Anna walked out to the main room with a pan in one hand and two plates in the other.

“*GASP* Cake?! What have we done to deserve this?!” Lilian asked with excitement in her eyes, as she stared at the pan.

“Ah-ah-AHT! That is for later!” Anna warned her. “You were begging for this meal first, you eat this first before dessert.”

Lilian scrunched up her face in frustration at the way Anna told her off.

“…… One would think this wasn’t my home……” Lilian grumbled.

“Hmm?” Anna pretended not to hear her. “What was that?”

“I said thank you for the meal…” Lilian grumbled.

“Hehehe~ You’re welcome.”

Lilian stared longingly at the cake.

“UGH! You can eat it afterwards!” Anna assured her.

“Agh! But that means it will be cool when we’re done with the meal! It is better warm!” She complained.

“Uck, you’re sounding like a child.” Anna teased. “And don’t you like this,” she pointed with her fork at the plate. “While it’s still warm.”

“AGH!” Lilian growled frustrated as she dug into her meal. “Why did you have to make cake as well?! This is so hard!”

Anna smiled at Lilian’s playfully sullen mood.

They ate in companionable silence. Just enjoying a meal without saying anything.

After finishing their main dish Lilian was eager to start in the cake.

“Mmm! I think you have ruined me gack’tug. I may need YOU to teach ME soon on how you make all of these things!” Lilian commented.

Anna’s heart flipped at the implied nature of Lilian’s innocent request.

Anna sighed before putting down her fork.

Lilian noticed her mood had shifted.

“What is wrong gack’t—“

“Anna.”

The silence in the room was deafening.

“What.” Lilian said aloud. It wasn’t a question.

“My name… it’s Anna: Anna, Annie, Annabel Hazel Gardner.” Anna told Lilian with conviction while looking back up into her eyes.

Lilian’s face however was dark. Her scowl, in Anna’s opinion, looked as if it could melt through stone.

Be strong Anna… be strong.—

*SLAM*

Anna flinched as Lilian slammed her fist down into the table in anger.

“Do not try and correct me in my own home! I will forgive you for this insult right now, GACK’TUG! because of all the hard work, and delicious food you make. But do not think we are on even footing!” Lilian yelled at Anna. She then dug into the cake and piled it on to her plate.

We never are… always I have to tell and you never give me anything… Anna thought silently to herself.

Anna took a deep breath to calm and center herself. She knew this might not be as easy as her just handing out her past willingly.

“Lilian—“

*SLAM* *SCRAP*

“GRATAL!” Lilian yelled at Anna. “By the Gods gack’tug?! What has gotten into you?! First you correct me! Now you speak my name without my consent! Have you lost your mind?!” Lilian asked almost sounding genuinely concerned for Anna.

Anna felt the edges of her eyes stinging.

Hold it in Anna. You can do this… She won’t hurt you like Sheila, she has already proven herself to be—

“Honestly…” Lilian mumbled quietly as she picked back up her chair from where it had scooted back. “What are you thinking gack’tug? Ruining a perfectly good meal with useless things like this. We had such a good thing going for a month already, why start to ruin it…” She grumbled as she sat back down.

*SLAM*

This time, it was Lilian who was looking up in surprise.

“START TO RUIN IT?! RUIN YOUR PRECIOUS MEAL?! IS my EXISTENCE only acceptable if I just stay quiet and not heard?! IS THAT IT?!” Anna yelled at Lilian as she stood from the table.

“What is the matter with you?!” Lilian asked her genuinely fearing for her gack’tug’s sanity.

“What is a matter with me?! You should know all about me by now! I have basically told you about my whole world and my whole life story! But YOU!” Anna pointed at Lilian; who was looking at the finger pointing at her in confused distress. “Won’t trust ME! enough, to barely tell me how your day has gone!”

“B-But that is my right! This is my home! Your just-“

“Just a what?! SAY IT!”

“AN UNINVITED GUEST!” Lilian yells at Anna.

But as she did, Lilian regretted it.

Tears poured from Anna’s eyes.

“That is right! *WHEEZE*” Anna said in a stressed and squeaky voice. “That is all I am to you! Some burden to bear with! *HIC* No! Not even a burden, some pour trouble you didn’t even want! Just some uninvited guest that has invaded your home! *HIC* I am no better than some stray dog you picked up off the streets that you took into your home, and now you have to take care of!”

“I don’t under—“

*SLAM*

“OW!…”

“Are you alright-“

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Anna yelled as Lilian reached for her to check her hand after she hurt herself.

