When Raindrops come tumbling

[onebadapple]

WHO: Snow White and YOU
WHERE: A park and Kaisou High School
WHEN: First few weeks of December
WHAT: Snow White's wicked stepmother was vanquished. It does not change, however, that she was the only mother-figure Snow White had.
WARNINGS: Murder, past child abuse, past child neglect


A. Kaisou park

It was a beautiful winter day. It was calm, sunny, and crisp as snow blanketed the earth. Some kids in the distance were laughing and playing, throwing snowballs at each other, or building snow forts with parents as on-lookers. There were very few animals about, most of them migrated or hibernating, but a few were surrounding Snow White.

She was dressed head to toe in black, having been excused for the day to attend her stepmother's funeral. There was no casket, as the body had not been found. Zodiac had explained what happened, though as soon as the "We regret to inform you" started, a sinking weight hit her at the same time as relief and she missed most of their explanation. Her stepmother and something about accidentally getting into the spirit realm, the pokemon were wild animals, Snow did not blame them for doing what wild animals tended to do with a free meal.

The lawyers came next once the investigation cleared her of having any possible hand in the ordeal. She was always the heiress, after all. The newspapers didn't say much more besides the obituary, Zodiac made sure of that.

The funeral had been minuscule, her stepmother did not have friends. It was just Mr. Me-Or, Snow White, and the funeral director. News about her stepmother's death had reached all the companies and properties, well wishes from the vice-presidents all coming in but, Snow noted, with only sincerity about how they were sorry to see Snow become an orphan, that she had lost a third parent. Even over phones and video calls, there were only dry eyes as they gave their condolences.

No one mourned.

Except her.

But her mourning felt... conflicted. She so desperately wanted Grimhilde to love her, to be a good daughter, but now she couldn't.

Tears fell and soaked into her mittens as they rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do or feel. Someone she wanted to be loved by was dead, but that woman had done so much harm, had hurt her so much.

Snow was safe, now.

And so there was relief, too.

And she felt all the worse for feeling it.

She must be such a horrible person, to be GLAD someone was dead. She knew she was. What else could she be?

The rabbits and deer watched her silently as she wept, unable to offer any words of comfort.

"Do you think I'm a horrible person?" she asked them, unaware someone was passing by in front of her as she did.

B. Kaisou High School

While Snow had been assured she could take all the time she needed as she dealt with her stepmother's death, moving into her cousin's home, and all the lawyers, she ultimately did not want to stay home.

Her home had always been too massive for two people, opulent because that was what her stepmother liked.

Now it was just her, and it was intimidating. Special movers had been hired to pack up what little Snow owned herself to be moved into Anna's apartment. Lawyers were dealing with the mansion and all the worldly goods her stepmother and father had acquired over time. Some things were being donated to museums as Snow didn't see the need to maintain her stepmother's private collections, some were being put in storage, and some were being auctioned off.

She didn't wish to deal with any of that. She would rather be among her peers. People who didn't know, people who didn't remind her every second of every day that her stepmother was dead.

But even though she wanted to be back at school, she wasn't properly there. Her mind was constantly wandering, and she couldn't focus on any subject.

She bumped into someone, again, and stepped back. Distantly she heard something drop and realized she had dropped her books.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she whispered, not an ounce of cheer or chipperness in her voice as she spoke. "Did I hurt you?"

Comments

Park

[whiteshroud]

Jun was an outsider to this entire situation, at the end of it. He hadn't been familiar with the woman who died, nor any of her relations. He'd been there simply for duty. The dead needed to be given rites, and if wasn't a specific person designated for such a job, it wasn't unusual for the funeral home to call the church.

He wasn't ordained, so he hadn't given the rites, but he accompanied to assist as an acolyte. It wasn't his first time doing this, but...well, even he could tell something was a little off about this funeral. Usually when they're called, it's to cover funerals of those folks who fall into the cracks of society and forgotten. A rich business woman? That didn't exactly fit into their normal profile of clients. Even more telling was that he could tell even the priest struggled to find kind words to say about her and stuck close to the standard biblical verses, even though they had more information about who she was.

A strange funeral, all things considered. Jun felt nothing throughout it, keeping focus on his duties. His acolyte uniform kept him mostly warm, but by the time he was finally done with his duties, he was craving a hot coffee that they sell at the stand down the way. That's where he was heading when he happened upon Snow, who asks a question that sounds like it's addressed to him, so it catches his attention.

Ah...it's the girl from the funeral, wasn't it? One of the only attendants. The question confuses him, so he'll ask.

"Why would you say that?"

