literature

Dark Days Pt 1

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Aradia brushes her hair back as she sits in a chair opposite to the Chief of Police. Both are uncomfortable by the situation. She sips the water that was offered not much earlier.
“I guess what I am trying to say is . . thank you.”

Chief Zahhak takes a deep breath, “I was acting as an enforcer of the law, but you’re
welcome. Just keep safe,” he adds as an afterthought. “Other people would have . . taken
advantaged of your situation.”

“I know. I was lucky,” she looks down at her hands that are on her lap. “The man, Dave,
was relieved to hear I was okay when I called him.”

“Are you-“ he coughs, “on ‘personal terms?’” Aradia looks at him confused. “Err by that I
mean are you planning on seeing him again anytime soon?”

She seems more interested with something on his desk, “I don’t know.” They keep silent for
a minute. “Yesterday, when I woke up, I’m sorry I hit you.”

“You were confused and hung over. I don’t blame you,” he assures.

“It’s just . . when I got home and called Dave and he explained what happened . . I
realized I had mistaken you. You’re not perfect Equius, but you’re not . . that.”

The large troll takes a deep breath, “Sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. This
job is getting too much for me. I’m starting to fall behind on some of my officers. I
wonder how long it will be before they take my place . . And I want them too. I’m just too
. . distracted,” he looks at her. It has been a long time sense he opened up to her.

And she looks at him, “I am too.” Aradia extends a hand to lightly touch his, “I do know
one thing for sure, you love me. You love me and you’ll protect me.” Equius stares at her
with a weakened look. “But would you walk outside your office hand-in-hand with me?”

No response.

Aradia withdraws, “Then I don’t-can’t know if I love you. I know I did, but I don’t know
if I could go back to that.” She stands up, “It would be best if we returned to how we
were. I just owed you this much. Goodbye.”

She opens the door to find behind it a surprised Officer Harley. Embarrassed, the troll
leaves the room passing the human.

Chief Zahhak would have told Officer Harley that Aradia was just there for a small
interview. Or he would have asked her how much she heard. But it doesn’t matter with
Harley, she knows enough.

“So,” she begins, Harley knows enough to keep quiet. “I have the file over that suicide
outside of Skaia,” she hands it to him. The chief looks it over as she continues, “Nothing
significant, although it is sad. I wished someone could have helped him.”

“Anything else?” he asks solemnly.

“Weeell . . I do have a slight request.” Chief Zahhak puts the folder down to listen to
his officer. “I was thinking about spending a couple of days up in the Capital, for work!”

“And why would you want to go to the Capital alone?”

“Oh I wouldn’t be alone!”

The chief frowns, “I suppose you want to bring Serket along with?” He knows of their
peculiar relationship. Equius cannot even fathom how that was conceived.

“Actually no,” Officer Harley says. “I was thinking of bring Vantas along.”

“So what possible reason could you have to have two of my officers waste their time in the
Capital?”

“We won’t waste our time, sir!” Officer Harley argues. “I want to have a meeting with the
chief over at the Capital police station, and quite possibly with the mayor! I want see if
we can arrange a symbiotic relationship where we demand and they supply the needs to help
keep Skaia’s protection in tack!”

Chief Zahhak frowns, “And what do you mean by that?”

“It’s no mystery that Skaia is in need of some serious aid. We’re low on supplies and
hands. Even Mayor Peixes agrees! And isn’t that part of the reason why I came here? Too
add to a far too small police force?”

“You believe that you are quiet valuable, don’t you?” Jade does not respond. “Now why are
you and Officer Vantas volunteering?”

“I’m most familiar with the police in the Capital, and I’ve kept relations with them, sir!
Not to mention that Vantas is a skilled officer who can convince anyone to help us. And
don’t forget that we’re both from the Capital, so it might help to have in mind.” The
Capital is a tad prestigious.

“And what makes you think that the mayor and the police chief of the Capital will see
you?”

“I asked one of my friends on the force there to ask their chief and-“

“You proceed with your plan without telling me?!”

Jade is shaken, “I-I . . yes?”

“And what was going to happen if I’d say no? You would have not only embarrassed yourself
but everyone on this force!”

“Does it help that the chief is interested and is going to convince the mayor?”

“No it does not!” The chief rubs his face, “Humor me, what were you planning on doing if I
said no? Threaten me?”

“Oh no! I would never do that!” Harley answers sincerely. Though Vriska did prod her to.

The chief sighs, “When?”

“Tomorrow if we can.”

He waves her off, “Just go.”

“Thank you sir!” And she turns around to leave.

Officer Harley rushes out to the office to meet her friends around her desk, “Vriska it
worked!”

The trolls smiles at her moirail, “Told you it would.”

Officer Vantas is more focused on his work, “What worked?” he questions feeling drained.

