Duh2042 is awesome go send some love their way ;-P *hearties*
The streets were filthy and empty, except for one lonely redhead strolling along the street. Her dark green beanie was fitted tightly around her head in the cold midwinter night. Her warm breath escaped her mouth in condense and slowly floated skywards she shivered and tucked her scarf tighter around her neck, trying to protect herself from the biting cold.
A glow caught her eye and she looked up, hurt filled her Tenerife blue eyes when she saw the two female signs intertwined together above her head
She sniffed and continued walking, blowing snowflakes out of the way if they threatened to fall in her eyes.
It had been years ago, the government had started to implant chips in children that turned five years old. It wouldn't be hidden from public either for sexuality would be a hologram above their heads, appearing there on the exact second they turn fifteen.
Chloe sighed and looked up again, she wasn't ashamed of liking girls. Homophobia was almost nonexistent when it was revealed just how many people had different preferences, keyword here is almost, though.
She had seen it coming for a long time now but when she turned eighteen and was old enough to provide for herself, her father had kicked her out of the house with a few of her belongings. Let it also just be her luck to live in the few towns with the most homophobic people huddled together, she had to will a lot of tears back at the disapproving stares she got from shop owners and elders who were looking out of their shops or houses. Signs where the hologram above her head was crossed out with thick red paint, it seemed so fresh too, the red glistening in the flickering streetlights.
Her booths fell heavily on the sidewalk as she looked around, the place had to be somewhere. That she knew she was going to be kicked out of her strictly hetero family wasn't really a surprise for her so she'd done her research. After looking and browsing around on the internet for a very long time, she'd found a safe house for people with different preferences. Delighted she'd read about it as much as possible from the little information there was about it, messaging people who'd experiences in the house and only getting the most positive responses back. She was almost happy that she knew about her disowning in the near future back then.
That was until it actually happened though, her heart dropped out and she couldn't locate it anywhere in her body when her dad came downstairs with the small suitcase she'd packed the night before. A stoic expression planted on his face, her mother standing behind him with silent tears streaming down hers. Her little sister, whom was to be turning fifteen in just a week, was seated next to her, already sobbing as she clamped herself to her older sister. Chloe sniffed but stayed strong and gently pushed her sister back, hugging the youngest Beale tightly to her and pressing kisses to the blonde hair that she'd gotten from their father.
She'd stood up after hugging her little sister tightly for the last time and walked over to her dad, grabbing the outstretched luggage handle. Arms that had comforted her on stormy nights and protected her from the loud sounds of thunder wrapped around her waist and she was pulled in the safest place in the world, her mother's chest. Despite being eighteen years old, she always would need her mom.
Her arms wrapped around the older woman's neck and she squeezed herself to her mother, inhaling the scent that reminded her of home. Just as she walked out of the front door, her mother had called her back and wrapped her favorite scarf around Chloe's neck. The redhead had teared up and gazed into the face that her own resembled so much. She'd croaked out a thank you, showed a shaky smile and stepped out into the snowy late afternoon.
That brought her to here, she'd been walking in the more shady part of town for a good while now. She fished her phone out of her pocket and frowned when she saw that it had about twenty percent left. The digital clock on her phone read 17:47 and she hadn't eaten dinner yet. She grabbed her wallet and opened it, she still had her bank account which she managed herself and she'd worked a lot since the moment she could, little odd jobs around town or in shops where she'd stack the products and rearrange them. Back then they had mercy for a fifteen year old with her preference.
She wasn't poor and wouldn't run out on money any time soon but it wouldn't be enough to get her a roof above her head unless she were to go to a motel. But having heard various things about those… yeah she'd rather not.
Her stomach began to growl and she knew it was about time she got something to eat. She looked around and saw a food truck, she walked over to it and smiled weakly at the chubby man with a handlebar moustache standing in it. "Oh hello young lady! What is a girl such as yourself doing here at this time? It's not really safe around here you know." He whispered the last part and started to prepare two hot dogs, he looked her over and a kind and wide smiled graced his lips when he saw her hologram. Chloe cleared her throat, sure that it was going to sound like sandpaper rubbing together if she spoke due to not using her voice a while now. "Uh I was kicked out and I'm searching for Acceptance." She looked at the man questioningly when he presented two hot dogs to her but he just winked and kept the kind smile directed at her "One is on the house my dear." She grinned and gladly accepted the food and payed him for one.
