have to be able to retrieve the data at a later point, or else what purpose does it serve, right?”

By then, they'd reached the intimidating entryway doors. Chloe found it kind of odd but cool that they'd open and close the doors each time they let a group through, instead of leaving the things open. Maybe to keep noise garbage lower? Maybe for the effect – dramatic metal double door entrances were sweet.

After having their wristbands checked for validity and their ID's double-checked, in the lot of them went, instantly soaking in a dank wash of pounding music, flashing lights, and BO.

The densely packed crowd before them was pulsing with energy as their ears were bombarded with loud, thumping music that trickled some retro chip-tune-y goodness into the mix. Chloe felt like she'd just received a direct injection of enthusiasm to her veins just from the atmosphere of a nightclub alone – it had been ages since she'd gone to one.

The walls were a bizarre tapestry: brightly colored boiler pipes, sheet metal and wooden planks made to look like blocks and scenery from the 80's era of gaming, with clouds and hills with beady eyes painted as the backdrop. To the left of the club was the bar, full of neon-colored beverages, and the tenders were dressed in full-on princess cosplay. Well, cosplay on a budget, but, still. The DJ duo at the front and center of things were even dressed to look like approximations of the Mario Bros.

So. It was...literally a Mario-themed nightclub?

Something's gone wrong in the happy-go-lucky world of Nintendo...

Taking a deep breath as she attempted to absorb and maintain the sensory overload of it all, Chloe was tugged toward her left by Max, their arms still locked – Max was being prodded by Stella, who was following Brooke. It was a little weird if not refreshing to not be the one 'in charge' of their social outing. Chloe tended to avoid hanging out with Brooke for a number of reasons but had been slowly opening to Stells over the years. Thing was, Max and Stells always looked to Chloe to decide on things. It got a bit draining, and was yet another factor in why Chloe had become more of a homebody outside of work.

Aaaaand before Chloe could process the loud, dimly lit yet oddly colorful environment, they were at the bar. Brooke got a drink menu from the brunette waitress – Chloe blanked on the princess' name; she was Luigi's girl, though, she knew that much. Yellow dress, the bad-ass one who was always your go-to gal in those sports spin-offs...

A Blue Bomber for me!” Brooke quickly decided, handing off the menu to Stella.

Ah, yes. Clubbing. Which entailed all conversation be elevated to shouting, more or less.

Chloe couldn't help but feel a bit gross at her own sensation of feeling a bit...'old?' All of this noise and crap, she'd used to love this scene, but...it was instantly turning her off a little, here.

Oh-oh-oh!” Stells cried to herself, taking the small, single laminate sheet and flipping to the backside. She was talking to herself, but whatever was said was swallowed up by the energy of the club.

As they waited for Stella, Chloe noticed Max kind of zoning out, glancing upward at the ceiling. More weird paintings of brown squares with black swirly lines on them, and all sorts of other bizarre Mario shit. Mushrooms for days, and all that. Chloe worked her head against Max's neck, nudging through some hair with her nose until she reached the woman's ear and spoke beneath the music.

Holdin' up OK, Maximus?”

Max nodded uncertainly, her head tilted slightly to the side and one shoulder popping up a bit.

The lady needed some alcohol, was the issue. Too much stress, too much noise. Max needed that energy, that intensity, but the poor chick totally needed to take the edge off a bit to survive it all. Liquid courage to whether the storm and come out sturdier on the other end.

Just, uh...ya know, not too much. All at once. No shots for her tonight. Didn't need a repeat of the previous evening.

Stella placed her order: “Can I get a Millennial Fair?!”

Dafuq kinda drink is that? Sounds like some kinda iced tea bullcrap. Oh, Stella. You quaint gal.

The drink menu found its way to Max, who didn't seem to know what to do with it. Focusing through the cloud of music, colored lights, and weird smells, Chloe saw Max's eyes glaze over at the menu. Like she was staring through it. Like the hella noise and overload around her didn't exist.

Welp. Time to rope 'er back to reality, here...

Looking over Max's shoulder, Chloe couldn't help but find one name that caught her eye.

Dude, Max!” She flicked the back of her wrist against her partner's chest, pointing one option out. She ahad to suppress a chuckle as she read it out. “They got one called the Ocarina of Lime!

Pause for effect.

No dice.

Try rollin' 'em again.

Eh? Ocarina of...Lime?!” Chloe's chuckle spilled out.

Drum-to-cymbal snare.

Nothin'.

Shit. Time...joke. Goddamnit. Chloe still couldn't help it, even when it wasn't even about 'time' in the first place.

