You are 16 years old, and currently wasting your time trailing after one of your only close friends. You reach up to adjust the frame of your glasses from sliding off your nose.
Your name is Sollux Captor, and you are following one of your best friends, named Feferi Piexes, into the fish section of "Wallie's Wet World", located at the back of the mall. Of course, as you pronounce the particular title of this store, your lisp captures the 'S', and makes Feferi giggle.
"What?" you question, arching an eyebrow above your glasses to help the cause of your expression.
"Oh nothing~" she chirps, and proceeds to lead you to the fish section. You never understood her love for sea life. If anything, you would be positioned in the nearest GameStop, or Apple store. But to be kind, you followed after her, only to make sure she wouldn't be carrying a baby turtle out of the store in the defensive claims that she was 'rescuing' it.
She leans over various tanks, picking out specific clown fish and chuckling because they would be the 'perfect' pet that her friend, Gamzee, could have. Or she would make comments about your favorite color of yellow in comparison to the bright yellow fish, but you could tell there was an overabundance of the things everywhere, so this particular ball of scales wasn't anything to get hyped up over. But of course, if you didn't look, she would become worried about your lack of interest in the section and constantly question the store you wanted to visit next.
So after an exhausting 45 minutes of tank-staring, and the buzzing of the pumps that keep the small yet fairly captivating bubbles flowing amongst the fishes, you walk out of Fish Hell. Feferi giggles again and chirps loudly over how fun it is to see all the little glubbers, as she puts it, swimming and being friends with each other.
You agree with everything she lists off. This girl is beautiful, you think to yourself as you follow her into the food court area. Never as beautiful as Aradia, however. Your steps become slower as pictures of your now deceased lover come freshly into your mind, and you snap your attention back to the court.
"How about, seafood?" you blurt out, trying to distract both you and her, desperately hoping the girl wouldn't notice that you were comparing her to another. Of course you two weren't together, but it was rude to think thoughts about another lady like that. At least in front of Feferi.
"Sure!" Feferi smiles brightly back at you and heads over to order herself something. You would be paying for it, you knew that, though your pace was a little less enthusiastic as you approached the counter. You stare up at the menu, trying to pick out something sweet. Something that had a warm taste, and-
Oh. Honey-batter Fish n' Chips.
This was a new addition. But one that you are more than willing to try. It sounds good, at least the honey part.
Feferi has already approached the poor clerk and has ordered a few things. You don't have to imagine what it is, because it's all fish related. After Feferi is done stringing off her seafood related grub, you step in and order your food. The clerk shakes his head at you two.
"What?" you question, your temper flickering at the man. He worked at a seafood restaurant, for wasp's sake. People were fucking expected to order fish there. Feferi puts a hand on your shoulder and looks into your eyes. You roll your eyes behind the shield of your glasses and roughly thrust the handful of bills to the clerk, who in turn hands you a receipt.
"Asshole." you comment and lead Feferi to a table a ways away from the counter. "Did you see how he acted Feferi? What an a-" but before you could complete your rant she looks back at you from across the table and smiles.
"It's okay, Sollux. He was probably having a bad day. Don't let him ruin the trip for us, okay?"
Oh Gog. Her voice. It makes your temper melt. She is so cheery, so bubbly. It's the exact Yin-Yang tone you need in your life. Though part of you recoils back from the earlier snap at the clerk. Okay, maybe she was right. He had to deal with people all day. Undoubtedly, you would be constantly and overly pissed off had you had such a job. People are idiots.
A waiter comes over and sets your food onto the table, though most goes to Feferi, in which she pushes to the middle of the table to save herself some embarrassment, as well as an open invitiation for you to join in. The two of you sit and eat, and you dip your fingertip into the Honey-batter sauce. You press it to your lips.
Definitely different, you think as you both finish your meal. You balance the garbage in your hands and throw it away for her. Feferi giggles again and wraps her arm around yours; a friendly enough gesture.
The both of you proceed to make your way to another store of which interests her. Only, something feels off. You begin to slow down, looking around carefully, as if something would completely send off the alarms in your head which intently insists you should be paranoid.
"What's the matter?" Feferi giggles at you. "Come on, Sollux. It's only a mannequin!"
Your gaze drifts forward, and catches what she's referring to. It's a store dummy positioned in front of a shoppe, wearing some of their shitty name-brand merchandise. Of course this doesn't bother you. But at least she didn't feel your same paranoia.
Okay. That's a good thing, you tell yourself. Probably the food. The fish was bad, something like that.
But then you see it.
A man. A tall man. He comes up behind her. He's stronger than you, you know it. You're only a shitty computer geek.
But you watch in horror as his arm slides around her neck, and the glossy, tuxedo-black barrel of a gun is pressed to her forehead. Oh gog. Oh gog. Oh gog. Oh gog. Oh gog. Oh gog.