《Performance》Act 1; Scene 19
Advertisement
"POISON BERRY!" Remus jumped on the lying man the readers and Remus know as Janus.
He hissed, "Remus!"
"Okay okay- wanna come play strip poker with me and Remy?"
"No."
"...Wanna play regular poker with me and Remy?"
Janus' thought for a second. Hanging out with Remy and Patton was...fun. "Sure."
"Yes!" Remus cheered, "C'mon!"
"Wait- you meant nOW- !?" Janus said, but got cut off as Remus grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
.
.
.
"Caffeine slut!" Remus called as he pulled Janus through Remy's window.
Remy came out of the kitchen drinking coffee from a blender, "Yeah?"
Jants had other concerns, "Why did you pull me through a window!?" He shrieked.
Remus shrugged, "Feels like we're burglars."
"Why would you- ? Y'know what? Nevermind."
Remy nodded, "Good choice."
Janus finally got a good look at Remy, "Why are you drinking from a blender?"
"Biggest container I have."
"How has the caffeine not killed you?"
"Honestly? No clue."
"Logan's gonna have a stroke trying to figure this out."
Remy looked excited at that.
"Poker!" Remus shrieked as he got the cards out.
Remy looked over his glasses at Remus, "You invited a politician with the pseudonym "Deceit" to play poker?"
"Yeah?"
To Remus' surprise, but not to the two with any working brain cells, Janus won every single round. As easy as it was, it was also...fun.
Later they watched conspiracy videos and Vine completions of people called Joan and Thomas. (After Remus forced Janus to stay, obviously.)
--------------
Lark just got back into town after a long week of photoshoots and being dead named and misgendered. They don't completely blame the employees or their parents; it's not like Lark told them.
But it's hard not to be a little irritated. If their parents just made them feel a little more loved, then maybe they wouldn't be going through this. Their parents never explicitly expressed malice towards the Rainbow CultTM, and it's not that that they're scared of.
They're scared of losing their family. Lark's parents are incredibly hard to read; that being said, Lark will die before they consider that that's not where they get their badassery from- which, yes~
Advertisement
But it also makes it hard to gouge how their parents would genuinely react. They have the tendency to assume they're doing everything for Lark's own good, without actually consulting Lark. This behavior has made Lark distrustful of their parents and often act rebellious- trying to be rid of the feeling that they don't have control.
Ever felt like you don't have control over anything that happens and you just feel... stuck? Yeah, it's not fun.
But this is where Lark will eternally owe Roman Prince. He gave them a reason to brace up and fight for who they are. Lark knows their parents love them, right now; just like they know that Roman's don't. They need to stop hiding who they are, so that they can take Roman, Janus, and Logan's hands as they strut away from this black pit of a life.
So, here they are; after a week of being misgendered- sitting in front of their parents who are on the love seat across the small glass coffee table from them.
"Mom, dad," Lark said.
"Yes, Vanessa, what did you call this meeting for?" Their mother asked as Lark tried to ignore the deadname.
Lark took a breath, "You guys love me...right?"
Their father honestly looked offended at the question, which made this a little easier, "Of course! Why would you question it?"
Lark gave a small smile. Wait- shit- are they crying??? Lark wiped their eyes, "So...I could curse out you and our ancestors and you would still let me sleep in my room until I've calmed down?"
Their mother rolled their eyes, "Honey, we'd send you outside to take a walk and calm down, first. But, of course. We're only human and we all have emotions, expressing them shouldn't be punished- although, we'd probably encourage you towards a healthier medium to release your stress."
Lark smiled and didn't fight the tears this time. That...their mother's explanation... makes them so happy…
They take a breath and steel themself as they deliver the main blow, "So...what if...I didn't...think...no. What if I told you that I'm not a girl?"
Their father blinked, "Then what are you, an armadillo?"
Lark burst out a laugh as tears fell from their face from the fear and amusement battling in their chest.
Advertisement
Their mother smiled and whacked her husband before turning back to the person she sees as her daughter, "What do you mean?"
"What if I felt- what if I am non-binary? And I wanna use they/them pronouns?"
Their parents stopped. Their father's amusement at his joke died as he looked calculating and unsure.
Their mother never took her gaze off of Lark, "Is that what you are?"
Lark found it in themselves to nod, "Yes."
Their father released a breath, "I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of that community, Vanny. I don't see why they feel the need to be so different from the rest of us and flaunt it. I was a lot worse about it when I was younger," He held up his hand as Lark tried to protest past their hurt, "But, I have been trying to rid that sort of thinking out of myself. No matter what side of the matter I'm looking from, all I can see is that those thought processes make people miserable and tear families apart, no matter how loving they were."
Lark was crying, now.
Their father got up and walked over, kneeling before his child and taking their hands, "I don't want to be another one of those stories lost in a see of misery. And now, I just have an even better reason to work even harder to accept people who are happier when they dress up as rainbow queens and kissing people who make them happy. So really, I should thank you for helping me on my journey to be a better person."
Lark was tempted to throw themself into their father's arms, but can't until they get a response from their mother.
She stands up and walks over, too, "Wanna know a secret?" She asked.
Lark nodded.
"I'm pansexual."
Lark gasped- which is a pathetic reaction compared to their father falling over while choking on his wife's words, "What- since when?"
Rylie Blade laughed, "Since I was born."
"You never told me that!"
"You never asked. You just assumed I was straight. I wasn't trying to hide it. I openly expressed attraction to a multitude of different people."
Adam Gazer laughed, "Okay okay, so I still assume people are cis/het. I got work to do."
Rylie shook her head with a smile and turned to their child, "Now, I know there's people who like to change their name. Do you have one?"
They smiled brightly, "Yes! I've been going by Lark with my friends."
