Work Text:
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread my stretch or strangle, but it will never break.” - An ancient Chinese belief
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Villanelle tries to catch up with Eve, struggling with the cold air and the weight of her boots. Eve, on the other hand, didn’t mind the cold breeze nor her belongings — the weight in her heart is heavy enough to push her to run. Run for her life.
Eve reached the London Bridge, hearing the bellows of Villanelle. She ran after me, Eve thought, feeling a bit less weighted and more relaxed. But still bewildered from the series of events. The London tourist spot seems to bring her back to reality, Villanelle’s presence a happenstance. London bridge and her.
There seems to be less people and less cars passing by, feeling almost like it’s their own little world. Seeing the likeness of the woman with a mustard yellow coat, slowed down Eve’s breathing. The love of her life.
“Eve!” The woman in mustard yellow coat screamed, laughing as she sees the woman in all Black, breathless. “Eeeeeve!!” Villanelle’s laughter seems unreal in Eve’s perspective, the brunette stayed still, trying to engulf the moment of the blonde laughing — looking as though she has conquered the world, regaining the lost of her childhood. Eve capturing this particular moment in mind; knowing that in a split second, this might go away.
“You can be pretty athletic when you choose.” The blonde utters with sarcasm. The brunette, on the other hand — still at a loss for words, feels the breeze depart as the presence of the blonde overtakes.
“I killed Dasha.” Eve utters.
“No, I killed Dasha.” Villanelle responds, “I hit her over the head with a golf club.”
“I crushed her,” Eve panting hard, trying to find solace in the midst of her confession, “-with my foot.”
“You did?” Perplexed, Villanelle looks at the woman beside her; still finding the words to react with Eve’s honesty.
“Uhuh.”
“Then I guess we both did.” Bewildered still, Villanelle tries to lighten the mood. “Isn’t that romantic?”
“You know, the only people who would think that are-“ Eve responds, a bit taken aback with Villanelle’s innuendo.
“Who?” Villanelle asks in a childlike manner.
“Us.”
“I don’t want to do it anymore.” Villanelle realizes the seriousness of the conversation, gazing at the lights and feeling the warmth of the woman beside her. “Any of it.”
Silence overpowers the momentum for a quick second, both women realizing the irony of the situation. “What’s happened to us?” Eve says as she cackles, the irony filling the gaps. Eve turns around to fully ingest the reality, staring at the passersby. “I used to be like them.” Villanelle follows the voice of the woman, turning her head to her right. “What?” The blonde says obliviously, “Badly dressed?” still trying to lighten a dull mood.
“You were never like them. You only thought you were.”
“No,” The brunette leans forward in aggression. “I had a life. I had a husband, and a house; and a chicken.”
“You still want that stuff?” The blonde calmly responds.
Eve turns her perspective to the view of the River Thames, trying to absorb what was left of the peace inside her. “When I try and think of my future, I just ... see your face over and over again.” Eve slowly feels the calmness flowing through her body; causing her feelings to slowly seep through her words.
“It’s a very beautiful face.” The blonde, not being able to pause her comical innuendos, share a cackle with the brunette beside her.
“Did I ruin your life?” Villanelle utters, breaking the momentum.
Eve looks at her, not saying another word.
“Do you think i’m a monster?” Villanelle asks, trying to press Eve’s buttons for an answer.
“You’re so many things.” Eve responds.
“Doesn’t answer my question.” Villanelle scoffs, still finding humor in the intensity of their conversation.
“I think we all have monsters inside of us,” The blonde and the brunette now face-to-face. “it’s just that, most people manage to keep theirs hidden.”
“Well, I haven’t.”
“No.” Eve chuckles.
“Neither have I.”
“I think my monster encourages your monster. Right?”
“I think I wanted it to.” Eve whispers softly, gazing at the eyes of Villanelle, simultaneously feeling a loss and a gain of sanity in the presence of Villanelle. Eve tries to find a word for it, but fails. Never feeling such with anyone, not even with Niko.
“Help me. Help me make it stop.” The brunette pleads to the blonde. Eve’s hands clasped, physically showing that she has it together, though her eyes says otherwise.
The image of the brunette pleading made the blonde feel a pang in her chest, Villanelle trying to keep herself together, staying strong for the woman beside her.
“So no more tea dances?” Eve chuckles at Villanelle’s remark, shifting her gaze to the River Thames once again.
“If that’s really what you want, it’s not difficult.” Eve looks at Villanelle with wonder.
“You’re gonna tell me to jump?”
“No!” Villanelle bellows in sarcasm. “Of course not. You’d die if you jumped. It’s easier than that.”
“If only that were true.” Eve stares at the vast river; both her hands on her face, still oblivious to where the conversation is leading.
“Stand up straight.” Villanelle commands. “Stand up straight and look at me.” Eve sighs, still following Villanelle’s instruction.
Both women are now face-to-face, a split second of silence until Villanelle interrupts the moment, “Now turn around and face the other way.”
Perplexed. Eve asks, “What?”
“I’ll turn this way.” The blonde turned her back against the brunette.
“Have you turned? I can’t see you.”
Eve’s face in full oblivion, still following what Villanelle says. Their backs now turned against each other.
The breeze seems to have usurped what was once warm between them, the air filling the gaps between their bodies, their backs still turned against each other. Villanelle pushes her head against Eve, the only manner of intimacy that’s allowed for Villanelle to give — trying to fight the force of gravity that is against them.
“Now what?”
“Now we walk. And we’ll never look back.”
“But, I... I-“
“Don’t turn. Just walk.” Villanelle says in dominance, pulling herself away from Eve, no longer fighting the pull of gravity. Eve stands still, confused. Her body yearning for Villanelle’s, feeling at a loss — she starts to walk away in the opposite direction. Angry. Broken. The world has once again usurped what was once Eve’s.
Villanelle, on the other hand, walks slowly. Her feelings no longer confusing her but softening her core, letting her know that the monster that once lived in her is now dead. Humanizing her. The world killed Villanelle’s monster, but in exchange, the world takes away the love of her life.
Grief overtakes Villanelle.
Anger overtakes Eve.
They turn their backs, now looking at each other at a distance.
The first time grief and anger switched bodies.
The first time they’re meeting each other in a different point of view.