Chapter Text
Match circled the fountain stationed in the archaic temple, her blurred eyes peering through her glasses. Her hand traced the cracked stone, worn and married with mildew and age. She could feel the build up of dust and water droplets melting together on her fingers, creating an almost clay like substance. She caught her reflection in the clear waters, still and calm. Match could barely see the slight blotches of green algae where the water ended, forming an almost ring around it.
She sighed, slowly coming to a stop, staring down at her hand. She winced as she rubbed her fingers together, only spreading the strange clay across her palm, covering it in a beige. It dried almost immediately as it spread, crackling against her palm lines as she slowly flexed her hand in. With a dejected groan, she rubbed it on the navy of her uniform. She'd torn the jumper to almost crop it, wanting something that felt familiar. Yet she could never bring herself to rid herself of it. Match dipped her hand into the water of the fountain, surprisingly clean for its age. It was almost cold. But not quite a refreshing feeling either. Like a pool left out too long in the sun. The pillary ruins were always quite hot, hardly ever any clouds or rain hanging above them. Match took solace in the temple, the ceiling above providing cool shade. Her eyes caught the steps she first descended, and a sigh left her. She lifted her hand, her eyes narrowing as she still felt some of that debris clinging to her like sins that couldn't be—
"Whatcha doin?"
"HOLY HELL-!"Match shrieked at the sudden voice, turning and flicking her hand out, splashing the perpetrator with water. She blinked open her eyes to see Ruby, not even flinching as the water hit her in the face.
"Oh. Like, Ruby.." Match breathed out, dying her hand on her matching navy skirt. "Like, oh my gosh, seriously, like, what have I told you about sneaking up on me like that?"
"I was trying to get your attention!" Ruby said with a whine, gesturing widely with her arms. "You were in your head again!"
Her eyes shifted down to the mess that had become of Matchs uniform.
"And you've messed your clothes up again.."
"Huh?" Match looked down. Oh, right. Not only was that strange beige stain on her jumper, but one of her sleeves had gotten algae rubbed against it. Her skirt was covered in dirt from sitting on the grass.. Not to mention the scrapes. She sighed, shrugging and waving her hand nonchalantly. "Oh, like, please. This is, like, nothing. It's fine! I'll.. Just, like, wash it later."
"That's what you always say!" Ruby crossed her arms, leaning forward almost accusingly. "Why do you even wear that uniform anyways?!"The question caused Match to tense, instinctively reaching one arm to rub the other. A nervous laugh bubbled out of her,
"Um, well, like- you know… I guess I just haven't been able to, like. Find anything I guess."
Ruby tilted her head,
"Find anything? But we've been shopping before! They have clothing shops in the mall!"
"No- like, I don't mean, like, literally. I mean, like… I don't know. I guess nothing I've found feels like…" Match hissed in through her teeth, looking up and counting the cracks in the ceiling. "…Me?"
Ruby stayed still, blinking up at Match with wide eyes. Match could basically see the cogs turning in her head.
"Feels like you?" She repeated, and Match sighed, shrugging and once again waving her hand dismissively at the idea.
"Like, don't even worry about it Ruby. It's fine." She said, "This is, like, good enough."
"Good ENOUGH?!" Ruby exclaimed, "But you used to be so- so stylish!" Ruby moved forward, practically pinning Match to the edge of the fountain. Match laughed again, darting her eyes in every place other than Ruby's piercing gaze.
"W-Well, um, like, yeah. I guess! But, like, I don't know Ruby… I don't, like, really think that felt like- me either—"
Before Match could even finish her thought, she felt a strong tug powerful enough to pull her arm out of its socket. Ruby's hand was wrapped around hers, and before she knew it, she was being pulled down the steps of the Archaic temple.
"W-What?! Like, RUBY—!"
"LET'S GO SHOPPING, MATCHY!! YOU AREN'T GETTING OUT OF THIS ONE!"
Match could hardly keep up with Ruby's speed. For being so small, Match never understood how she could store so much energy inside of her. She could feel lactic acid setting in, the side of her hip killing her as she was practically dragged across the ground. Just as she began to accept her fate, she was flung forward as Ruby suddenly came to a halt, still holding onto her hand.
She felt like a ragdoll.
"BUBBLE!" Ruby yelled, and Match lifted her head.
Oh. Bubble. Bubble was sat at a picnic table, Match thought. She could hardly pay attention to anything besides her racing heart. She couldn't even bring herself to raise her hand to wave, everything feeling weighed down. Leaden, almost.
"We're getting Matchy new clothes!" Ruby said, " Wanna come? We're gonna hop on the train!"
"W-We're, like, going to what-?!" Match heaved, hardly able to keep herself up.
"Uh… Is Match okay?" Bubble asked, already getting up from her seat.
"Probably!"
Match had only once again adjusted to the state she was in before feeling another tug on her arm, while now at a noticeably more reasonable pace. The voices of Ruby and Bubble became distant, almost like TV static, in the back of Matchs mind. Her eyes glanced down to her jumper, where that cracked beige stain remained. She could feel it on her hand, still.
She didn't like to think about it.
As they got onto the train, Ruby hummed to herself a short tune that Match swore she could remember. She just couldn't put her finger on it.. Shit, she knew the lyrics and everything, they just kept cutting off! The small annoyance kept her from retreating once again into her head, leaning back against the seat and taking in a deep, slow breath. She watched as the ruins grew more distant, her body jolting slightly as the train started. The familiar, grinding sound of the train wheels against the rickety tracks filling her mind, pulling her away from that annoying song for just a moment. She locked eyes with Bubble as she glanced down, a concerned, curious look on her face. Match forced herself a smile, managing to give her a half reassuring thumbs up, before looking back outside.
This was going to be a long day.