“Don’t show me kindness that you don’t mean! Stop… confusing the hell out of me!” Anna yelled at Lilian who was now halfway out of her seat again.

Anna stood up, then walked between her seat and Lilian, who was sitting back down now. She still had a confused and almost frightened expression on her face.

“Stop trying to be nice to me and confusing me! Don’t bother if all you are just going to do, is turn around and bash me for trying to be closer to you! Stop using your stupid traditions as an excuse for not letting us be closer! *HIC*

Anna pulled her hand away from her clenched one she was holding the hand she had hurt. She then pointed towards the pan with half a cake inside of it.

“Do you want to know what that was for?!” Anna didn’t bother to wait for Lilian to ask. “That was to celebrate me making a decision! That I was going to tell you that I didn’t want to go home anymore! Yes! The same home I told you so much about! With all of its impressive wonderful things! Do you want to know why?!”

Anna rushed on.

“Because of YOU! all because of you! *SNIFF* I have nothing left to live for back at my old world! Everything I know and love there is gone! I have nothing and no reason to want to go back there! *HIC*”

Anna stopped to wipe her tears away.

“I have, *HIC* nothing else left there. But that!” She pointed at the cake. “Is my way of telling you! That I have found a reason to not want to leave! And it’s YOU!”

Anna looked down at her with a very serious, but tear stained face.

“I love you damn it! I think, when you aren’t being a stubborn ass clown! That you are a thoughtful, wonderful, caring and kind individual. You don’t like to show it. But you are!” Anna informed her.

Lilian at this point just looked like she was the trapped animal for the first time in their relationship. Just staring up at Anna with wide quivering eyes.

“I just wanted to know more about you. This was suppose to be a dinner to tell you that I wanted to stay! That I wanted nothing more than for you to STOP!”

*SLAM* *crack*

“Treating me like a fucking OBJECT! and treat me more like the person who I really am…” Anna took a shuddering breath and wiped her eyes.

“I just, wanted to get to know more about you, just like you did to me. I wanted you to trust me enough to tell me yourself… I… I wanted to be more than just… just an unwanted guest!”

Anna stomped off toward the door outside.

“W-What? W-Where are you going?” Lilian exclaimed.

“Out.”

“Outside?! Here and now?! After everything you have said? At this time of night? Gack’tug-“

“MY NAME IS ANNA!” Anna yelled at her as she whirled around glare daggers at Lilian.

“Not gack’tug!”

She spun back to grab the door handle.

She can’t open that by her sel- WHAT?!

Lilian watched amazed as Anna with one had, rolled the door back.

“I need to cool off, as it were. I just… *SNIFF* …cant be in the same room as your right now!”

While still clutching one hand to her chest, Anna stomped off with nothing more than here frayed pajama clothing and her boots.

                   

————————————————-

                    

Stupid stupid stupid! God I was so fucking stupid.

Anna berated herself as she walked a little bit away from the side of the cliff into the light snow that was outside.

She was lucky that the snow had been light the past few days, along with some unusual warm days for this time a year.

Or that is what Lilian told me. But what do I know! I don’t know this planet! For all I know, this is normal and she has done nothing but lie to me…

But even as she thinks this, Anna was already regretting how she had handled that.

I shouldn’t have ambushed her like that. I should have eased her into it after, or maybe even during cake…… ……Why did she have to make just talking with her so hard? Why does she have to be so sweet and kind all the other times when we’re together?… why can’t she just let me in?…

Why just?… where am I?

Anna realized that she was currently surrounded by darkness with white fluffy snow beneath her, the wind had slightly picked up, along with flakes of snow coming down now.

I… *SHUDDERED* cold…… I should head back….. my head is cooled down now, I will apologize for flying off the handle with her, then ask if she is willing to talk about this with me-EEEEEEE AAaahhhh!

All of a sudden. Anna was lifted off of her feet.

“Well, well, well… What do we have here? A lost little human? Wondering the mountain side?”

Said a booming voice.

Anna couldn’t help but release a shudder. She also felt herself release another way as well.

“EWW! Bruder! She pee on me!”

Said a slower speech echo sounding voice.

Oh! God! Oh god oh god! No!

“Quite. I do believe we have startled and frightened the poor thing.” The large figure bent forwards and she got a good look at the one eyed creature. “Guess that is to be expected, since she has found herself within our company.” It sneered at her.

OH GOD NO!

“Wat we do in wit her bruder? Eaten her here?!” The echo sounding voice asked.

*SLAP*

“OW!”

