The Pillowfort Festival was in full swing as the raging thunderstorm outside had just begun. The autumn trees clinging to their remaining leaves as the overpowering gale rushed through the campus grounds. Lightning illuminating the sky as inside the Student Commons, groups of people were adding the final touches to their section of the elaborate bedding maze that engulfed the building's internal walkways.
"It may be ugly outside but here in the commons we couldn't be cozier as students all across campus have answered the call and built an impressive fort of pure comfort. Dia, how are you feeling, friend?"
"This is great! There's fun, there's food, there's friendship! Overall it's an experience with positive Fort-itude!"
"... Great… Well with us today we have one of our fellow students who helped us out in a pinch earlier so we could host this show in our very own corner of the maze! Lady what's your favorite thing you've seen from all of this!"
"First off Diamond, Pearl, thank you so much for having me on, this is such a nice surprise. And second it has to be everyone's creativity! From spaces large enough to stand in, to intricate entryways it's been a marvel to see everyone come together!"
"Pearl she isn't kidding. I had to answer a password just to get through a couch cushion barrier to our makeshift studio!"
"I told it to you before you left Dia. Anyway! We're having a blast here tonight and we're going to keep the hits coming as everyone settles into this superb slumber party! Stay tuned!"
Green, Red, and Blue sat in a circle in their section of the fort with an open pizza box between them. Each taking slices from the bottom of the box, the top was currently being used as a table as they discarded and shuffled their game of Uno.
"Reverse" Blue said savagely switching back to Green.
"Reverse." Green assisted back to Blue
"Skip." Blue smirked as he threw down another card.
"Come ooooon guys! You're ganging up on me! Where's White and Platina. I need back-up."
Red frowned at his very full hand as Green threw down another skip.
"I don't know. I think White might be with her roommate, but she'll find us later. Suck it up Red."
Green smiled at Red who returned it half heartedly. It was nice to be back on friendly terms, but he was hurting for allies in this cut throat game.
"Winner has to order the next pizza." Red declared as he finally got a chance to play a card.
"Yeah right. Whoever has the most cards orders the next pizza AND has to make a vending machine run." Blue challenged as he exaggeratedly threw down another card.
"U–"
"UNO!" Green cut him off. "Draw two loser."
"What happened to our assault on Red!?" Blue gaped as he slowly drew his two.
"Not taking any chances. I want free pizza."
"Try raisin' it a little more."
Sapphire pointed as she leaned into her makeshift armchair from all the pillows she'd brought. The foursome of her, Ruby, Black, and White had made a decent sized media space with a portable DVD player White brought from their dorm. Both she and White had laid out their bedding in very comfortable formations to recline and watch as Ruby and Black continued arguing over how to prop the screen up without it sliding off of the woven fabric of the pillowcase.
"If we raise it anymore then we have to tilt it and it'll fall." Ruby muttered as he punched around the pillow before trying to place the player on it again.
"It's going to fall anyway. Where'd you put that fleece blanket?" Black looked around him as White tossed the fleece to him.
"Thanks boss."
He laid it over the pillow they were using to support it and tried setting the DVD player on top. As it slid off to the side, Ruby caught it, leaving Black to growl in frustration.
"COME ON IT CAN'T BE THIS HARD!"
"Black inside voice!" White shushed as she leaned forward from her comfy spot and put a hand on his shoulder.
"C'mon, let's go get some snacks. Take a break for a minute." She looked to Ruby who gave a thumbs up, assuring that he'd keep working on it. The two crawled through their curtained divider and entered the maze, leaving Ruby and Sapphire in their established corner.
"But have you tried raisin' it?" Sapphire goaded as Ruby caught the player from sliding a second time.
"You should do comedy." Ruby chided sarcastically.
"We could be a duo, yer already funny-lookin'." She grinned deviously as she sat up, crossing her legs. Ruby shot her a glare as he fluffed the pillow once more.
"Look." Ruby sighed as he caught the DVD player for a third time. "I don't see you trying to help."