[onebadapple]

"It's just..." she lets out a long breath as she looks up at Jun, not wanting to lie to someone of the cloth. Even as an acolyte, perhaps he can just offer guidance because she felt so terribly lost right now.

"I don't... I don't feel sorrow at her loss, my only parent and... And I'm relieved more than anything," she whispered. "How could that not make me horrible?"

[whiteshroud]

Ah...so it was that question. Well, he can't say he's surprised to hear her express such sentiment considering the whole situation with the funeral. He couldn't exactly comment on her parent, since it's not like he knew anything about the woman. But...the feeling part...

Well, he did know what it was like. Not having the emotions he knows he should have.

"...Hearts can be strange things, sometimes. They don't always feel what you want them to feel. So I don't think that means you're horrible."

It wasn't like she was choosing to feel relief after all. He puts his hand to his chin.

"May I ask what your relationship with her was like?"

[onebadapple]

"She wanted me dead," she openly admits and the act of saying that... she lets out a breath, looking down at her hands. She gripped them into her skirt.

"I don't think I ever once heard her say that she loved me... but I tried to do everything I could to make her happy, to make her... to have her see me. But it... wasn't enough. I wasn't enough."

Park

[droptheious]

Varian doesn't feel bad that Grimhilde has gone. Not even marginally. She was too much like Gothel to continue existing and he knows that if she had done so, it would be Snow they'd be putting in the ground instead. Probably not right now, but sooner rather than later. That was something he couldn't stand by and let happen. He doesn't even feel particularly guilty for helping provide an alibi- or for being the one to alert the people who would deal with her stepmother in the first place. No. It had to be done and that was that.

But he does feel bad for her pain right now- for lying to her to cover the truth up. He certainly won't tell her the truth. Not yet. Perhaps never. But he accepts that as another piece of darkness to carry in his chest. He doesn't like it, but he'll live with it.

He's sneaked out of school to come to be with her today- because he knows she'll need it. He'll get into more trouble with his teachers, but after the whole suspension thing, it's probably what his educators expect by now. He moves to stand beside her, brow furrowed.

"...I think you're the complete opposite of a horrible person, Snow," he says gently. "In fact, you're one of the best people I know."

[onebadapple]

"I don't... I don't think that can be true," she whispered. "Because she's dead and all I can feel right now is relief," she sobbed, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

"Mustn't that mean I'm a horrible person? She was my stepmother, the only mother I knew."

[droptheious]

"No, that makes you a person who survived someone who was horrific to them."

He says it like it's the simplest thing in the world. Snow isn't a terrible person, she's a survivor, plain and simple. He hesitates for a moment, not sure if this is welcome or not, before reaching out to take her hand in his, a rare moment where he's the one to initiate contact.

"I don't think you're a horrible person at all. I'm glad she can't hurt you anymore."

CW: Past child murder

[onebadapple]

"I..." she let out a sob that was a laugh too. "I... I don't know if I ever told you she wanted me dead."

What was the point of keeping it all in anymore? "She... she was so terribly clever, you know?" her free hand reached up and pressed a hand to her chest. "She had one of my instructors try to cut out my heart... He couldn't go through with it but there was... there was enough damage done that it hurts when I'm winded. That was the first one I remember, but I think... there was more. I would be left at public places all day with no one to watch me, and then at the end of the day, she'd come and get me and scold me for getting lost and leaving her side. The one that lasted the longest was the poisoned apple. She forced a tutor to give it to me. I think I was out for weeks. I can't look at apples without feeling faint."

She held onto his hand a little tighter.

"It sounds like so much. It probably doesn't even sound real. When I told the staff, they didn't believe me. If they did believe me, they were fired and I never saw them again. I just... I just stopped telling anyone after a while. I was so tired of being called a liar or being the one to blame for them losing their livelihood."

Kaisou High School

[findingways]

Moana hadn't known much of the situation, honestly. She'd heard that Snow White would be out of school for a few days, some kind of home emergency. No one else really knew much more than that, and she wasn't sure if it would have been okay to reach out and ask what was going on, or if the other girl wanted to be left alone.

It didn't feel right, to be honest, but she wasn't really sure what she could do. She thought maybe she'd give her a bit of time first before contacting her.

So she had been surprised when Snow showed back up in school sooner than she'd expected. Even more so at seeing the normally cheerful girl looking so...so miserable. Even for the time they'd known each other, Moana can't recall ever seeing her look this way.

"No, I'm okay," she finally says after a moment. Kneeling down, she starts to help gather up Snow's fallen books. "What about you?"

[onebadapple]

Snow hated being alone, it was why she was perpetually surrounded by animals. She crouched down to help gather up the books.

"Moana, hello, I'm..." she didn't want to lie to Moana. "I am afraid I've been a bit out of sorts. I'm glad you're alright."

