Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“Salute! Bienvenue! What can I get for you today, Madame Joline?” A pippy, red-haired teenager asked, smoothing her polka-dotted apron.
A taller woman stood on the opposite side of the counter from the girl, staring longingly into a glass, which shelved delicious pastries.
“Bonsoir, Tikki. I’ll take a dozen of your assorted macaroons and 6 bonbons.” the woman replied.
“Right away, Madame,” the red-haired began to gather the woman’s request and rung it up. “Twenty euros, please.”
The woman paid for her treats and left, the redhead showing her out with a polite “reviens bientôt.”
She sighed softly as she locked the door and flipped the sign to “closed.” The girl took off her apron and hung it up on the apron hook behind the counter. A long Saturday was finally over and soon she would get some well-deserved rest. She started towards the kitchen where several people were still cleaning up and restocking ingredients.
“Ah, Tikki, are we closed?” a blonde girl asked, facing the redhead.
Tikki solemnly nodded, offering a soft smile at her employees. She began to help clean up the kitchen by washing the various dishes that were still lying around in several cluttering piles.
“We were really busy today,” the blonde sighed, coming next to Tikki. “Did Madame Joline return?”
“Mhm… I feel like she’s only coming by to see you, Pollen.” Tikki smirked at her companion.
“I… shut up. My aunt is far too overprotective and smothering. You’re lucky you still have your parents.” Pollen turned away.
The redhead scoffed, “If ‘lucky’ is even the right word. My father has been acting kinda off lately, and my mom is moody. When they get in each other’s way, they don’t even care that I’m the one racking up income… I’m nothing. They kinda… lash out.”
Pollen gently brushed her hand on Tikki’s shoulder, where she was desperately attempting to hide a scar. “At least they don’t hurt you like the one time…”
Tikki yanked away and instinctively took several cautious steps back, horror written all over her face. The blonde instantly realised her mistake and faced away from the redhead. Tikki let out an anxious sigh before deciding the kitchen was clean enough. She made her way outside and sat on the curb as she awaited her ride.
She stared up at the evening sky, the ombre artwork of the sunset calming her nerves. The busy streets of Paris, France were so hectic. Everyone was in such a hurry, she seemed she was the only one who realised what a beautiful city they lived in.
She was forced out of her thoughts when a motorcycle stopped in front of her, a gothic-looking teenage boy sitting upon it.
“Tikki, there you are… we usually meet by Place du Trocadero…” he tossed her a helmet. “Hop on, babe.”
Tikki caught the helmet and smiled softly, climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. “I know, I’m sorry. We had a busy day. Thanks for coming to find me, Pascal… I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Straight to your place then?” he asked, making sure Tikki had a proper balance.
Tikki nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around Pascal’s waist as the motorcycle began to move once again. She loved Pascal. He was her complete perfect match. The two of them had been dating since the start of middle school 5 years ago. In a way, she was surprised that they were still together. They had been set up on a blind date by Tikki’s best friend Trixx years ago, but it hadn’t worked out. It was 2 years later that they actually started dating. She loved how rebellious Pascal was. He was so free-spirited, and he always knew how to make Tikki feel amazing.
Tikki laughed wholeheartedly as her short hair whipped in the rushing winds. She let out a cheer of excitement as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. Pascal laughed at his tiny, excited girlfriend as he slowed to a stop in front of a large country house. Tikki sighed as she hopped off the motorcycle and tossed the helmet to Pascal, who was also getting off the motorcycle. He took off his own helmet, his luxurious purple hair wonderfully tossed into his signature style. He extended his gloved hand to Tikki, walking her to the front door.
The redhead glanced at her taller boyfriend, both sighing deeply before deciding to hang back before Tikki went inside. The taller fiddled with his hands for a moment before caving to his nicotine addiction and lighting a cigarette. Tikki glanced towards the ground, trying to think of something to say in the instance. She was abruptly torn from her thoughts at seeing Pascal offer her a lit cigarette. She hesitated before accepting it. She didn’t smoke much and she wasn’t one to give in to peer pressure, but she figured she might as well before she had to go inside to what would likely be a crumbling family setting.
She inhaled deeply, exhaling in a much uncharacteristic breath of relief. She didn’t want to go inside. She knew her parents would be fighting again. And she knew her older brother Malcolm likely had brought home another girl, leading to what would definitely be another night without sleep. Oh, how she was tempted to invite Pascal inside just to get back at Malcolm for the months of unpleasant sexual noises at night. She knew she couldn’t. She wasn’t supposed to be a bad girl. Hell, if they knew she was smoking again she would never hear the end of it.
At that, she abruptly dropped the cigarette on the ground and put it out with the heel of her shoe. She said her good-bye’s to Pascal and miserably headed inside the family home.
As expected, Malcolm was sitting on the couch very happily making out with a girl.
“Mal, please explain to me how you manage to bring home a new woman every night. How HAVEN’T you had relations with every woman in France?” Tikki snarkily remarked, glancing expectantly at her silver-haired brother.
“Tourist,” Malcolm managed through several hitched breaths.
Tikki rolled her eyes in disgust and made her way upstairs. Much to her surprise, her mother was alone in her own bedroom and Tikki’s father was nowhere to be found. With reluctance, the redhead entered the room and approached her mother.
“What’s wrong, mum…?”
The older woman looked up in alarm, not having noticed her daughter enter the room.
“Oh, nothing. I just- you can’t tell Jaques. He… he can’t know. Promise me, Tikki. You can’t tell Jaques…”
“I won’t tell dad,” Tikki worriedly placed her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “Please tell me what’s-” she trailed off and backed up. “No…”
“Tikki, he can’t know! He can’t!”
She sighed, “Mum, you’re pregnant, aren’t you…? And you don’t want dad to know because-”
“He hurts you and Malcolm! He-” the older woman began to tremble before collapsing backwards onto her pillows.
“Go to sleep, mother. You’re having an episode.” Tikki tucked her mother into bed, stroking her knotted hair until she fell asleep.
Tikki shook her head and left the room. Her mother often had episodes of anxiety and amnesia, almost seeming as if her brain was forcing her to forget that she, too, has been abusive towards her children from time to time. This was hard on Tikki, but she knew there was nothing to be done. She had to help her mother essentially without helping her at all, as she would become hysterical if the condition was brought up at all. The short redhead didn’t want to be hurt again…
She made her way into her own bedroom, flopping onto her bed. She needed to sleep while she could. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. She closed her eyes but was wrapped up in her thoughts, unable to rest. After 30 minutes of devoted attempts, she gave up and grabbed her phone. She dialled a number, hoping to get a quick response.
“...hello?~”
“Hi, Plagg… it’s been a while.”