Sapphire sat for a moment and then waddled on her knees over to him as she took the DVD player.
"Try usin' that big long pillow on top of these two little ones. Make it all flat and table-like."
As Ruby reset the pillows, Sapphire cautiously balanced the player on top. It sat solid and presentable.
"That was a good idea." Ruby complimented, rubbing the back of his head as he sat back and let out a sigh.
"Thanks… I'm sorry I said you were funny lookin'.." Sapphire said as she looked at him through her bangs. She rubbed her shoulder sheepishly, feeling guilty.
"Don't be. I know I'm not." Ruby smiled cockily as he scratched his head under his hat. He was finding her shift in personality a nice change. "What do you think everyone would want to watch?"
"Oh I don't know. White left her disc case around here somewhere…"
The two began searching under their established pile of blankets and pillows, looking for their options. Ruby was turning over White's 'recliner' when he backed into Sapphire who had been searching behind him.
"Hey, watch it." She laughed as she threw a pillow at him. It bounced off the back of his head.
"What was that?" Ruby's eyes widened as he turned around to see Sapphire holding another pillow.
"Nothin'.." She mused innocently.
"Oh I bet." Ruby grinned as he reached for his own pillow.
A loud crack of thunder sounded as the lights flickered to an absolute out. The darkness encompassed them as the power left the building.
Crystal and Yellow peeked out from their fort inspecting their surroundings.
"I'm glad I'm off shift. I don't want to think about having to manage all these people in the dark." Crystal stated as she returned inside.
"Do you think everything is okay?" Yellow asked as she fell back into her lounge-like arrangement,
"It's just a power outage. I'm not surprised with how bad the weather's gotten. It's almost fun to be inside a pillowfort on a night like tonight." Crystal grinned into the darkness in the direction of her roommate's voice.
She lay back on her blankets as well as she looked at the sheet wall next to her.
"Hey Yellow, we set up next to a window right?"
"I'm way ahead of you!"
Yellow untucked the sheet and let it fall away as they had a front row seat to the battering rain outside. The two readjusted their cushioning to watch outside as Yellow put on some music from her phone. In the middle of scrolling Crystal's phone vibrated with a new message.
"Is it dark in here or did your beauty blind me?"
Crystal smiled in spite of herself as she prosed her response.
"Power outage… idiot."
She rested her phone on her chest as she waited, sighing to herself.
"Feeling alright?" Yellow turned to look at her, Gameboy in her hand with a bendy light helping her visibility.
"Yeah. Just Gold again."
"Oooooh. You like himmm." Yellow giggled Crystal rolled her eyes.
"He's dumb.. But he's fun, you know. Just kind of what I need right now."
"I think he helps you loosen up. There's a lot on your plate Crys."
Her phone vibrated again as she picked it up to see.
"OOOOOH what'd he say!" Yellow scooched over slightly trying to see.
"Come and say that to my face.. With a winky face." Crys blushed as Yellow sat up.
"What did you say to him!"
"I called him an idiot, because he is."
They both laughed as they composed a response.
"Alright so I've got, "That's a lot of effort, what's in it for me?.. Do I add a winky face?"
"No! Leave it ambiguous." Yellow teased as Crystal hit send.
"How about roses and a box of chocolate."
The voice came from their curtain door causing both girls to jump fearfully and shriek. Gold popped his head in, wincing as he tried to calm them down.
"Woah WOAH! SHhhhh! You're going to get people suspicious!"
"What are you doing here!?" Crystal flipped from scared to agitated in an instant.
"And did you actually bring chocolate?" Yellow asked as she sat cross legged. Clutching her chest from the recent scare.
"Yellow right?"
"Gold?"
"Charmed." Gold smiled, his face barely visible in the dampened light of Yellow's Gameboy.
"Sorry no chocolate, but I'm here! Whatcha playing?" He fully entered their fort as he started making himself comfortable.
