Blindsided

Vriska and Kanaya

Alone. She liked being alone. It was simple, easy. People were difficult; complex. Every single person was different. Yet she seemed to be too different for them. Violent, they said; unstable. A psychopathic menace.

Well screw them, what did they know about anything anyway, huh? Nothing. Zip, nada. This place didn't know her either. But that was ok. The land didn't care about her, just as she didn't care about it. They were quite similar actually, if either wanted something they took it. No questions. And if something was taken from them, they adapted or got it back. Like her eye. She couldn't get it back. The car wreck had taken it. Came out of nowhere, hitting them from their blind side. The damage was pretty substantial; taking away the vision in one of Vriskas eyes. Her left, and Terezi's both. Gone. Poof. Bye-bye.

So she adapted. She knew they had been lucky, unlike her mother. They were alive, though damaged. A broken arm each, some bruised ribs and three blind eyeballs between them. She didn't have a problem with any of that though.

Her problem was with the people who kept treating her like gog-damned glass! So what that she hadn't broken down sobbing when she learned her nom had died in the wreck. Would crying bring her back? No. So she didn't waste her time with it. But that was abnormal, so she fled here. To the un-judging dirt, brush and wind of the canyons. To be alone- but never lonely. She didn't need people, and people didn't want her. So it was a win-win for both parties.

Crunching sand from behind drew her attention.' Great, people.' Putting on her best 'F- you' face Vriska turned and snapped, "What'd'ya want?"

Oh, wonderful. Just who she was itching to see.

Fussyfangs.

Vriska didn't even let the girl speak before huffing and turning to face the large, empty canyon again. All that resided within the rocky walls is a small river at the bottom.

Kanaya simply stood in her spot behind Vriska. Just observing. Also keeping her distance for now. The poor girl just lost her mother, and half of her sight. She must be having trouble...no one else in their group of friends really cared enough about Vriska to check on her. Some had even muttered sour words about how unfortunate it was that Vriska lived. How Vriska probably caused the crash that killed her mother and blinded Terezi.

'What a stupid girl, that Serket.' They thought 'What a selfish, heartless, stupid girl.'

But that's why Kanaya was here. She cared. She had already checked on and consoled Terezi- though that wasn't too hard being that Terezi is happy-go-lucky and surprisingly finding her loss of vision...better.

Strange girl.

But it's Vriska Kanaya was concerned about for now. The girl that ran away and isolated herself for days, only to be found sitting alone at the edge of a cliff in a dry, dead land. My, she walked far...

"Vriska-" Kanaya started.

"Don't waste your breath, Maryam, I know what you're gonna say so beat it. Leave me alone..."

"Then I won't speak. " More crunching dirt to her right, rustling of fabric. Vriska huffed and shifted so she could at least see Kanaya's foot.

'Stupid meddler', Vriska thought, Kanaya knew people she couldn't see wigged her out. It always had- the blind eye only made it worse. The docs said it would go away as she ' got used to it ' and ' trusted again'. Stupid. Idiotic actually; she had never really trusted people. Araena had taught her that.

Family could be trusted, but friends could only be used.

More rustling to her right; she glanced over. Sewing. Of course, Kanaya always had her sewing crap with her, or a sketchbook for her fashion ideas. Probably a new squid-thing decal for her girlfriend, Rose.

Vriska snorted and turned away. Wasted talent if you asked her. At eleven, Fussy had almost single handedly put together two unique pirate get-ups for Vriska and Terezi. Vriska still had hers, even though it was too small now.

A pang in her heart. She had hoped Kanaya would've stayed her friend during high school. Hoped Kanaya would be to her what Meenah was to Aranea.

Rose changed that, forever.

The two girls sit in silence for the longest time. Long enough for Kanaya to get halfway through her project. It was actually just a patch-up, slash, revision. Nepeta wanted a new design on a shirt, plus she had torn the collar on a branch. Goodness, that girl is so adorable. But she really needed to be more careful when hiking and sparring.

Though, as she finishes up a stitch, Kanaya looks up to Vriska. "Where do you plan on going now?"

Vriska glances over, shooting the girl a quick glare. 'Just leave me alone Kanaya! Though that is a good question... ' She half-shrugs with her good arm. "Probably move in with Aranea- what does it matter?"