"As for Acceptance, sit here on the bench for a while sweetie, I co own the place so you can ride to it with me. It really isn't safe around here." He shuddered a bit and Chloe didn't know if it was from the cold or the awful things that the man had probably witnessed. The man walked to the side of the truck and opened the back door for her. She climbed in and made herself at home on one of the benches in the truck, it was cozy and warm and she took of her jacket, smiling contently as she looked around and ate her hot dogs.
The man walked over to her and sat, giving her a water bottle "My name is Nickletin Sweetly, I opened Acceptance ten years ago with my husband." Chloe's eyes widened in shock, she looked above his head but didn't see a hologram and the man chuckled, his belly bouncing with his mirth "my dear I'm from a generation where all that stupid categorizing wasn't a thing yet, and I'm glad I am." He winked at me and stood up again, cleaning a few things here and there. "And what can I call you sweetheart?" he turned to the redhead with a kind smile and little twinkles in his pale blue eyes. "My name is Chloe Beale, it's very nice to meet you Mr. Sweetly. I'm also very grateful that you're doing this for me" she said timidly, letting a little grin slip on her lips. The brunette man chuckled and walked back over to her "It's also very nice to meet you Chloe Beale, I'm closing up now so get ready to meet everyone." He fondly patted her head and went out the truck to close the side door and went back in and over to the driver's seat. "Hold tight miss Beale! I haven't installed seat belts yet!" and he drove off.
The truck stopped abruptly in front of a big building, it looked like any other building in this neighborhood and a boring sign at the front read 'Acceptance'. She knew, however, that this was all a cover up.
Nickletin stood from the driver's seat and walked over to the redhead. "Well Chloe, we're home now, come along and be quick, we don't want people seeing your hologram." He opened the back and offered his hand, which she took, and helped me out. They quickly made their way to the front door and he opened it with his key. The first impression she got when she walked into the hall was… boring. There was a reception with a computer on it, plain broke white wallpaper and a normal wooden floor, but she knew better.
He produced a card from his wallet and walked over to the brown door with a golden doorknob, he opened the door and he led the redhead through a corridor. They walked along it until they got to a door on the far end of the hall. It looked like all the other doors but the only difference this door had from the others was very subtle. There was an extra woodcarving above the doorknob, it was so subtle that if you walked past it, you wouldn't see it. Mr. Sweetly opened the door and gestured for Chloe to move in first. It was a normal room with a desk, a bookcase, photo's. It seemed to be Mr. Sweetly's office.
The man walked in and went over to the other side of the room to another door. Chloe hadn't seen it, too busy admiring the decoration skills this man had. He swiped the card along a card reader and a green light showed once, indicating that the door was now opened. Nickletin looked over at the redhead with a wide grin, gesturing for her to open the door.
Chloe excitingly bounced over and put her hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it and finally pulling the slab of wood towards her. She tugged on it with a little more force and grinned widely when she was met with the most brightest colors she'd ever seen.
The walls were painted in every color imaginable, a mess but still complimenting each other regardless. Holograms with all sorts of preferences were floating about and people, so many different people were walking amongst each other, nothing but acceptance and harmony was felt in the place. People were talking and laughing and having fun with each other.
Chloe also noted how BIG the place was, it didn't look like the small corridor where she was at earlier at all. A big open space that was divided in different food corners and amusement chambers. She looked to the side and saw elevators leading to what she supposed where more spaces and bedrooms.
A gasp cut through the soft buzzing of talking people "Nickle Sweets brought a new one!" at once all the talking stopped and Chloe flushed under all the attention she'd gotten all of the sudden. Nickletin chuckled and gently put a hand on Chloe's back, pushing her forward in a way an amused father would do to his child at her first day of kindergarten.
"Oohh and she's one for the ladies eh?" a female voice cut through the now gathering crowd. "Seriously keep it in your pants Stacie!" a male voice sounded and they all began to laugh. Chloe awkwardly giggled with them while Nickletin just chuckled his signature chuckle. "Alright my dears, Chloe is new here so be nice to her and don't overwhelm her." He laughed deeply when they front row stepped forward and gently grabbed her by the arm, leading her around for a tour.
Just as she was almost out of sight Nickletin called out to her "Oh and Chloe! After the tour come back here and I'll be waiting for you, I'll introduce you to my husband and our daughter and she'll then show you your room and tell you how we work around here." He winked at her and disappeared into the hall opposite of the one the redhead was being pulled in.
So this was actually supposed to be a one shot but there's too much to cover and now I'm making it a short story much like X Divide is. :-3
~M