[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=tan][sup]_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/5uq3x8Pg8HAj8qNwPFOzfl?si=70cd4770fdfb444a][img]https://imgur.com/ulmeolp.jpg[/img][/url][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=8A9A5B][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Strigidae Dorms[/I] - [I]Pacific Royal Campus[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=tan][b]Take on Me #3.030:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Let’s Perch for a While[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=tan][SUP][sub]___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][indent][sub][color=tan][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Harper [@Qia] [/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=tan][b]Previously: [/b][/COLOR][COLOR=GRAY][I]Unbirdening Troubles[/I][/color][/right][/SUP][/indent]

[indent] A gentle knock rapped against the wooden door of the Strigidae dorm. The sound breaking the silence within the room was like a hesitant question. Would the dweller answer? Did it frighten her? Haven stood as close as she could get to it, otherwise she would risk a passing student coming too close.

Her foot tapped a subtle, restless beat against the linoleum. Her hands fidgeted together at the strap around her shoulder. She wasn’t impatient. She’d wait as long as Harper needed to take to get to the door, if only she would answer.

Rory’s window was shut when Haven had passed by it earlier. She’d taken to her dorm for a shower. In desperate need of something to do while she debated letting Rory know what she had planned. She figured she would tell him about it later when he made it to his dorm. Yet as she was getting dressed into more comfortable evening clothes, she realized that she didn’t want to do it alone.

Her plan had been pieced together as she’d sat in class, the topic in her upper-level course covering familial bonds. It had her thinking of her ties to her team, and of other ties that had been long severed. Bonds that had been used against her in the trial, and subsequently left her reeling in their wake.

What she would do with the information she wanted to gather, Haven had no clue. It was heart-wrenching enough to see their name again, let alone think of searching that name in Google to see what might pop up. She couldn’t imagine being alone as she did, so she thought of the person who had recently reminded her of her long-lost familial bond.

Harper felt like a sister to her, especially now after the brunette had carried her to safety. If Rory wasn’t available to sit with her, Haven was comfortable reaching out to her Blackjack sister instead. The only thing that held her back was that she hadn’t seen Harper since that day… and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she hadn’t reached out sooner.

So, here was her olive branch.

Harper, sitting cross-legged on her bed, had a textbook filled with dense text and diagrams open in her lap. Her gaze was unfocused, however, drifting past the pages, her mind wandering far from the academic content she had missed that morning. It was too busy, too preoccupied, with replaying the day’s events so far, a strange feeling, one that she had not felt in some time, swirling around inside her all the while.  

The room was quiet except for the occasional rustle of pages as she absentmindedly flipped through the textbook. The sunlight streaming through the window cast a warm glow on the bed, but Harper barely noticed. Her fingers, instead, traced the edge of the page, her thoughts a tangled mess of what-ifs and maybes. She glanced at her phone, half-expecting a message that never came, then sighed and looked away.

Were things really okay like this? Her not having opened up to Aurora about the way she’d been feeling lately? Her eyes lifted to stare at the wall, her mind replaying snippets of conversations and moments that seemed so distant now. The textbook lay forgotten in her lap, the sole and silent witness to her inner turmoil.

[color=#8ecdb7]“I’m so lucky to have you, Harps.”[/color]

Her thumb came up to hover near her mouth. 

[color=#fce205]Unless you’re harbouring a darker secret than I think you’re capable of, Baxter, you don’t [i]need[/i] forgiveness. [/color]

Her mouth opened, her teeth resting on the tough skin there.

[color=#8a9a5b]“Yeah, I’d love to help with the dance. Sounds like fun.” [/color]

She bit down. Not hard enough to break the skin. But enough so that she could feel something. Remind herself that she was there. 

When the gentle knock rapped against her door,  Harper’s head reluctantly turned, her eyes staring at the wooden barrier between her and her visitor, her body tense but her expression blank. The knock was soft, almost hesitant, as if the person on the other side was unsure whether to intrude. 

[i][color=#8a9a5b]What now? [/color][/i] Who else required her comfort? To take from her without giving anything in return? It was a bitter thought, she knew, and perhaps she had herself to blame for the emotional toll she was carrying. Still….

Harper exhaled slowly, the sound barely audible in the quiet room, unfolding her legs and planting them on the floor. She stood up slowly, her movements deliberate, as if trying to delay the inevitable. Each step felt heavy, her feet dragging slightly as she crossed the room to the door. Her hand came to rest on the doorknob, the metal cool against her palm. She took one last moment to brace herself, her eyes closing briefly as she drew in a deep breath. The silence of the room seemed to press in on her, amplifying the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. And then, with a final, resigned sigh, she turned the knob and opened the door, coming face to face with her baby-faced, golden-haired mirror image. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“Oh hey,”[/color] was her simple greeting, her mouth automatically starting to plaster a small smile on her face before she stopped it. It faltered, her lips settling into a neutral line as she took in the sight of her good friend, doing her best to ignore the obvious injuries that marred her features. [i]Everyone[/i] was injured. [i]Everyone[/i] had their burdens to handle. And for once, Harper was too exhausted to forbid her face from showing that she was one of them. 

Haven had heard every breath, every reluctant movement, as the room’s occupant had made her way to the door. She hadn’t expected a quick answer, not with anyone from the team still hurt from the trial. Yet as she heard the first click of the handle turning, Haven felt worry settle in her stomach like a rock. She had never felt so… nervous to be approaching someone she knew so well. It almost felt like they were strangers, yet they were still connected through their shared trauma.