"Aranea?" Kanaya blinks, a bit surprised. Wow, did the sisters even still speak to each other? Last she knew, the two had separated on bad terms; Vriska staying with her mother and Aranea moving on to New York for college. But that was about a year ago. They ought to have made up, right?
But even so, New York, that would mean Vriska would be moving...across the country...

"Yeah, remember? My big sis? What's it to you anyways, Fussy?" Vriska huffed, bouncing a rock awkwardly in her right hand. Damn cast, at least she'd be ambidextrous in 4-to-6 months. Frigging nonspecific healing timeframe.

"I had believed you parted...on bad terms, to say the least. And New York is halfway across the country. " Kanaya stated, starting to sew again, keeping a composed expression despite the sense of dread she was feeling.

Another half-shrug. "As if anybody cares," Vriska muttered poisonously.

Movement to her right; Vriska half-turned to see Kanaya's long skirt shifting with its owner. She shifted away as best she could.

"We do care Vriska" Kanaya said, carefully kneeling on the sand.

"Suuuuuuuure they do. You really expect me to believe that bull?" Vriska chucked the rock as hard as she could. It disappeared into the depth of the canyon. Echoing clatters could be heard in the momentary silence. Vriska turned to face Kanaya head on, her voice rising to a yell. "Name one person in this bum-fuck town who would NOT celebrate for a week if I dropped dead right now! ONE DAMN PERSON."

"Myself."

Neither girl said anything for a bit. Just looked at each other; sad, jade eyes into deep blue. Until Kanaya moved, pulling a scrap of black fabric from her jacket.

Setting the scrap on Vriska's knee, she murmured, "I would miss you very much Vriska." Then turned and once more faced the canyon, stitching up the shirt.

Vriska sat, stunned, staring at the gift on her leg. It was a jet-black eyepatch with a spider, hand stitched in a sea blue. Her favorite color, she'd remembered…

"Wha..."

"I made it," Kanaya said rather calmly, while still focusing on the shirt in her own hands.

"I got that, oddly enough," Vriska growled, though despite her sour response, she gently took the eyepatch in her hands and looked at it curiously...Why did Fussy make this? And when?

Kanaya just rolled her eyes lightly, pursing her lips. "When I heard what had happened, I knew you would be rather upset about it. So, to both comfort you and give you some encouragement, I embroidered you a customised eyepatch. You are welcome." You could hear a hint of pride in her tone, masked as innocent satisfaction.

Huh...

Vriska ran her fingers over the little spider design. It was cute. And perfect. Just like everything Kanaya does. Beautiful and high-quality. Such a shame she's using it on people who don't appreciate it. She deserves at least some credit for her hard work, credit that Vriska always had been too proud to give.

"You really expect me to wear this?"

"Only if you want to." A pause. Kanaya speaks again. "You would be a legitimate pirate."

Another pause, and then a quiet, stifled chuckle from the Scorpio. "Yeah...guess so."

Eh. It's just an eyepatch, right? Wearing it would mean nothing between the girls.

'Honestly,' Vriska thinks, 'Kanaya just did this out of the good of her heart. She'd always been that way. This little accessory is nothing but a way for her to kill time, while simultaneously teasing you. Showing you what you're missing.'

She probably expects Vriska to throw it away or just shove it in her back pocket and forget about it. That's probably exactly what she wants, so she can know things are still the same between them. But they're not. Things changed with this accident. Specifically, Vriska changed. She's done with people and their selfish, judging ways. She's done with everyone. She's done with her life here. It's not the same, because this event brought Vriska to realize just how much anyone cared about her, nothing.

Vriska placed the patch over her eye and, holding it with her good hand turned her head away from Kanaya."Tie it will ya? Make sure it fits."

Nothing was said as the soft straps were tied and adjusted, they fit perfectly. Kanaya moved back and Vriska turned to her with a dull, resigned look in her only visible eye.

See how different I am. See me now and know that the girl you've come to save had already stepped off the cliff. She's done with this place and the people in it, so she leapt, and she's gone. This place is behind her, and a new place is coming into view. Somewhere she can exist without feeling the guilt of being alive. In a new life.