Does it Get Better?
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Interacting with: @Taros Quintero
Mentioning: N/A
Date: September 2026Word Count: 597
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✽Broken. That was how Avery felt now. The spark that was once upon a time bright within her was snuffed out. The joy of life forgotten with the passing of time. She had lost much that summer. The summer that destroyed her. And now here she was in shambles. Dealing with the mess her past self left behind. Why did life have to be so hard? Why did hitting your breaking point have to hurt so much? Avery did not know the answers to her questions. She was just a shell. A shell of the girl she once was.
The lioness could not handle the prying eyes of the library or the great hall. She knew people were curious, but it was too much looking at the sympathy reflected in their eyes. She did not want pity. No. She wanted the pain to go away. To finally disappear. But the lioness knew all too well that life was not that simple. It was complex. Interwoven with the best of times and the worst. And right now? Well, right now was the worst of times.
Avery had chosen the least populated area to finally get some air. The grounds. It was the only place where she could finally be free from the eyes. The eyes that held the sorrow. The pain. The sympathy for what she was going through.
Though no one could understand this pain. Her pain. It was personal. Like a piece of her had died alongside her grandfather as he took his last breaths before her eyes. The thought alone caused the tears to rise again. The memory of the day still crystal clear in the lioness’ mind. All her grandfather had wanted to do that day was bring her and Dylan into the woods to visit whatever new creature or plant he had found or learned of. But life had too many sickening twists to allow that. Instead, her world collapsed as her grandfather died right before her eyes. It was her worst nightmare come to life.
Did her mother even know her own father was dead? Did she even care? Did she regret the last words of anger she had spoken towards him? Probably not.
Anger at her mother boiled within Avery as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. How could her mother do this? Avery had lost years spending time with her grandfather all because of one day. One day that caused a long held grudge to explode into nasty words she wished her mother now regretted. It was clear there was no regret in her mother’s mind. Clearly she had meant every word as she did not even care to notice her father had died and her one and only daughter was falling apart because of it. Even her father had dumped her the moment work called. He had promised to return before the end of the summer, but he never did. Like always.
Avery fell into the rough stone wall. The harsh stone digging into her hands. She pushed them harder into it. The physical pain was keeping her grounded. Reminding her of where she was and keeping her from being consumed by the darkness that lingered nearby. Too close for comfort.
Sobs escaped the lioness’ lips as she finally let herself go. Let the grief envelope her like the hug of a close friend. Yet grief was not a friend. It was a reminder of her pain and why she could barely get out of bed every morning. She was hitting her breaking point. And it was a nightmare.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
OOC Note: So sorry about how late this is!
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |
Does it Get Better?
Taros found himself taking a walk on the grounds that September day, partially to do his rounds and check on everything, but partially just because the outdoors was where he felt comfortable and it was good to stay active. He remained as silent as possible, listening for sounds of animals or people, hands tucked warmly in his pockets and posture relaxed and casual as he made his way through the area. He took a long breath, exhaling slowly as he let any lingering stress from the week leave his body. He paused for a moment, letting the stillness sit inside him, closing his eyes to focus on his other senses.
When he did so, he heard something that immediately redirected his attention — crying, distant but unmistakable, the kind that shook someone’s whole body and cut right through whatever walls they had built. It was the loud, brutally real type that came from a person suffering deeply. His heart broke a little for whoever it was, and he began walking towards the sound. His footsteps were kept quiet and consistent enough to not be harshly disruptive, but loud enough that he shouldn’t startle the student as he approached. It didn’t take him long to find her. He took in how tightly she gripped the rock, like she believed she would fall away from the world if she didn’t have something tying her so strongly to it.
“Hey,” he began. His voice was ever so soft, gentle, the kind that said you can trust me without needing to claim it aloud. He reached into the small bag at his side, the motion smooth and reasonably slow so as to not cause alarm. He pulled out a couple of sensory toys intended for stress relief or fidgeting — he almost always had several on hand, available for students or anyone else in case he encountered a situation like this one. “Would you like to try one of these, instead? I find they’re good tools when there are things too big for my mind to handle alone, or simply to help refocus myself.” He paused for a moment, letting a small smile make its way onto his face. “Also, they can be kind of fun.” He extended them towards her with outstretched hands.
@Avery Gray
Does it Get Better?
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Interacting with: @Taros Quintero
Mentioning: N/A
Date: September 2026Word Count: 294
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✽Avery was distraught. The sobs wracked her body in broken, heart-wrenching cries. She was drowning in her own grief. The pain consuming her. She could not stand the loss of her grandfather. He was the father she had always wanted in her life. The man that loved her more than anything and he was the one who always took care of her. Even when her own father was away or too swamped with work to be there for her. Even her own mother paled in comparison to him. If her mother had been the one to leave this world, Avery would not have cared. Her mother did not love her. That was enough for Avery's eyes to be opened to the truth.
A gentle voice reached her ears. Calming the storm that raged within her. He approached her slowly and carefully. Avery thanked him for that. If he would have rushed in, she probably would have panicked against her will. Her emotions were too high-strung for her own good at this moment. She recognized him as the Groundskeeper. A man she had never officially met until now.
Avery took a moment to observe what he held in his hands. She chose a squishy ball looking toy and began to squish it in her hands. The softness and the rough, textured surface helped bring her out of the darkness and pain and back into reality. She heaved out a broken sigh and closed her eyes. The tears had finally stopped falling down her face. She was okay. All she had to do was put all her attention on this squishy ball and she would be okay. She was safe. She was not drowning.
"Thank you." Avery whispered out softly. Her voice rough from her crying.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
Be the change you wish to see |
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in the world. |