Hehhhh...” Chloe breathed out nervously. Was it hot in there, or was it just the couple hundred or so idiots clubbing together in a cramped space?

Erh, maybe...keep pointing cute-sounding dork drinks out until she...picks one?

Oh, dude, a Fireflower?! It's got Fireball Whiskey in it – dude, that's so perf! Oh, man, ha! Check this one – Bombchu?! It – pff! It's like a Jaegerbomb, so it-...You've gotta 'chase' it down and drink it fast before it-...! Hah! Shit, that's...that's clever! That's...-”

Max nodded impatiently and flipped the menu over to Chloe.

Just...pick one for me, then!” she growled, apparently off-put. “Since you're so into it!”

Friggin' eh, what was her deal? She'd wanted to come here, right?

A bit disgruntled with herself and with Max's swingset mood, Chloe tried to focus on the menu for a moment. Brooke received her neon blue beverage and regrouped with the couple as Stells awaited her own drink.

What's that?!” Chloe asked, cutting her question through the commotion. She tipped up her chin while staring at Brooke's cocktail. It was a cool shade of blue, really intense.

Brooke took a sip and answered, “Blue curaçao, sake, and some energy drink! A Blue Bomber!”

Chloe paused.

That sounds gross as fuck!”

That's half the fun!” Brooke replied simply, taking another, larger gulp out of spite.

Max dryly said through the music, “And I bet you're gonna tell us about whatever intricate, complex, rando backstory there is behind that name, too, right?!”

Sss, yea, sure, Max! Ever heard of Mega Man?!”

The truth was, Chloe knew full well who Mega Man was, and she knew he was known as Rock Man in the land of the rising sun, where he was created. She knew Mega Man was in Smash Bros., and she sucked playing as him in it. And Chloe had played through the entire retro series in the span of a week one time two summers ago on one of those 'HD Collection' dealies she'd rented. Max had helped her out by Googling some of the boss weaknesses.

But Brooke didn't need to know that Chloe had come to know those kinds of things...because she sure as hell did not want to get dragged into Brooke's nerd-fights. Chloe had been a nerd when she was little, left it behind during high school, and had thrust herself headlong into punk, metal, goth, all the teenage grungy phases. She'd built up a rep for finding nerds sexy but not actually being one herself. Just because Max had been pulling her back in didn't mean Chloe was ready to have to deal with other nerds treating her like one of their own.

Not Brooke, anyway.

So, Chloe replied casually, feigning a lack of confidence, “That lil'...chibi robo-kid with the, uh...the gun for an arm?!” (had using the word 'chibi' in and of itself been too much?)

That's the guy!” Brooke said conclusively, swigging some more down.

So...-” Max stared expectantly. “What about him?!”

That's his nickname. The Blue Bomber!”

Uh-huh,” Max wriggled her wrist in a circle. “And the meaning behind that?!

Max,” Chloe said teasingly. “Dude, c'mon...Let it go.”

You know I'm not a 'dude,'” Max huffed in Chloe's ear.

Chloe huffed back likewise, “And you know I meant it, like...regardless of...-”
“Fine, whatever.
Dude.
“This
dude abides, man.”
“Sure,
man,” huffed Max, unimpressed with the references.

Max!” Brooke said, pushing past their inner-circle bickering. “Sometimes a blue drink is just blue.”

And sometimes,” came someone else, butting into their conversation, “a nightclub is a fucking elementary schoolyard playground that some stoners crammed into a boiler room because who thought this was a good idea?! Literally no one!

Oh, fuck no.

Vickie?!” Max greeted, as taken aback as Chloe was.

What?!” Chloe snarled in disbelief.

Yo!” Brooke said with much less...chalance. “You made it!”

'Made' it?!” Victoria gave Brooke a weirdly affectionate slap on the shoulder. “Bitch, I have been here waiting on all of your asses for, like, twenty minutes! Save me from this depravity, I am so absolutely done with all of these neckbeard chodes! Does anyone here know the meaning of the word 'deodorant?!'”

Uh-huh. Yea, all class and wit, this one.

How'd you end up here?!” Max asked, her tone losing a bit of its sharpness.

Victoria approached the Max/Chloe unit, swapped awkward glances with Chloe, and responded.

Same way you did, Catcher in the Rye: I was invited?! Although,” she gave Chloe a wrinkly, stupid little smirk, “if I'd known they let pets in here, I might've gotten my rabies shot on the way over!”

With unamused eyes squinted and brows furrowed, Chloe shrugged off a bitter, 'Yea, yea, whatever, bitch' sort of expression in Victoria's unsightly direction.

Hey, Vic!” came Stella, quickly asserting herself inbetween Max and Victorias bodies, her drink in tow. “You're...early!”