"That's beautiful," Adam smiled, "Do you still like boys?"
Lark shook their head, weight they didn't know was there lifting off their chest, "I'm into femininity."
"Mhm…," Then their mother gasped, "What about Roman!? You don't like him, then?" She turned to her husband, "Oh, what do we tell him, it'll break his heart!"
Lark smiled, their mother immediately assumed that Roman was so in love with them and took his feelings into consideration.
"Actually," Lark said, "We need to talk about that."
Their parents turned to them.
"I know you think you're just setting it up so I have the best life possible. You're not letting me in on decisions like these and you make it feel like I'm just some...political tool. I understand looking good, but you don't need to be in a relationship to look good; and I wanna be happy, too. I was so scared to come out to you because of this...I thought you'd reject me or freak out because it's not a part of your great plan for me."
Their parents blinked. Rylie put her hands to her face as tears came to her eyes and Adam looked lost.
"Oh my god…" Rylie said as she threw her arms around Lark, "I am so sorry! I didn't even realize... shit...I'm so so sorry."
Lark fell into their parent's arms, "It's alright…"
"No," Their mother said, "It's not. Your father was born into poverty and I was born into wealth while forced to see friends and loved ones struggle because of their social standing. I don't want that for you, neither of us do. It seems that we got...carried away."
"However," Adam says, "This still doesn't sort out what to do about Roman."
Lark sighed, "We were never dating. Dating is an abstract construct that only the people in the relationship can determine. We never agreed to be more than friends, just to act like it infront of our families and public."
"Oh, great," He says, "We can just call the Princes and call off the relationship."
----------------
Advertisement
- In Serial29 Chapters
Hit It Very Hard
When offered the chance to be someone else, to live as a fantasy character, people invariably gravitate towards a style of play centred on fancy maneuvres and flashy spellcraft that take multiple strategic steps to outwit opponents and win glory. Why not just cut out the middleman with a large axe and be done with it?
8 160 - In Serial33 Chapters
The Psysword Chronicles (HIATUS)
"Definitely above average. You've woven in enough goodness in the first 5 chaps to warrant a deeper dive." -RaccoonMage "A well written Isekai." -TaxReligion "When I saw it was an isekai I expected the same old tropes. And, while the main character was indeed transported to fight the main villain, that is as far as the main tropes go[...] I was pleasantly surprised." -doravg "[T]his novel has lot of good things going on for it[...] I can see this becoming one of top tier novels on this site." -Crow3r A fantastical world called the Ecumene. A sinister invasion by forces of the Underworld. A war that threatens to rend the Three Realms asunder. 18-year-old Kendrick is from another universe entirely, summoned to be the hero the Ecumene needs... but he's kind of a clumsy goof. Two companions—a fiery, battle-ready witch named Bellara and a soft-spoken, friendly healer named Sahni—welcome him to the Ecumene for one purpose: he may be the only one that can save it. Why? Precisely because he's an outsider to their world. And how? With an ancient weapon that seems tailor-made for him alone: the Psysword. Book 1 complete.
8 349 - In Serial12 Chapters
Zanaria Online
Rina Takahashi has enough money to live the rest of her life in luxury, and the moment she hears about the first virtual reality game Zanaria Online, she decides to try it.After enjoying the beta version, she decides to go all out, spending money on the first day of Zanaria Online's official release.Follow Rina as she shows the power of money.
8 121 - In Serial37 Chapters
Error 69
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟏 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 | Error 69𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣 & 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧/ˈɛrə/nouna mistake; an accidental wrong action or a false statement.----------❝ While your at it, keep it low. Wouldn't want anyone hearing my name escaping those lips. ❞❝ What makes you think I'll do that? ❞❝ Could be the fact that your pressing your thighs together or the way you're crossing your arms over your chest because you don't want me to see your hard nipples. ❞----------Thirteen slow years have passed since the traumatic event took place, becoming a hacker was all Athena had worked for. After endless and sleepless nights behind a computer screen, Athena Castillo was true to her word and became 'Error 69', a hacker that has no trace nor information. Yet, after hacking a unknown source and receiving the information she wanted, she found herself kidnapped, none other than the Italian Mafia but falling for sinfully attractive yet insufferable Valentino Romero wasn't part of the plan.Without knowing who to trust, Athena starts to learn how the not known to eye business works but when her hidden past and family dark secrets start to arise and unfold, Athena discovers who she truly is, and most importantly, she realizes everything is not what it seems. With life or death situations around the corner, will her partnership with the mafia be enough to dodge them?✤Bc: @DevilishWritings----------
8 160 - In Serial10 Chapters
"DRUIDS BANE" A Tundrawolf Story
This is an origin story. It tells the evil beginnings of an ancient enemy to all the free peoples and the Tundra-wolves in and around the Wolf Lands. They are the black sorcerers called the Druids-Bane. Learn how they started their evil quest to stamp out the Wild Wolf Magic and put all the free people under the rule of their iron fist.Read my story "Elves of the Northern Vale", a continuation of the evil Druids-Bane.
8 216 - In Serial57 Chapters
Hero? I'm assassin, but that's the same right?
Pyro is quite a notorious assassin on Earth, and was enrolled in the 'Black hands' in the 'Arachne' Division as one of the best assassins at that time, and the most secretive one. He has different set of values and in some cases lacks common sense, but as being the one who get the job done by any means necessary was one of the reasons to his fame, or infamy, depending on who you would ask. It's year 2026, and the third world war will soon commence, but before that Pyro has a target to eliminate... or two. *** As I am new to writing and not a native english speaker, there is bound to be mistakes, not critical though mind you. Oh and comedy is there just bacause I will try to make MC funny... and happy-go-lucky... probably... oh and he will be/is OP... There's no point in weaklings, right?
8 153