[findingways]

Moana nodded a little. "Yeah, I'm fine. Here, I got it." She sorted the books out, and handed Snow hers. "Do you...wanna talk about it, maybe? Or just...we can talk about anything. Whatever you want."

[onebadapple]

"I..." she let out a breath. "It's not very pleasant, the conversation. I don't wish to spoil your day," she offered sincerely.

B.

[laminae]

For better or for worse, Fern has a pretty good idea of what actually happened to Snow's stepmother. He didn't know the details, but Varian filled him in, somewhat, as to why the two of them had taken her out for dinner and a movie that night. He was also filled in as to just how bad her stepmother was, so he's frankly quite okay with her not being around anymore. He never met her personally, but it sounds like Snow is going to be better off in the long term without her.

He is surprised to see her at school, though. He would've assumed she'd have taken more time away to deal with all the nonsense that comes with losing a parent, especially a fancy important parent, so when she bumps into him he's taken aback.

"Nah, I'm okay," he says, automatically crouching down to scoop up her books. "Um, how're you doing?"

[onebadapple]

Snow didn't want to be alone in her stepmother's house, and she didn't want to be alone in Anna's apartment. She didn't want to be alone at all. She had spent enough of her life alone. Besides, focusing on something other than signing documentation about becoming the proper head of the corporation and the lawyers was so much. She just wanted something... normal. She wanted to be a face in a crowd of high schoolers.

"I'm..." she was about to say alright and then realized she didn't need to hide and she didn't want to lie anymore. "I've been better, I must admit."

[laminae]

"No kidding," Fern replies. That's got to be the understatement of the century right there.

He can't see wanting to go to school, though. It'd be so boring - but then, he hasn't been very good when it comes to school in general, so that's probably just a him problem.

"I'm sorry about everything," he continues. "Losing a parent is always real rough."

[onebadapple]

"I'm a proper orphan now... No mother, father, or stepmother..." her lips pressed together and she let out a breath.

"I will be alright with time... I think... I hope. I will work to be alright."

Park

[traaaaaash]

For Eda, life mostly goes on as usual, even in the most chaotic of times. She keeps her shop, takes care of the kids and the cat, and runs her errands. Today, she allowed herself to get a nice warm meal from her favorite Chinese joint for lunch at the store, and she's taking the route through the park with a plastic bag full of steaming containers hanging from one hand as she comes across the crying girl, surrounded by woodland creatures.

She manages to over hear the girl and... well, it's a curious enough utterance to stop her in her tracks. "Now, why would you be a horrible person?"

[onebadapple]

"The tears I'm shedding, they're not so much for my stepmother's passing... if anything... they're out of relief. How could that make me anything other than wicked?"

park

[sunforging]

It was not unusual for Scintilla to simply have no idea what was going on, at least not in the larger picture of things. The 'what' and 'why' of how a young girl came to be sitting in a park crying and surrounded by woodland creatures were distant second priorities next to the fact that she was in fact crying largely alone, which would have caught her attention even if the question hadn't set her ears swiveling in Snow's direction.

And that was how a woman dressed in dark red winter clothes with cat ears and tail came to sit on the ground across from Snow, tilting her head curiously.

"Well, whatever makes ya ask somethin' like that, kid?"

[onebadapple]

"I think, I must be," she offered as she looked up at Scintilla, wiping her eyes, and scooted over on the bench to give her room.

"Oh, please, it must be cold in the snow. You can sit next to me if you like?"

[sunforging]

"Eh, I've seen colder." But she shrugged and got up to dust herself off, taking a seat next to Snow with a long tail curling loosely around her own waist.

"What's botherin' you out here in this kinda weather, kid?"

[onebadapple]

"Ah... well... my stepmother died very recently... and... and while I am sad... I mostly... that is, more than anything, I'm just relieved. And I know how wicked that must make me sound."

High School

[schrodingersghost]

Danny had immediately crouched down to the floor to start gathering up Snow's books. He pauses and looks up curiously at the question.

"Of course not." He gives her a crooked grin. "It would take a lot more than a bump like that to hurt me. Promise. Are... you okay?"

He didn't know Snow well, but she seemed distracted.

[onebadapple]

"Oh, Danny, good..." goodness, what time of day was it? She was rather sure lunch hadn't happened yet. "Good morning, late as it is," she offered.

"I'm glad you're not hurt," she attempted a smile but the edges of her mouth didn't move. "I'm..." no, there was no point in lying. "I've been better."

[schrodingersghost]

"Did something happen?" Because from that reaction something definitely wasn't right. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He stand back up and holds the books out to her.