Of course I'm early!” Victoria blathered. “When am I not early?!”

Jesus, this idiot's voice was annoying enough at normal sound levels. Having to listen to her yell through the club noise was even more annoying if only because Chloe had to actively focus to hear her.

R-right!” Stella nodded warily. “W-well, thanks for showing up!”

No need to thank me, Hill! I showed up because I said I would – if I hadn't planned on coming, I wouldn't have said so in the first place!”

Anyway!” Stella cried out through the pulsing beats flooding the lot of them. “You're all here! Awesome! This...is awesome!

So, wait, was this all some kind of set up? Some kinda...Real Housewives of Arcadia Bay bullshit? Were there cameras hidden somewhere? Chloe literally could not remember the last time all of them had gathered in one spot.

Why are we all here?!” Chloe asked.

Why are we all here?!” Of-friggin'-course Ms. CHASE would repeat the same goddamn question with a more annoying tone.

Stella rubbed at her eyes a bit, shoving her glasses with her wrist and keeping her...orange, cloudy drink at the ready.

Didn't tell them, didja?!” Brooke realized, unamused but uncaring.

Stella grunted, working the junk from her eye, taking a breath, sipping from her drink...

Aaaaaaany sec now, gurl. Explanation. You can do it.

OK-OK-OK, look: It's been five years!” Stella said. The way she had to raise her voice because of the music seemed to...not gel so well with whatever potentially sentimental crap she was about to shill at them. “Five years, guys! This weekend, they're commemorating that crazy shit we all made it out of! That storm we all survived! That town we all love!” Speak for yourself, Stells, ya poor sap. “I know it was a tragic day, but...but just, like...-” She huffed, fluttering her lips as she numbed them with another sip. Was that...lychee liqueur Chloe smelled? “I dunno, ladies, I guess I...-!”

You guess you...what?!” Max prodded for Stella's point.

Victoria cut in dismissively, “We all went through a ton of disturbing shit together back in a high school sorority – ooh-fucking-rah now let's get hammered and dance 'til we fall over!”

With this, Victoria brought her emptied glass to the counter and got a refill.

My point is,” said Stells. “we're all friends because we got through all of that together! Right?! At least something good came from all of that crap, so I just...-!”

Right, I understand!” Max insisted, her tone attempting to be soft, but sharpened in order to cut through all of the noise surrounding them. Max gave Stella a supportive rub on the arm, and Stella nodded with some relief. “We've gotta look out for each other!” Max agreed. She turned to Chloe for approval, but Chloe couldn't prevent a shrug from slipping out. She tried to nod half-heartedly, play along, but...-

So are we gonna drink, or dance, or...-?!” Brooke was almost done with her bizarro blue bevery ('bevery' stands for 'beverage').

Let everybody get something!” Stella eased, glancing Max and Chloe's way.

Victoria was back with a blue, brown, and orange...something.

Is that...-?” Stella was frozen with confused humor. She stifled a laugh. “Vic, did you order a Mudkip?!

Bupkis?!
Mudkip!”
“Blood drip?!”

MUD! KIP!”

A pause.

What?!” Victoria looked offended and confused in equal measure. Waving her drink around a little, she ranted, “I don't know what this is, I tried to order a Sex in the Driveway, but the tender had no idea what that was! Everything they serve here is named by a fucking five-year-old, so I picked the closest thing I could find!”

That's totally a Mudkip!” Stella chuckled, watching Victoria take a small, tender sip. “Right?!” Stells glanced to Brooke, who nodded with brows lowered in amusement.

Chloe knew why this was hilarious, and was grinning. Victoria's ignorance to memeology made it all the sweeter.

Mudkip!” Chloe laughed.

What does that even mean?!” Victoria demanded, looking down at her glass as her cheeks turned pink. “Why is that funny?!”

An amused, “Wow,” from Brooke. “Why am I not surprised...?”

Even Max was smiling, covering her mouth to contain her giggle.

You gonna say it?!” Chloe asked her. “Someone's gotta say it...”

Max shook her head, exchanging a glint of warmth with Victoria's abashed confusion.

Choe couldn't restrain herself. Untying her elbow from Max's, she squeezed her way round Stella to Victoria, whose expression was already baffled and irate.

Clamping her hand down tightly on Victoria's shoulder, Chloe proclaimed, “So!...i herd u liek mudkips!

Rolling her eyes, Victoria jerked Chloe's hand off of her oh-so-precious cashmere whatever-the-hell.

What was the drink you were trying to order?!” Brooke checked, clearly egging things on.