The door opened, revealing Harper’s attempt at her usual smile. Haven had always been aware that it was a mask, a quality she didn’t dismiss or dislike, but it was painfully obvious now that it had been a facade. She felt a rush of panic try to take hold of her, until it lost its grip the moment Haven quickly glanced over Harper’s newest features. Faded scars, that word still emblazoned upon her cheek, and a fresh haircut. The subtle exhaustion in Harper’s eyes and the way her shoulders sagged twisted Haven’s heart.

The trial had changed them both. The openness in her friend’s expressions was as refreshing as it was concerning.

[color=tan]“Harper… I’m so sorry I haven’t come sooner.”[/color] She murmured softly, if only to keep any nosey bodies in the halls or the neighboring rooms from listening in. Her hands twitched at her strap. She wanted to reach out to her friend, but they hadn’t touched since it had been necessary to move. [i]She[/i] hadn’t been touched by anyone but Rory since, and she wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with it yet. Even if it was someone she truly cared for.

[color=tan]“Can I come in?”[/color]

Harper’s eyes flickered with a tumultuous blend of emotions as she gazed at Haven, not responding to her right away. Her instinct right then and there was to retreat, to shield her own fragile state from further strain. Yet, there was something about the sight of her friend, the softness of her voice, that tugged at her heart. 

The brunette’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“It’s… it’s okay, Haven,”[/color] she said, her voice softer than she intended. [color=#8a9a5b]“You can come in.”[/color]

Harper stepped aside, allowing Haven to enter the room. As the other woman walked past, she felt a sharp pang of disappointment pierce through her. She had hoped for a brief moment to gather her own thoughts, to maybe even reach out for help herself, this time with full honesty rather than half-hearted truths. But now, as she watched Haven’s weary figure, she realized that, once again, she had to be the strong one. Because there was no way she could do it. Lean on her friend who was also barely standing on her own. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“I was just… trying to catch up on some reading,”[/color] Harper said then, gesturing vaguely to the textbook on her bed. [color=#8a9a5b]“But I guess that can wait.”[/color] She closed the door behind Haven, the click of the latch sounding final. Turning to face Haven, her eyes searched her friend’s face for clues. Anything that she could use to ease her burden. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“What’s going on?”[/color] she asked. [color=#8a9a5b]“You look like you’ve got something heavy on your mind.”[/color]

Haven stopped short of the bed as she entered. She was relieved to be out of the hallway and in a place where she felt like her wings could relax. Her eyes scanned over the textbook on the bed, its contents seeming gibberish to her. [color=tan]“Well, there’s a lot going on up that tree.”[/color] She mused softly, before turning to look at her teammate. [color=tan]“I want to know how you are, first.”[/color]

Her eyes were soft as they looked into Harper’s. Her emotions present in the green and golds, concern and hope that her friend would open up to her. What Haven missed the most about her long lost sister was the openness they had with each other. She had it with Rory, sure, and she didn’t take that for granted for a moment. Yet after Harper found her in the trial, and gave her the spirit to escape on her own two feet with the brave brunette’s help, Haven wondered if they could be the same way. If she didn’t find the answers she would be looking for in her past, she was hoping to find something new in her present.

[color=tan]“Have you been sleeping?”[/color]

The concern and hope in Haven’s eyes were almost too much for Harper to bear. She felt an overwhelming urge to retreat, to hide her own pain behind a mask of indifference. But Haven’s sincerity, the genuine worry etched into her features, made it impossible for Harper to completely turn away. She could see the silent plea for support in the other’s gaze, and it tugged at her heartstrings, making her own struggles feel insignificant in comparison. She felt it—her mind, her heart, slipping back into its usual habit of self-sacrifice. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“Sleeping?”[/color] Harper echoed, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. [color=#8a9a5b]“Not really. Nightmares, you know? They don’t exactly make for restful nights.”[/color] Her voice wavered slightly, and she glanced away, unable to meet Haven’s eyes, fearing that her friend might see the depth of her strife. The true depth. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“But that’s not important. You came here for a reason, so what is it?”[/color] Harper asked, attempting to shift the focus back on Haven. She decided then that she wasn’t yet ready to delve into her own struggles. Not like this, with their associated disgruntlement. 

[color=#8a9a5b]“Tell me what’s going on,”[/color] she added after a bit of silence, her tone gentle but insistent.

Haven took a slow breath, her eyes shifting momentarily to avoid showing the subtle disappointment within them. She knew Harper was struggling. She knew it was hard for her teammate to share her inner pain. Her pain was important, though Haven wasn’t going to push her about it. She didn’t feel rejected by the change in topic. It just made her realize that she would just have to be patient until Harper decided to fully open up to her, if she ever chose to. She was beginning to see why Calliope was feeling frustrated.

The next topic, though, wasn’t an easy one to discuss either.

[color=tan]“In the trial,”[/color] she paused, her mind trying to focus on the important memories and not on the horrors she’d endured, [color=tan]“My past was used against me like a game. It reminded me of an old friend, and… while it was a twisted version of her, I realized there was truth behind it.”[/color]

She slowly released the breath she’d been holding, her hand gripping the strap as she gathered the courage to speak about her past.

[color=tan]“She was the closest friend I’ve ever had before coming here, and I never said goodbye.”[/color] Her heart twisted, trying to filter her real memories of Anabel from the simulations. [color=tan]“I think… I want to find her. To see if she’s doing okay.”[/color]

Her hands began to fidget with the strap on her bag. [color=tan]“I need to look at my files, to see if they mention the girl's home we stayed at. I just- I don’t know if I can do it alone.”[/color]

Her eyes were apologetic as she looked into Harper’s tired gaze. [color=tan]“Could you sit with me, while I look it up?”[/color]

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