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Red always loved flowers. Flowers of any kind, really. If you could tell from the red lillies that grew from their right eye. They always felt a comforting feeling when around flowers, and made sure to keep track of what flowers people close to them enjoyed.
Fennel for CK, Forget Me Nots for Valerie, Lily of the Valleys for Chance, Hyacinths for Fae, etc etc.. Nothing really changed their opinions revolving around flowers.
CK, their…boss. Boss. Not Dad anymore. Not their father, nor mentor. Red didn't deserve to call him that.
Even when they found CK laying in that flower field, their likeness towards flowers stayed the same. The same field that they had shown him, and the same one they used to attempt to make flower crowns for him in.
“CK?? Are you out here..? I know I made you upset…and I'm really sorry I swear..!- Just please come back.. I'm worried, y'know..!”
Red walked carefully through the flowers, acting as if one wrong move could lead to disaster. They hadn't been able to see CK for a while. Red knew they were upset at him for SOMETHING, and CK was as well…but they couldn't figure out what they were so upset over..! It couldn't have been that bad…right?
“CK!! C'mon you can't hide forever..!”
If CK wasn't here, then Red didn't know where else they could attempt to look.. The sun was shining bright on their skin, and the flowers sprouting on their eye practically thrived in it. Red continued to look, worry increasing with every step of the way.
The fennel that outgrew most other flowers here were pretty, yes, but Red never understood why CK liked them so much. There were many other flowers to choose from. Red was close to giving up, until they spotted a figure laying in the fennel, head tilted away from them.
“Is that you?? Oh thank god I found you.. You were worrying me..”
Red stepped closer, the smell of copper in the air suddenly present. They took a cautious step forward, looking at CK.
“...Dad.?”
Red was now close enough to see the dagger in CK’s hand, and the open wound in his chest. Red froze for a moment, before they ran up to him, scooping him up and frantically attempting to wake him up.
“CK???”
Red checked to find a pulse, panicking more as they found nothing.
“DAD! OH MY GOD OH GOD OH GOD DAD– WAKE UP PLEASE Y-YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE-”
Red shook the body as if it would breathe life into it, tears now streaming freely down their face. Their breaths were fast and yet at the same time they seemed raggity. Red's hands shook as they finally realized CK was dead, and held the body close as they sobbed into his shoulder.
“I'm sorry.. Please PLEASE I didn't mean any of it..! V-Valerie told me it was for the best-GOD I should've just listened to you..”
Red didn't leave that field until hours later.
The memory was..abliet a little fuzzy around the edges. Red didn't want to remember it fully anyway. It seemed like each day they grew more and more forgetful. The thought of one day forgetting CK entirely scared them.
That wouldn't happen. Not if they just kept him in their mind. Kept the memory alive even if they failed to keep the real thing alive.
Red stepped into the bathroom to wash their face, cringing at the sight of it. Had they always had such prominent eye bags..?? Their hair was messy…and fully black too. They hadn't had the energy to dye the bottom and top red in a long time..
Red splashed the water from the sink onto their face, though they stopped mid dry as they felt something that they were pretty sure wasn't there before on their face. They moved the small towel they were using to dry their face to inspect it, moving closer to the mirror.
A dark red bulb was near the already bloomed lilies on their face, and a deep sense of worry filled Red as they poked it. That wasn't supposed to be there. It hurt to touch, so they just left it be. It…it would be fine!!
Red sulked out of the bathroom, sighing as they prepared themselves to smile and go talk to the anons. Even with a death, there was no breaks.
_______________________
“Dad.. I have a question. Do you think we'll stay here for the rest of our lives..?”
CK glanced down at Red, who was standing next to him, and sighed softly.
“Look. Whatever happens, happens. I don't know what will happen, but I'll…be here.”
Red's mood was immediately brightened, and they hugged CK as they smiled.
“Thank you Dad.. I don't know what I would do without you..”
Red was pulled from their slumber once more, their dream fading into obscurity as they fully woke up. That dream felt nice, yet they couldn't remember who the other person in it was. Maybe it was…CK. Yeah. Him.
Red internally cursed themselves for forgetting. How could they have done that..?? God they're getting worse.. They started their usual routine once more, walking off to the bathroom to wash their face.
The bud had now bloomed, a few more buds sprouting around it. Red couldn't really bring themselves to care all that much. At least it looked pretty.. They washed their face, and left the bathroom once more.
Red had been avoiding the other government members. They would do the necessary talking to anons for the day, do some half-assed guesses, and leave. That was just how they got through the day. Bunny and Chance had attempted to talk to them, but they brushed them off and went back to their room.
They felt dead.
_______________________
“Dad please I'm sorry–”
“Don't. You chose what you wanted, and now you come back to me? After everything that you've done?”
CK stared at them, the usual look tainted with anger and hatred. Red stood in front of him, shaking and on the verge of tears. They didn't know Valerie was lying..! They just wanted CK to stop being so overbearing..!
“I…Dad I swear I didn't know..! Please please I don't want to make you any more upset I just want you back!”
CK shut them up, his body language hostile. This..this isn't what happened right..? CK wouldn't..
“Don't call me your Dad. You better pray Valerie takes something like you under her wing, because I won't.”
CK’s face distorted and warped, the area around the two of them fading into black as Red attempted to reach out. Red sobbed to themselves as CK faded from their view.
Red woke up once more. There was no feeling of warmth, or of comfort. Just…emptiness. They didn't remember their dream, not that it mattered anyway. Red didn't immediately get out of bed, they just sat there. Thinking.
Something was missing. Something important.
Yet they couldn't place their finger on what.
They felt…nothing really. Just loneliness. And longing for something they didn't remember anymore. The fennel that was in a vase on their nightstand stood out for a moment, but they chalked it up to their mind playing tricks on them.
When Red finally got out of bed, they didn't bother washing their face. The flowers had overtaken part of their face, and vines wrapped around their arm. Flowers bloomed on their shoulders and chest, where butterflies never seemed to leave.
Red didn't care.
They didn't go to where they usually messaged anons, they just…left. Left to the oh so familiar flower field, where a grave sat. They didn't know who's grave it was, they just knew it was important. Red sat by it until the sky darkened and they had to leave.
_______________________
“One day I'll be just like you Dad.”
_______________________
It was just a normal execution. Red didn't bother paying attention to who it was so they could do a fitting execution, they just wanted to get it over with. In their hand was a bomb, one set to explode any moment now. Yet, even with the ticking, they didn't leave the area.
Instead, they just sat down in front of the anon, looking down. Whether it was intentional or another instance of Red's mind failing them, they made no move to leave.
Red placed the bomb in the middle of them and the anon, staring at it.
Everything would be better soon enough.
_______________________
Everyone was there!
Red was surrounded by their loved ones.
Everyone was happy.
Red was happy.
Even if they couldn't remember any of their faces, they wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.
“I love you Dad.”