📚Desire path

Lune has a second chance at an encounter.

Characters: Angie, Lune

Warnings: N/A

Wordcount: 1,310

Vibe: lune pls seek therapy (it will get better)

loose interp of the forum game prompt of ‘lune encounters angie while in a form angie does not recognize’ – i kind of went off the og prompt but it was fun :}

lune isn’t doin too great (understatement) at this point in time. it’s ok she’ll get better though

not revised bc #yolo #swag or whatever

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Another day where it all goes wrong. Again.

His friend wanted to see the baby. It shouldn’t have been an argument, but…

Lune just sighed.

She’d been out for a while, but time felt painfully still. Her stash had run dry, and being sober with her emotions was something Lune could barely stand anymore.

It wasn’t good. It wasn’t right.

But she was already digging a hole for herself – what matter was it if she upgraded to a more comfortable shovel.

Crunch.

The sound of underbrush caught Lune off guard as she was spiraling into her own thoughts again.

Was it a trespasser? A poacher? That would be nice – a shady figure to make quick work of to offload emotions.

Lune quickly altered her appearance to the equally shady-looking androgynous figure she’d use back in her heyday to avoid pressing fans.

Because nobody would pay attention to a disheveled person in a hoodie and sweats, right?

As Lune revealed herself, the sudden truth of the scenario hit her fast and hard, and before she could even react…

“Augh! There’s someone there?! Oi, are you human?”

Ginger hair like fire in the sun between the trees. Still wearing a basic post-op eyepatch, after all these years.

For once, she didn’t smell like smoke.

Unsure of how to react, Lune pinned down a new voice. If she could ensure the woman didn’t recognize her in any way…

“What an odd question.” Lune replied, in a voice that wasn’t her own.

“I’m assuming if I am, you’d call the cops on me? Neither of us are supposed to be out here past the fence.”

A deafening pause, that, while only lasting a few seconds, felt like an eternity. Lune had to know if her bluff was enough to get past her.

“Pshh, no fuckin’ way! What, do I like like a snitch to you?” she said with a snort.

“Not gonna question it, suppose. We all got our own reasons, and I bet my reason sounds weird as hell anyways.”

The woman began to climb the chainlink fence that separated the forest from the highway, and Lune took a deep breath.

Maybe, just for a day.

Maybe the slate could be clean.

“Hold on.” Lune said, waving at the woman to stop.

“There’s a bit of a makeshift path to a gap in the fence not far from here. It has some cover so you won’t get stopped, unlike if you walked along the highway.”

“Oh, for real? I had no idea. I, uh, don’t go here much, I was only visiting a friend.”

“I can show you the way, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Not at all!”

Her smile was bright, and she walked over to the disguised Lune with a pep in her step.

“My name’s Angie, nice to meet you!”

Right. There’s no way Lune could call herself that to her. Time for a new name.

“I’m… Yue.”

That was pathetic.

A chance to have a clean slate, and Lune’s poor mood was already ruining her first impressions.

“Nice to meetcha, then! Let’s get moving, if you’re up to join me for the hike.”

Lune led Angie over to the path that had been carved through the steps of many seeking the gap in the fence.

She could leave now. By all means, Angie was smart. She could figure her way out of the forest herself.

Everything inside Lune was screaming for her to leave. That she’d already ruined this one, too.

But…

“You said you had a friend living here?” Lune asked, as the two started walking down the path.

“Oh, yeah, I guess it’s a bit weird, considering… people aren’t allowed to settle here. But I guess he’s not entirely human, either? Which was what prompted my first question, haha.”

“No, I can see it. There’s a few staple campers and cabins here and there. Sounds like an odd guy.”

“Mm, yeah, he’s… eccentric. But he’s been my best friend since we were little kids, so I’d kind of go to the ends of the earth for him.” Angie replied with a chuckle.

“Hey, I hope this isn’t weird to ask, but… are you doing alright, man?”

The question caught Lune a bit off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“I guess it’s a bit weird, considering we just met, but I’m just getting… vibes. It’s hard to pin it, but it just feels like you’ve got something going on, Yue.”

Lune paused her walk for a bit, and sighed.

It really was that obvious she was miserable, wasn’t it?

“…Maybe.” she mumbled.

“I guess… I go for nature walks here to try and clear my head, but… it’s not working this time.”

“Ahh, I see.” Angie nodded.

“Well, I can’t force you to follow me through the hike if you don’t want to, Yue. But I’m thankful for your help pointing me the right way! So even if something else went wrong, you can at least know you made someone else’s day better.”

She had a nice smile. It was one unfamiliar to Lune.

“I suppose so… I’ll try and keep that in mind.” Lune huffed.

Angie thought for a second.

“Hey, if you’d like, I remembered seeing an ice cream place not to far from the start of the fence. I can get you something from here, my treat! It seems like you need it.”

“That… would be nice. That’s very kind of you.”

“No prob! Something I learned while I was off on a League journey back in Galar a few years back.” Angie said with a smile.

“Sometimes you need a pick-me-up, and sometimes even just kindness from a stranger can make things more bearable.”

And though part of Lune’s disguise included a face mask, she was sure to give Angie a smile back.

“So, erm, Angie… you went adventuring in Galar? That sounds interesting.”

The two walked and talked down the path, using the interest in her adventure as a jumping-off point.

“I was kind of miserable, didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do with my life.” Angie started.

“But seeing so many new places and new people… it showed a brighter side to life I’d tried to shut out, I think.”

“That sounds really nice… I feel like I could use that at this point, honestly.” Lune said with a sigh.

“I’m not sure if I can do that right now, though. I’ll… keep a pin in it for later, I suppose.”

“A step is a step, no matter how small it is!” Angie said.

“Oi, there’s the end of the fence!”

The two made it past the end of the fence, and per some directional help from Lune, made their way to the ice cream shop. Angie paid for the both of them, and just as the two were about to sit down, Angie’s phone started to ring.

“Hold on, lemme take this!” she said, fishing her phone out of her pocket while still holding her ice cream cone in the other.

“Hello? … I guess I’m not too busy right now, but … What do you mean ‘you’re good with cats?’ Are you having cat issues you need me for? … Mitzi’s being a pain? Yea, ok, give me like 15.”

Angie hung up and gave a groan-like sigh.

“Sorry, I left my meowth where I’m staying, and apparently she’s causing problems… sucks to leave ya like this, but I don’t want the room I’m staying in to smell like cat piss.”

Lune was already in a lighter mood after their hike, so Angie’s frustrated phrasing elicited a bit of a snort.

“That’s alright! We all have different things to take care of.” she said with a smile.

“Thank you for the treat, though. I’m glad that even if it’s for a moment, I could meet someone like you, Angie.”