Sometimes it felt as though she unfolded and then folded back on herself.
It surprised her that no-one ever asked why she had a taser in the first place.
Getting one was not easy. Obviously illegal, Darcy had to ask around on campus when she first moved into her dorm, hoping she'd never actually use it.
Sometimes it was difficult to keep things inside. Maybe she felt more anxiety than most people she knew, but having her taser made her feel somewhat safer.
One night after the Dark Elves, Jane found her in the kitchen with her hands wrapped around her hot mug of tea, staring blankly into space. Darcy didn't remember how she got there.
Jane said it was survival. Darcy was embarrassed because she felt as though she couldn't explain half the things she did.
Ian peeled back a layer or two, but Darcy knew they were better as friends.
She and Jane still had bad nights, dreaming of swirling darkness, vortexes and creatures they could not always name.
Jane forgave Thor for acting on his urges to leave and search for the Stones. Darcy had to agree, but knew they'd always miss him – always a part of them would be incomplete without Thor.
Surviving meant a therapist. Surviving meant sometimes eating nothing but carbs and black coffee.
Dreaming of kaleidoscopes in between sleepless nights.
After Jane turned to dust, Darcy knew she was powerless. She covered herself in blankets and lay for hours gripping her taser while watching the news.
And the next day, she picked herself up and went to find who else was left behind.