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A small brook, and tall bamboo that never stops spreading share their music with the world. The water trips and falls over the edge of racks, and swirls into eddies. The wind dances with the leaves, leaving merry little memories to float on the breeze until they reach an ear.
The walls cradle them with warm tones of red and orange, a breeze managing to sneak its way through the thinner sections of webbing to foxtrot again. Even the gate seems to hold tight, and reach out to you, in a small corner that can be easily ignored while inside.
Large cats, the size of bears roam inside this sanctuary, rolling in the bushes and punching on leaves until they’re hungry, and then they eat bamboo from the gentle and scarred hands of their keeper.
The Jellie Reserve is a sanctuary, for all Jellie cats. But it is also a sanctuary for players whose soulmates decide that they aren’t capable enough. Aren’t sensible enough. Aren’t enough .
Scar had found his soulmate. Only to be told that they had known for days , and hadn’t told him. He found his soulmate, only to be dragged away from the things he loves, that gives him passion and joy.
Overhearing a conversation about secret soulmates?
Scar needed a break.
And so he built the Sanctuary. His sanctuary.
He made it close, as to ease the worries of his traitorous soulmate, and so he could always be within reach if there was an emergency, but the tall walls and bamboo grove obscured the towering Red Velvet Keep so that it’s looming didn’t affect the ambiance of the Sanctuary.
It was his.
And that was enough.
Until it wasn’t, and he invited people to visit the Jellies (visit him ) in their sanctuary. To feed the Jellies bamboo until they were round with it, and those feeding them were smiling, leaving their problems and anxiety behind for just a few minutes. (Like him, only they leave and they go back to their soulmates.)
And through it all, Scar’s soulmate only spoke of it jokingly. Negatively. Condescendingly.
It hurt.
It made Scars chest ache with an emptiness that he could not fill, and his throat clog with so many emotions and words he wished he could express.
But if he did, then Grian might really leave this time. Physically instead of emotionally.
Scar doesn’t think he could take that.
It would have been different if Grian had left right away like Scott and Cleo did to their soulmates.
Or if Grian had never told him, and just avoided him from the get-go..
Well, that would have hurt a lot too, considering their partnership from a few years ago. Their claim on the sand hadn’t gone well, but Grian had always been there since the accident. Even when he had left after his debt was repaid, he still hadn’t hurt scar. Not til the end.
But all that history only made it hurt worse. Only stung more. Only reinforced the thoughts that Scar would sometimes have of “You were never good enough for him, he was just guilty. You aren’t worthy of loyalty, or of anyone. I’m surprised you had a soulmate to begin with! Not that you’re much of soulmates anymore..”
All that Scar could hear while watching Grian work on his their base was the exasperation. The annoyance.
“Scar! Scar NO!”
“You are banned from the Deep Dark, just, don’t go there. Stay up here where it’s safe ”
“Oh my goodness- Scar! Enough with the pandas!”
A loop of all the evidence that Grian doesn’t want him.
Of course, Grian never needed him, but wanting?
Scar had thought he was wanted at some point.
He wasn’t so sure anymore.