I told you: a Sex in the Driveway, I don't fucking get what-!”
“In the driveway?! With the
Mudkip?!” Stella practically wheezed out through more laughter. The lot of them were snickering morons, and Victoria was unimpressed.

Look, whatever fourth-grade bullshit you're all laughing about?! I came here out of respect for what happened to us up in Arcadia, not...whatever this is.” She sucked down half of her drink as the mood shifted. “I cannot believe I assumed this was going to be a good time,” she coughed out through her drink's aftertaste.

...PFF.

Mudkip aftertaste, oh-my-god, just...-!

Come on, come on!” Stells dissuaded. “We're-...We're just trying to have a good time! You like to tease us, so take a joke! For real.”

There's no joke to take!” Victoria roared. “You're all making literally no sense to me! How is that not a joke at my expense?!”

It's-...It's just a stupid meme!” eased Stella warily. “Don't...-”

The hue of Victoria's cheeks was redder still, but her expression had turned bitter and stoic. She shrugged with her usual dismissal.

Get over it!” Chloe butted in. “It's a joke!”

So, of course Ms. Price over here finds it hilarious – her entire brand of humor is...fucking 'memes!' Just...taking tweenage Internet nonsense and 'copy-pasta-ing' it over her life! Because in her reality?! There's nothing substantial to draw from! Her life is so devoid of anything remotely interesting she cuts-and-pastes all of her jokes from the Internet!”

And there it is!” Chloe laughed, her stomach stinging with frustration beneath her haughty mask. “Good ol' Vickie and Chloe, such...such great friends, here, goin' at each other's throats before the drinks are even all out!” Chloe popped up her shoulders at Max, wanting some kind of backup and knowing she'd get none. “With friends like these, right?!”

It was just a stupid joke, guys!” Stella cooed, drumming her nails nervously against her cocktail's glass.

Stella,” said Max, “Have you ever seen these two get along?!”

THANK YOU.

There's a first time for everything!” Stella defended – her voice loud but the effect weak. “I thought with...what's coming up this weekend, we could all...-!”

Cool your jets, folks!” Brooke interjected. “Jesus. You want to know why we're all here?! Stella wanted to invite all of you to go with us to Arcadia Bay this weekend! For the memorial?! She thought it'd be therapeutic if we went as, like...a support group!”

What, like, together?!” said Chloe, flabbergasted. “Uh, I 'literally' would never ride in the same car as this stick-in-the-Mudkip!

Victoria piped in, “Yes, 'Dude,' that is, 'like', something we agree upon, you Four-Chan skank!

Oh. Oh, yea, real great comeback, there.
So laugh. Much funny. Wow.

Wait, did I just-?

GODDAMNIT she's right...

Victoria and Chloe fired shots off with their peepers for a moment, before Chloe turned to Max.

C'mon,” Max sighed. “I think Stella's on to something. We've all got history with that place, I think...it's a good idea!”

No way. Chloe could just...she could tell, she could see it in Max's face. Max and Stella had schemed this stupid idea together. Visiting Arcadia Bay once a year, that was...their thing. Their anniversary, the Storm's anniversary, it was a shitty fucking combination with all of the self-directed guilt-tripping, turned into a literal guilt-trip to the Bay, but it was theirs. Not...Victoria Chase's. Not Stella's, not Brooke's. Their moms hadn't been barbecued, their best friends hadn't been killed by...-

W-well, whatever, that wasn't the goddamn point!

Sure, they could all go to Arcadia that weekend.

Not together! Not in...the same car, not...-

Just, no.

In case it's not obvious at this point?!” Chloe tiredly stated to the lot of them, clamping her thumb and middle finger against her temples. “It's not a good idea! Spoiler alert: The Bitches of Blackwell argue for ten hours straight in a hot car and there's no warm fuzzies involved except for whatever Victoria's shirt looks like after it's in a humid, sweaty car all day, and in the end we learn jack-shit except even more ways we get on each other's nerves! Cue the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Theme Song, ya'll!”

Chloe bumped shoulders with Stella as she brushed inbetween Hill and Chase, making sure her expression communicated to Stells her disapproval of this, and her disapproval of bringing them to this weird-ass club as some way to....what? 'Bond?'

Wh-?! Chloe, I didn't-!”
“Just let her go!” Max quelled Stella. “Give her a minute.”

THIS FIC IS BEING ADAPTED INTO A VISUAL NOVEL!
You can read more about it and follow updates here:
lis-allwounds.tumblr.com/post/…

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You can find a master post for this project, containing links to different reading sides, fan art, etc. right here:
destiny-smasher.tumblr.com/pos…
© 2016 - 2024 Destiny-Smasher
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