Chapter Text
"Food's ready!!!" Bonnie exclaims proudly from the side of the picnic blanket, and you all break from your chatter and turn towards them.
After spending the day out, you'd all decided it'd be fun to meet up in a clearing and eat and stargaze together. You hadn't been the one to suggest it, but you couldn't stop your eyes from lighting up when Isa brought it up. While you didn't usually do well with repeating things from the loops, stargazing with your family had always been a fond memory, something that'd help you get through the endless repetition of it. Being by their sides, surrounded by the stars...that was probably the most happiness you'd ever felt in that same, repeating day.
Well, you'd messed up your last loop, so you didn't get that. Not that, nor becoming family with them. But you were the one who messed it up, so.
You try to shake off your gloominess. This is supposed to be a good day. Sure, you didn't manage to get it to happen in the last loop, but you're together now! You're stargazing now! And you might not be family, but Mira'd hugged you so warmly earlier today, so that's something, right? Even though you were so embarrassing, she told you you'd do it together!
Although...maybe she'd just said that because she didn't really know what to do? Or just because she's that kind? Are you an idiot for trying to make it more than it is?
You look over towards her, and she looks away from Bonnie to smile at you. You smile back, and you must have done it right, because her smile only grows warmer before she turns away again.
...No, Mira cares. You force yourself to put your anxieties down. She cares, and all your family—all your friends are together. You breathe, in and out, and you feel a little more stable after it.
Wait!! There was a conversation going on! You got distracted! And now you have no idea what Bonnie made! And now that you blink back into focus, they're all looking at you?! Did you miss your cue?!
"Thank you, Bonnie!" You say! That should work! Right?! Then why does Bonnie look like they're holding back laughter?!
"Then you gotta eat first, Frin!" They definitely sound like they're about to laugh. You look at Odile desperately, but she's just smirking at you. What did you miss?!
Bonnie comes closer, and places a bowl right on your lap. You look down, and...
Bonnie bursts out laughing at your expression. You can't help it, though, your whole face twisting into a grimace as you lean away from the bowl.
"Siffrin, the food isn't going to attack you," Odile seems to be amused by your reaction. She doesn't know that!! You wouldn't put it past it!!
"Don't worry, M'dame! Even if it did, I'd protect Sif!" Isa! He's always on your side.
Wordlessly, you hold the bowl out towards him. He doesn't move to take it, until you look at him, pleading. Isa! You need him! His cheeks go a little red, and he reaches for the bowl. Freedom!! So close!!
Bonnie steps in between you. Freedom...just out of reach...
"I made it for you, Frin! So you gotta eat it!" They're looking at you, smug.
You sigh, and withdraw your arms back. No matter how unappetizing and awful the potato soup in your hands looks, Bonnie did make it. You can't waste their hard work. And it's better than something like pineapple or bananas, or even just anything from the loops, with all the food just blending into the same ashen taste after a while.
You still grimace a little. Bonnie just lets out another puff of amusement in return. You're glad they're having fun...with your suffering........
A thought strikes you, though. "Haven't we been having soup a lot?" You had soup last time, and the time before that...did Bonnie just like making soup that much? You can't remember, but you're pretty sure they liked being inventive? Maybe this is a new thing?
There's silence in response. When you look up, everyone's staring at you again, but differently. Mira and Isa both look worried, Odile and Bonbon incredulous.
...Uh????
Was this not a normal question?? Maybe your brain was more of a sieve than you'd thought it was, which was a pretty big accomplishment, given how terrible you knew your memory to be? Maybe Bonnie just always made soup! Who knew! You didn't!
"I mean—" You scramble to fix your mistake, but Bonnie interrupts before you can.
"Frin!!! You crabbing IDIOT!!! Did you really forget?" Yeah! You did! You have no idea what they're talking about, but you can't say that!
"I didn't...?" You try.
Mira's now pressing her hands over her mouth, and Odile exhales, raising a hand to rub at her forehead. You really must've messed up bad? Stars!! How were you supposed to realize that this was a bad question!!
