Chapter Text
Prison was SO not Veneer’s ideal setting. Private yachts, luxury cars, even his own bed back at home was way more alluring than prison . Veneer’s back and sanity were both suffering behind steel bars and constant surveillance.
‘I wonder how Velvet is getting along.’ Veneer pondered to himself instead of mindlessly mumbling to himself as he often did. Moss, his less than enthusiastic cellmate, made it crystal clear where he stood when it came to Veneer’s antics.
As much as he hated the everlasting draft and stuffy smell present in his cell, Veneer figured he could be worse off for aiding in fraud and tax evasion apparently.
“Troll-napping? What was Velvet thinking?!” Veneer turned to Moss, deciding very quickly to disregard his wish for silence. “Maybe she wanted you to gain a less annoying voice so she wouldn’t have to be forced to listen to it like I am.”
‘Maybe I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.’ Veneer turned back around, face red with embarrassment and annoyance. ‘Velvet didn’t think my voice was annoying, right?’
“I mean Velvet was a tad bit jealous of my ability to decently sing when she had..a bit more difficulty reaching higher notes. But, she never thought my voice was annoying!”
Silence
Veneer turned back around, “Well, she did scream and threaten my fish Sparkles until my parents banned me from singing around her.” He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry from the memory.
“She seriously got you banned from singing just because she couldn’t?” Veneer snapped his head up, surprised to get a response out of Moss.
“Yeah, but it was my fault for rubbing my talent in her face! I should’ve been a better brother and supported her instead of making her feel worse! Anyways, she ended up being a WAY better singer than me on stage.”
Moss blinked at him blankly as if he was rethinking his decision to open his mouth. “First off she was a better singer because of that Troll you two snatched and secondly, you really think you were in the wrong for having a better voice?”
Veneer rolled his eyes, “Well duh, Velvet’s my twin I shouldn’t have made her feel bad! Plus, Floyd was a part of her…misguided thinking.”
“…”
“She just wanted to be famous! Floyd’s safe now because of Velvet so she shouldn’t even be in prison. I should be the only one being punished and locked up in this cramped place, not my big sister!” Veneer dramatically threw his hands up and stood up.
“You’re telling me that sister of yours who not only kidnapped the innocent troll but also basically tortured him, just so happened to willingly free him after all that?” Veneer rolled his eyes again. ‘What was Moss so confused about?! ’
At the look Veneer gave him Moss simply shook his head and lied down on his rundown cot, refusing to deal with Veneer a second longer.
“Moss?”
“…”
“Hey..do people really think my sister and I are bad people?”
Moss wished he could ignore the hurt and anxiety laced in Veneer’s voice but alas his conscience was against him, “Actually, they only see your sister as evil and you as a pawn in her messed up path to fame. Some even deem you as a…victim of sorts I guess you could say.”
‘..What?’ There was no way. Veneer told the police and anyone else who would listen that it was his sister who had a change of heart and freed Floyd! Why were people seeing him as a victim?!
“Veneer, c’mon breathe you’re fine.” Veneer felt a hand on his shoulder urging him to sit on his brick of a cot. “Ugh, I should’ve just let you ramble to yourself. Gotta deal with your issues now. Great.”
“W-what do you mean?! My sister is a good person, a good sibling! She-she begged me to let her free Floyd but I was selfish for the both of us! Yes, that’s right! I wanted to keep us at the top and Floyd was our way to keep stability. I-“
“Veneer stop!” Veneer clamped his mouth shut, his whole body shaking with nerves. “Look, I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with. Believe whatever you want kid, but the truth is going to be spilled in court eventually.”
“WHAT TRUTH? THERE IS NOTHING TO BE SPILLED!” Veneer pushed Moss away and grabbed at his hair trying but failing to breathe steadily.
The sound of boots momentarily pulled Veneer from his frenzy, “If you two don’t pimp down right now, I won’t hesitate to go in there and shut you up.” Satisfied with the following silence, the guard walked away leaving Moss to deal with Veneer’s problems.
“You really don’t know, huh?” He asked quietly as to not gain unwanted attention from the guard. “Know wha-what? Did Velvet lie to save me?!”
Moss pulled Veneer down sitting him next to himself, “Quite the opposite actually. She agreed to your story and even said you threatened her to keep her mouth shut about the Troll. But, that’s not the truth is it? I shouldn’t be dealing with your shit but, if not now it’ll just all come raining down later.”
Veneer pressed his face into the palms of his hands, squeezing his head in between his bent legs, “How do you know all this? Moss, please, just tell me what happened to my sister.” A small sniffle followed, adding to Moss’s ever growing list of reasons why he shouldn’t have opened his mouth in the first place.
“Most of the front guards are pretty chill with me. My mom would bring cookies for them when she came to visit my dad when he was the one rotting in here.” Veneer looked up at Moss, sympathy in his eyes. “Oh, Moss I-“
“This conversation isn’t about me.” Veneer nodded, not wanting to anger Moss and risk losing intel about his sister. He turned to Moss, pleading for an answer.
Moss hesitated but decided he was already in too deep and he doubted Venner would let him go back to his bed in silence. “It was that Troll, Floyd was it? Floyd was the one to testify against Velvet and tell the truth of what went down during his captivity.”