"No, no no no. Can I talk to you outside please." Crystal began pushing him back out the curtain.
"It's raining."
"Outside the fort moron."
"Bye Yellow!" Gold waved as he was forced out the entrance.
The two crawled a short way until they were able to stand in the empty laundry room of the commons. Crystal turned on her phone flashlight and set it on a dryer before turning and putting her hands on her hips.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Now or when I came to say hello?" He was asking genuinely.
"You can't just barge in and introduce yourself to my friends."
"I missed you." Gold shrugged as Crystal cocked her hip to one side.
"We aren't… This isn't a rela–... You need to understand our dynamic."
"That you use me for stress relief. That's what I heard right?" Gold raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"That's.. That's not…" Crystal was flustered as she began pacing.
"Look Crys. That's fine if that's what you want. But you need to say it. Otherwise I'm going to assume I have a chance."
Crystal stopped in her tracks as she turned to face him. The LED of her phone light casting half his face in shadow. Was he sad? What was that look in his eye?
"What are you talking about?"
"Crys I'm not a relationship guy. I'm just not. But you're a really great person. You need to take a chill pill every now and again, but you're great. It's easy to fall for a person like that. So either you set ground rules now, or I… can't guarantee I can remain your dirty little secret." He smirked on the last line but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Why are you making this complicated." Crystal stood frozen in place, her eyes glued to Gold's face as he began to walk toward her.
"I'm not. You are." He propped his knuckle under her chin and brought her eyes to steady with his.
"I need time." Crys pleaded, feeling her knees weaken.
"For sure." Gold smiled. "Take all you need."
And he walked past her out the door of the laundry room.
The rain cascaded in heavy pounding waves across the parking lot of the commons. The moisture seeping into everything each laden drop touched. The rhythmic drumming of the condensation symphony hammering White's jeep as she and Black sat in the parking lot, a to-go bag steaming in the back seat as they watched the front doors of the commons in stagnant silence. It felt like ages since they'd agreed to wait until the rain let up before heading back inside, and with the building now dark and the storm in full swing they were committed to staying in the vehicle.
White reached over and turned the radio knob as the heat from the vents continued pouring into the cab.
"Thought we could use some music." She said softly. Her eyes roaming over toward him.
"Why is this so awkward!"
"That's a good idea, boss." He remained focused on the doors.
"Black I keep telling you, I'm not your boss outside of the diner. You can call me by my name."
"Okay."
The two watched the rain as another strike of lightning briefly revealed the building before them.
"What are you thinking about?" White asked, making any attempt at conversation.
"That I think I'd rather keep calling you boss."
White blinked as she turned the radio down slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Black took a deep breath as he turned to face her, determined intensity reflected in his eyes.
"You have a lot of friends. A LOT of friends. And everyone calls you by your name. It's hard to stand out amongst all of those people unless I can get your attention.. By having.. My own name for you."
He pulled the brim of his hat lower as he resumed facing the front windshield. White smiled softly as she reached out and took his hand.
"That's really sweet Black. But I always notice you, and not just because you call me boss."
Black looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"You're also the loudest person I know." He opened his mouth to retort but she held up a finger to indicate she wasn't finished.
"You always command an audience just by being yourself and I'm always happy to get to be a part of whatever conversation you're having. You're reliable too. No one else offered to help with the stage crew after I mentioned we were short handed. That meant a lot to me. You.. mean a lot to me."
The words left her naturally and she felt a blush rise as she gripped his hand. She hadn't been anticipating this conversation, but it didn't feel out of place. Black pinched the bridge of his nose before turning to face her and squeezing her hand back.
"That was nice to hear, boss."
They sat in comfortable silence as the radio persevered through the climactic weather.
Alright! We're trying our hand at character development. I was in a particular mood when I started this chapter so I apologize if it comes across strangely. I haven't written in a long time and it's nice to verbally express things through these characters in this way. I'm excited to continue with this story and hope you'll stick with me on it. As always, thank you for reading! -REN