"Siffrin. We've been having soup so it'd be easier for you to eat, with your neck injury." Odile explains.
You have a neck injury???
Your panicked expression must've communicated something to her, because her expression looks, if anything, more disbelieving.
"Gems, how did you—no. Nevermind. Just don't strain your throat too much, Siffrin, you're still recovering."
You shrink a bit into yourself, out of shame. No wonder they were looking at you like that! Sure, you forgot you lost an eye, so it's not really surprising you forgot another injury, but still! When did you even get injured?? Not that you can ask that, without being even more embarrassing than you already are!
"When did Sif get injured, anyway?" Isa muses. You feel a deep burst of gratitude, and you look towards him, trying to convey it through your eyes. He catches your expression, tilting his head, and seems to freeze in midair.
"Isabeau." Odile sounds amused again, which is a step up from disbelief, so you'll take it.
"M'dame!" Isabeau finally shakes it off.
"Now that you mention it...I don't remember either?" Mira brings the conversation back to Isabeau's question, looking a little anxious as she thinks back, bringing a finger to her mouth and nibbling on it.
"Duh? The King did it! Cuz he's a crab!" Bonnie pronounces, raising their chin with absolute confidence.
"I like the confidence, Bonbon! But uh, I don't think the King had hands that small? Plus, Sif was fine when we were talking after beating the King?" Isabeau seems to be thinking about this pretty seriously too.
You try to think too, but you draw a blank. It almost hurts with how hard you're thinking, too.
"Then! Maybe Frin tripped over their feet on the way back!!" Bonnie puts forth another theory, head raised high.
Is that it? ...Maybe? You were pretty tired, so?
"Nah, it wasn't really that kinda injury, Bonbon..." You furrow your brows. Noticing your look, Mira leans over and whispers to you.
"It looked like you'd been strangled, Siffrin..." Even the thought of it seems to make her look distressed. You feel bad for making her feel that way, over you...
"Hm. Did you encounter someone on your trip out of the House, Siffrin? I'll admit, now that I think about it, it's strange that you came back more injured after everything should've been resolved..." And now Odile seems to be considering it too.
"Oh! Frin went to the Favor Tree!! So maybe the tree hit him weird!!" Bonnie is persistent in their search for an answer.
But now that you think about it...
"That might be it?" You muse aloud.
"REALLY???" Bonnie seems astonished. "I mean! I crabbing knew it!!!!" They look incredibly proud of themselves. It's very cute.
"Really?" On the other hand, Odile doesn't seem to believe you at all.
"Really?? Oh wait! You mean!" Mira takes a moment to catch on to what you're saying, and then looks at you with glittering eyes.
"You mean?" Isabeau looks at the two of you, confused.
"Don't worry, though. Its bark was worse than its bite." You wink. Isabeau breaks into laughter, and you smile at another success.
Bonnie's face immediately falls. "Frin! You crab!!! You deserve the potato soup!!!"
No one deserves potato soup. But you wisely don't contest Bonnie's judgement.
"Hm." Odile, on the other hand, looks suspicious, but she lets it go. Good. While you're sure she could help, you don't feel emotionally ready to confide in more than one person today. Besides, you don't want to burden her with it. Mira was nice enough to offer to help, but that's already more than you deserve.
"Well! Um!" Mira claps her hands together, and you turn to look at her, inquisitive. "The rest of us should eat, too, right! Before the soup gets cold?" She loses steam near the end, but that's enough to distract Bonnie, and shift away the flow of conversation. You smile at her, grateful, knowing she probably did it for you.
But! You figured something new out already! Admittedly, the idea that something at the favor tree led to you getting strangled doesn't sound very good, and maybe you should be thinking more about that, but. It's a hint! It's progress! You already feel more hopeful than you did this morning!
Maybe you really can figure this out. You hold onto that feeling of hope through the rest of the evening, as you smile and laugh and talk, feeling more like a person than you have for a while now. And surrounded by the flow of their conversation, you eventually drift off, the knowledge of the stars above you and your friends around you giving you comfort.
When you open your eyes again, you're somewhere else.