/\/\ my struggle [kind of] /\/\/
{well this sucks. I've written myself into a corner} {shit}
|How so?|
{A scene of dipper running would be unenjoyable and little progress could be made, but i also feel that it cannot be done without}
|and why do you feel that is?|
{i just don't have the skill to write these characters accurately.}
|and you did before?|
{kind of... like, it was better than anything that i can come up with now.}
|you say that now, and yet you've edited far beyone the normal scope. i thought you hated editing?|
ON
|why don't you edit more? it could improve your story. isn't that what you want?|
{i've always had this thing where i dislike editing because it can alter the intent of a piece at the time of writing.}
|meaning?|
{well, let's say that i wrote an emotional piece following a breakup or something.}
|go on.|
{well, if i edit that passage when i'm in a different mood, i find flaws in the work that may well have been intentional based on the pieces emotion.}
|are you saying that you feel your flaws are bonuses to your writing?|
{i...i...i'm a narcisistic asshole, alright? i don't want to ruin the tone of a passage in a different emotional state when god only knows i'll shred it for everything it's worth thanks to a little desire to make it "better."}
|we're done.|
{agreed.}
\/\/\ done with that shit /\/\/
Slip through mud, not caring for the dirt on his pants. not caring for the sound of thunder, growing louder far above. a bolt of lightning could have struck dippers path, stood his hair on end, yet he couldn't care less. Dipper had sins to attone for, wrought by the blood washed from the front steps to his family home long since washed away. the school was in sight, his run was slowing.
Was it possible to drift while running? Either way, he managed it, sliding along smoothed concrete in an attempt to alter his direction at high speed.
Dipper crashed into the Lunchroom, face to face with a...mostly empty grand hall. Not including Mabel (there she was!), about 26 people turned to see the sopping wet, almost feral teenager in the doorway. we was breathing hard, rapid breaths as his heart attempted to catch up from the half block behind him.
"Mabel! MABEL!" Dipper called out, jogging the rest of the way from the still open doorway, quickly closed by tired teachers, to the main cluster of tables. She sat 1/2 way from the center, closest to the open door yet surrounded by chatting girls. Mabel... she seemed happy, but not the Mabel kind. more like the proverbial uncle Jim when someone decided to put decaf in the coffee machine but still had to behave for a wedding_
He knocked his foot into someone's backpack, absorbed in wandering thought.
"Could you not? i got a laptop in here!" The person called out.
"Sorry...?" Dipper started, turning around to apologies. Though he had a dark, plastic covered hood on, the face was undeniable; long features, thin cheekbones, eyes overhung by a pronounced brow casting a noticeable shadow over his eyes. It was Caesar.
"Where're you going-" Caesar started, cut off by Dipper's "Hang on a minute, something important to do."
"What, more important that ME?" Caesar called back with a mostly sarcastic tone.
A few more quick steps, around protruding circular seats and the like, Dipper found his way back to his sister.
"MABEL." He called out, crouching again while his heart caught up. "Mabel, I'm sorry. I should never have... should never have snapped at you... it was - it was-"
"It's fine, Dip. It's okay." She said. There was something off about her voice, something that the other girls didn't seem to hear. "Just forget about it. That's all."
"Mabel." Dipper said, standing up for once. His breathing was still deep, but it was quieter, he looked more composed." "I know... I'm... c'mon."
With a stunted scream from his sister Dipper pulled Mabel by the handle on her backpack up and out of her seat, dragging her along at first but eventually with the leg support of his sister.
"I told you, everything is fine." Her voice cracked in 'fine.'
At the outskirts of the table cluster, as far from prying eyes as he could manage, Dipper snapped Mabel into a hug. she was... rigid at first, confused, yet softened and wrapped her arms around dipper's back in response.
"I know everything's not fine." He said into her shoulder "I've seen you like this before, you're never fine. Especially not when you say you are."
"Dip it's... it's..." She got out, voice cracking. Her hands dug into dippers back as she said, "It's my fault!" and attempted to dig her face into Dipper's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"For what? Being a sister?" Dipper replied, lifting his head out of Mabel's shoulder. "It's been like this for what - 13 years now? I should be used to it!"
There, just beyond the table, the two cried into each others shoulders. They were a lopsided statue amid the gentle filtering of students in through the front gates.
To here i am after 6-odd months of doing jack diddly with a new chapter. that bit at the beginning was...a primer, I guess. Thank you for reading, please leave some feedback as I am a sad, sad human being who needs feedback and human connection to live properly.