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The statue was…company.
Unnerving, strange company, but still…it gave him something to look at? Something to fill the space, at least…
Who was he kidding? Ralsei does not want this in his room. He doesn’t want to move it, because Susie brought it to him. As strange of one as it might be, it was a gift. One that she brought him after he opened up to her. It was a moment of vulnerability, it was so kind of her. Who is he to say no to that?
But he does not want this statue in his room. He doesn’t like looking at it. It’s weird (in the bad way) and he doesn’t like its eyes. He feels like it’s staring into his soul, and that is the absolute last thing he needs right now.
So…maybe he doesn’t have to just bear it. Maybe he can just…take it away. It’s…his room, after all. He can choose what to do with it.
…it’s his room.
His own. His space, his choice…
He had never considered anything his before. To think that way, to reject something that someone had done for him (Susie, no less—one of his only friends, someone he adored, and a lightner, to top it all off…), to be selfish, even just for one moment, about one thing…
On every level that he knew, it was wrong. It shouldn’t be the case. He should never have had the urge to do this.
…so why is he fighting back a smile?
Ralsei looks at the statue. He can’t tell how heavy it is (is it hollow?...no, he doesn’t want to think about that), but he can tell that it’s far too bulky for him to pick up and take down the stairs. At least, alone. So he decides to just bring it out to the end of the hallway next to his room. It tapers off into darkness, so that’ll obscure it. So hopefully no one walking up will be frightened by those….eyes….boring into their skull the moment they turn the corner.
As he’s pushing the statue out, he comes to the doorframe, and can’t get it out. It’s not fitting in the doorframe. How did Susie even get this in here? It’s so much wider than the door.
He tries rotating it. It doesn’t fit.
He tries flipping it. It doesn’t fit.
But he finds out that it is hollow. So he tries lifting it. This must work, right? That's how Susie must have brought it in. So he tries it…only to be reminded that, yes, it is far too bulky and he isn’t strong or tall enough to get a grip on it.
Ralsei sighs, losing some of the strength in his arms as he lets go of it. The statue’s eyes stare into him as he does, and it feels like it’s making fun of him. And for what?
All he wanted was to get this stupid statue out of his room. It was one thing, just one thing he tried to do for himself, and this is what comes of it. Of course. This is what he gets for being selfish. He shouldn’t have—
“Yo, Ralsei, what’s up—the hell are you doing?” Susie’s voice comes as a shock to Ralsei’s overwhelmed, tired system. He jolts up, seeing how she’s stopped just next to the door to his room and is currently looking over Ralsei’s miserable attempt at getting rid of her gift.
“Oh, Susie!!! I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would come here this late—I mean, I was just trying to find a…” Regret starts to flood every one of his thoughts, but it’s quickly overtaken by confusion at the sudden burst of laughter he hears from her.
An explanation, or excuse, falls short from his tongue as words fail him. But Susie is already picking up the statue and angling it just right to get out of the doorway.
“Man, if you didn’t want it, you should’ve just said so.”
“But—you gave it to me, and I didn’t want to make you feel like it was a bad…gift.”
“Hah, well, maybe it was. It’s creepy.”
Hearing her say it makes it a bit easier for him to say his own thoughts, too.
“I—Yes.” He admits. “I don’t like its expression. It feels like it’s staring at me…”
“Welp, that’s what ICE-E does best.” Susie says as she kicks it over so that its gaze is facing the wall instead of the two of them. Ralsei doesn’t like that it has a name.
“So it’s a good thing we got more stuff for your room.”
It’s then that Ralsei notices the pile of items behind Susie—specifically, a whole lot of cushions and pillows topped off by a few blankets.
“Oh!”
“Yeah, yeah, Kris and I got some from the dark world today.” Susie said.
“W-what about the rest?” Ralsei asked, tilting his head. He thinks he would’ve noticed Kris and Susie smuggling this many pillows and blankets from the dark world.
Susie brings a hand up to scratch at her head, a flustered look coming over her face.
“I, uh, might’ve stopped by Seam’s shop earlier, and…” She picks up one of the pillows, looking closely at the stitching in one of the corners, before shoving it towards Ralsei.
“S-Susie? Did you…make these?”
Her nod, timid in a way that surprised Ralsei, made him feel happier than he has in a long time. (forever, as far as he knows…)
He takes the pillow from her and looks at the stitching she seemed to be fixated on. It was messy, some layered stitches showing where she had a harder time, but it was solidly held together.
“It’s lovely.” Ralsei said, smiling up at her. This smile wasn’t forced or habitual. Not to pretend like everything was okay. “T-thank you, Susie.”
“D-don’t mention it. Now, c’mon, let’s get these in there! Give you somewhere more comfy to sleep, at least.”
His smile grew naturally. In this moment, he didn’t need to pretend. One of his closest friends had thought of him, gone through the effort to make these gifts for him, and is now laughing with him as they set up the cushions and create makeshift beds in the middle of his room. Even after she had seen the worst, of him and of their future, she still went out of her way for him. Made things for him, smiled and laughed with him.
In this moment, as they looked up at the dark ceiling of Ralsei’s room, the once empty and pitch black surface now starting to fill up with vibrant green stars and swirls that reflect and create a glow of dim light for them to bask in…
The weight on Ralsei’s shoulders lessened, just a little.
And everything actually felt okay.