“No you idiot! This is a special occasion! It is not often we get ourselves a chance to dine with human.” The figure who was staring at her was now turned to the second dark looking figure.

“We’re going to take her home, and invite her… to dinner! Ha ha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Anna screamed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.

“LILIAN! SAVE ME!”

                         

————————————————-

                           

Lilian was staring at the open door her gack’tug- to the door Anna, had just walked out through.

“……….”

She looked back towards the table, Anna’s plate was sitting there empty.

Her plate.

Anna’s.

How long had has this been happening?

How long, have I been thinking of things as hers?

She looked at the pan with the other half of Anna’s chocolate cake. Her half of it.

Lilian began to run her hands up-and-down the top on her thighs as she sat there in thought.

I didn’t even realize that she thinking these things… I thought she really wanted to go home? Wasn’t that why she was telling me so much about it? It sounded like miracles happened on the streets daily on her world; on Earth.

Why would she ever want to stay here?

*RUB* *RUB*

And what did she mean I was her reason for staying?! Did I miss hear her right? She loved me?!

No!

Me?! But I am a… I can’t… I am… me?!

*RUB* *SCRAPE* *RUB*

How did this happen?

When did this happen?!

*SCRAPE* *RUB* *SCRAPE*

Why hasn’t she told me about this before?! Why hasn’t she mentioned it?!

*SCRAPE* *SCRAPE*

Lilian’s breathing was coming in quick panic breaths now. As her thoughts whirled on everything that Anna had said.

No… it’s not that she didn’t…

*SCRAPE*

It’s that she couldn’t…

…………

This is my fault….

*SCRAPE*

I… It is not that she didn’t tell me…

*SCRAPE*

It was be… because I didn’t want to get close to her…

*SCRAPE*

If she felt that, when Anna left here. I didn’t want to come to like her… it was just going to be easier if we didn’t get close….. then I wouldn’t  miss her. Then I wouldn’t be lonely without her…..

*SCRAPE*

 Unlike with everyone…..

*SCRAPE*

They always leave after I like them……

*SCRAPE*

But how could she like me?!…. I am!…..

*SCRAPE*

I AM A FREAK!

*SCRAPE*

An abomination!

*SCRAPE*

“AN UNLOVED MISTAKE OF ME AND YOUR MOTHER!”

*SCRAPE*

“THAT IS WHY YOU ARE HERE WITH ME NOW!”

*SCRAPE*

*SMACK*

*SCRAPE*

“YOU WILL BE NOTHING MORE THAN ME AND YOUR MOTHER’S MISTAKE!” *SMACK*

*SCRAPE*

“NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU!”

*SMACK*

*SCR-*

You’re wrong….

You’re wrong father…..

I do have someone who loves me now!

Someone who loves me! For me!

My best friend! Gack’…— No!

Anna.

My best friend Anna!

My friend who wants to stay with me!

My best friend who wants to stay here, with me! On Rayala, rather than go home! Me!

A large smile was plastered across her face as she thought of everything.

I really have been… what did she call me? A clown of asses?

Yes… I have have been the king of the clown of asses… Lilian realized.

I knew she hated when I called her gack’tug. Just so that she would hate me, so we didn’t grow closer.

I knew she was trying to be nice to me. I knew it!

But I was so scared!

Scared thay if I liked her. Thought of her as a friend… then she would leave.

Well!

*SCRAPE* *CLATTER*

The sound of Lilian’s chair hitting the floor.

“Not anymore!”

She looked towards the open door, a wide smile on her face.

“Don’t worry my good Quareta! I am coming to get you! And I will tell you how sorry I am!”

Lilian said aloud to herself.

She walked out without her gear or her furs.

My quareta couldn’t have gotten far, she only had her boots on.

But, to Lilian’s dismay, after five minutes of walking and following her tracks, she did not find.

Where is she?! Why is it that she walked so far away?! What was she thinking? What if- wait?…

She noticed something ahead.

 

 

 

No.

  

   

   

She fell to her knees.

  

  

  

  

  

  

No….

 

Lilian crawled forwards on her hands and knees.

No no no no no NO NOO!

She looked down at the single lightly snow covered boot, that was next to large sets of foot prints.

With trembling hands, she lifted the boot from the snow.

  

 NO.

Lilian. For the first time since her mother had abandoned her at the foot of the mountain with her father holding her arm.

She cried.

No.

Her tears fell down to freeze on to the boot that was clutched in her hands.

NO!

   

   

She gripped her hands tighter on the boot.

    

   

   

   

    

NnnnnnnnnnnNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*