Jade answers giddy, “We’re going to the Capital for a couple of days to meet the chief and
quite possibly the mayor!”

Everything that he was doing stops, “What?”

“We’re going to convince the Capital to help us out! You were complaining that it needed
to be done so . . .”

“And you didn’t think to ask me?”

“I knew you wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t out of your hands. And admit it, you want to go.
You love to complain-I mean persuade.”

Officer Vantas rolls his eyes, “Why would I want to go the Capital with you and Vriska?”

“I’m not going,” Vriska answers with a smirk.

“Oh.” Everything comes back hitting Karkat in the head. “I’ll go I guess.” He stands up,
“I need to make a phone call.”

Kanaya walks up from behind Karkat and pushes him back around, “I’m sorry Mr. Vantas, but
I need you here for a quick second!”

Karkat is too distracted to really care, “Why?”

Kanaya reveals white box holding a small cupcake with a wax candle one on top, “To
celebrate Jade’s one year anniversary with us!” She grabs a lighter from Karkat’s pocket,
which she’s seen him pull out oh so many times, and lights the candle. “I’ll be honest, we
don’t do many of these here unless it’s a very special occasion. Chief Zahhak’s orders.
But I’d say that Jade is special enough to me. Also we’re going to keep this short,” she
adds quickly.

Jade smiles, “Thank you Kanaya! I-I didn’t realize that I’ve been here for a whole year.”
She looks over at Vriska, “Wait! Doesn’t this make it your anniversary too?”

A horrible wave of realization hits Vriska, “Fuck. I’ve been here for a year?”

Now Kanaya starts to look embarrassed, “Oh! I completely forgot your cupcake . . .”

“Nah,” Vriska says nonchalantly, “I don’t care. It’s not like I’m even a cop.”

“Okay, well we’ll add you as part of the celebration!”

Jade looks up confused, “Celebration?”

“Yes! I thought that tonight we could gather our friends and have a small party! What do
you say?”

Vriska doesn’t look like she wants to answer, but luckily Jade saves her, “I’m so sorry
Kanaya! But Vriska and I have important plans. How about we talk about when I get back?”

“Get back?”

“Listen,” Karkat interrupts, “this conversation is great, but I really need to go make a
phone call.” He doesn’t wait to be excused, instead he just walks away as quickly as he
can.

“We’re leaving tomorrow afternoon!” Jade calls out.

As he leaves he can hear Jade telling start to tell Kanaya the story, but all that’s
running through his mind is . . .

“Time alone with Jade. Just you and Jade. No Vriska to interfere. Sure there will be work,
but there will be Jade. Alone with Jade.” Karkat presses speed dial on his phone and the
other line picks up.

“Whut up?”

“Gamzee I’m leaving tomorrow to go to the Capital with Jade. Private time with Jade. There
will be work, but also time with Jade. Gamzee I’m freaking out right now,” Karkat starts
to pull on his hair out of stress.

“Whoa calm down bro. This is a good thing! Just remember that.”

“It’s just . . she’s arranged this whole thing and she mentioned yesterday how she broke
up with that guy and was ready to look for someone else. Do you think?”

“I think this is the best time my motherfucking bro can convince a pretty chicka that he
has the hots for her.”

“Oh man what will I wear? Jade has seen just about every good outfit that I have and those
didn’t impress her. I don’t even have a lot of nice clothes. Should I buy something? But I
don’t have very much money to spend.”

“Nah bro, you just need to relax. Your moirail here is gonna tell you what happens when
you go. You’re gonna chat. Laugh at a few jokes like a bunch of motherfuckers. You’ll both
look at each other like in those movies you watch. And just .  . fuck you both won’t be
able to contain your feelings for each other and you’ll grab her from behind and fuck
her.”

Karkat sighs, “You almost had something there Gamzee.”

“Sweet.”

A few short hours later Vriska and Jade walk side by side in the streets of Skaia.

Jade looks at her moirail, “How do you feel?”

Vriska rolls her eyes, “My stomach is cramping into knots, I want to puke my heart out and
I have a headache that makes me want to blow my brains out.”

The two stop short of the hospital entrance. Jade grabs her friend’s arm, “Wait, are you
sure you’re okay with this?”

A deep breath is taken, “It’s been too long. And I’m not the only one that needs to move
on.”

When they arrive to John’s room, they find that it is not empty. An older man looks at the
two, “Hello Vriska . . . Jade,” he says with tired eyes.

“Mr. Egbert,” she addresses. Jade nods back

He takes a fatigued breath, “It’s time.”

Vriska walks over with Jade looped arm in arm, “I know.” She places a hesitant hand on his
shoulder, “This will be good. For John.”

“I know.” He looks back at his son, “I just hoped, constantly hoped, that he’d wake up.
That I could apologize to him. But that’s selfish.” He shakes his head in anger, “And
that’s all he’ll ever remember me as, selfish. Always, I was too invested in my own morals
to care about my own son.” Mr. Egbert calms down a bit, “I almost done with my goodbye.”
He leans back down to the patient, “I love you son. Tell your mother and nanna I that I
miss them.” The father kisses the son he raised on the forehead and then excuses himself
outside the room.

Vriska scratches her face uncomfortably, “My turn.” She sits down on the bed.

“Do you me to leave?” Jade asks.

“Not yet,” she responds not taking her eyes off her fiancé. “I’m sorry John, I have a lot
of regrets. Ones that I made when I lost you. Ones that I didn’t want to tell you because
I didn’t want you to hear. Somehow I thought you’d hear in your sleep. But there’s no
reason not to tell you now. I . . I went back to crime. I wasn’t doing so well on my own.
I had to sell a lot of our stuff. Like my ring. I regret it. I lost so many precious
memories of you through that.

“I’m sorry to say that I’ve been doing better. I have a pretty stable job where I actually
help the police . . or pretend to,” she includes with a weak laugh. “And my moirail keeps
me in line. I wish you could have met her. You two would have gotten along. But don’t
worry, she’s promised to keep me afloat when you’re gone.”

She takes a deep breath, “I’m sorry if this feels like I’m giving up on you. But we’re
fighting a battle that we’re not winning. And I’ve started to realize, that I can’t win
them all. I just wish you weren’t a battle that I’d lose.” Vriska bends over to kiss him
lightly on the lips, “I love you John,” she whispers inches from his face. “I love you.”
She backs away and stands next to Jade.

Jade can only wish her friend wouldn’t fight so hard to keep the tears away. “Mr. Egbert?”
she calls for outside the room. He looks inside. “It’s time.”

And as a doctor cuts off John’s air supply, those around him watch as he is left to
breathe on his own.

The next morning, Jade walks in with two cups of coffee in her hand. She hands one to a
very tired and exhausted Vriska. “Where’s Mr. Egbert?”

“He went back to his motel. Probably wants to extend his stay. I also think the tension
was killing him.”

Jade rubs her friend’s back, “How are you holding up?”

“I hate him.”

“Who? Mr. Egbert? The doctor? You know they want John to go on his own.”

“No.”

Jade starts to look uncomfortably around the room, “Then who?”

“John.”

“John?”

Vriska growls, “I hate John.”

“Vriska-“

“I hate John!” she screams.

A nurse checks in on the scream and Jade shoos her away. “You don’t mean that Vriska!”

Vriska buries her face into John’s bed, “I was ready! I was finally ready to let go! And
now! And now he pulls this bullshit!” She extends a hand to his heart rate monitor, which
is still beeping. “He lives! He’s fucking living. He decided that he can breathe on his
own!”

Jade kneels down beside her, “Vriska this is a good thing!”

“No it’s not!” she shrieks back. “He’s trying to give me hope! I don’t want his fucking
hope! I want him to leave so I can move on! That’s what I’m supposed to do! I’m done with
wishing he’ll come back! He’s fucking toying with us!” Vriska stands up and moves closer
to John’s face, “You like that huh? You trickster! You like playing dead? Do you like
playing with our emotions!?” Cerulean tears splash down on him. “Is this some-some kind of
game to you?” Vriska breaks back down and gets encased in Jade’s arm. “Why is this
happening?”

The woman rocks the troll back and forth like she would with her dog, “I don’t know.” Jade
sighs, “It was stupid for me to think I could leave.”

“No. You’re not canceling for me.”

“Vriska, you’re a mess!”

“And it won’t help if I’m keeping you away from your trip!”

“That doesn’t matter now!”

The troll looks at her with a face mixed with sweat, tears and hair. “Lies! I knew the
consequences when I created that plan! Besides, I feel like I should be alone now.”

“In your condition I don’t think-“

“I don’t care! I want to be alone!” Jade backs away. “Listen to me Jade, I want you to get
this out of your mind. I want you to fuck that asshole. Fuck his brains out. And if you
come back and you didn’t at the very least try, then I will never forgive you.”

“Vriska . .”

“We’re not losers, Jade! We’re fighters! We deal with shit and move on! And if I can get
any happiness in the coming days or even weeks, then it will come from knowing you’re
happy.” The two stare at each other in silence. “Now aren’t you supposed to be leaving
soon?”

Jade stares at the person she loves the most with all of her heart. She gives a brief,
strong hug and departs to meet with another troll she cares deeply about.
Welp! Happy holidays everyone! 


Regrets of the Skaian Citizens: lolpopcorn13.deviantart.com/ar…


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