Chapter 33: Reflect And Move On
Stan
Stan is in his room, sitting in a chair that was once at the dining table. The light of the lamp has been preventing his room from being too dark for his liking. He'd showered and changed into new clothes earlier, it is now late into the afternoon. He's wearing a plum-colored long-sleeved shirt, another pair of black jeans, and clean grey socks.
Kenny is occupying his bed, has been ever since the wee hours of the morning. Stan hasn't left his side for hours. He even cleaned the red and purple blood off of him. He's glad that Kenny is in better condition, he seems more relaxed, his breathing slow and inaudible. When Stan first saw him, it was while Wendy was healing him, and his injuries were critical. Normally, Stan wouldn't be up so soon, but thanks to the constant usage of 'Power Link', it seems his body has gotten used to the exhausting aftereffects, so he doesn't stay unconscious for too long. He never knew the illicit ability (at first, he didn't even know that it was forbidden until his mother told him) would yield any good results, but even still, he hates when Chris initiates it whenever he pleases or thinks that Stan is in danger.
Stan and Wendy spent less than a few minutes talking about what happened last night, Wendy had started healing Kenny while Stan was unconscious for a short while. She was almost done. She had already known what they did because Kyle had told her and Bebe, but hearing that they encountered a Being of Darkness from Stan shocked her. She reprimanded him a bit for worrying everyone, and wanted to do the same to Kenny, but she'll leave the rest of the scolding to Mrs. Marsh. Stan could only apologize, though he was waiting to do that until all of the tension went away.
After Wendy was done, she wanted to tend to Stan's wounds next, but he reassured her that his Inner Guardian had already did that for him.
"It's great seeing you and the others again," she said softly with a sweet smile.
"Same. Let's catch up later, if I'm not in too much trouble, haha," Stan said, forcing a chuckle. Wendy nodded, then left his room. That's when he decided to take a shower and change his clothes. He's been awake since, and has heard no sounds of anyone else being up. He's not surprised though, he surmised that yesterday's tribulation left everyone worn out. He could've gotten some more rest, but there are currently a lot of things on his mind. Plus, he's not really tired.
The first thought he reflects on is the trap he and Kenny deliberately stepped into. He honestly thought they would've been able to flee had they suddenly came across an enemy, not taking into account that there could've been more than one and that they would've been hindered by a barrier. They had no other choice than to fight, and he feels bad that Kenny had to face the Being of Darkness by himself, which was something the monster planned from the start. It wanted to separate them, probably didn't matter who its opponent was either.
Stan shakes his head, upset, but he can't be mad at anyone. He doesn't know whom or what to direct the feeling towards. The Being of Darkness is dead, and Kenny merely wanted to know where his siblings were once and for all. Despite getting a very dissatisfying outcome, Stan hopes that when Kenny comes to he accepts that his family is on the Dark Master's side. No matter how much it pains him.
Stan calms his mind for a moment, staring at Kenny's sleeping face, then his hair. Stan can't tell for sure, but it seems like there are more white strands compared to before. He is curious as to what will happen to Kenny once his hair is completely white, forgetting that he's supposed to be letting his brain take a break. But he can't help it, he's just worried about Kenny, is all. And Clyde. Finding out that he also almost died last night fills Stan with incredible remorse, especially since he and Craig had just returned to earth. He'd seen Craig healing the brunette on the sofa in the living room, looking on the verge of tears. Stan didn't see any bloodstains on Clyde, but something concerning happened to him regardless, otherwise Craig wouldn't have looked so disquiet. Stan wanted to apologize to everyone in there in that instant, however he figured that he would wait to do that.
He then recalls Kyle's absence at that moment. He doubts the redhead was asleep because when he was heading to his room, he saw that the door was closed and the light was still on.
Stan heaves a sigh while rubbing his temple with two fingers on each side. His mind is all over the place. He really doesn't feel like dealing with a headache.
"Stan?"
The noirette jolts a little at the voice, turning around in the chair to see his mother walking into his room, closing the door behind her. It appears she also showered and put on fresh new clothes, that being an olive-green sweater, dark blue jeans, and white socks. Her hair is tied into a bun.
Stan mimics her frown as she approaches him and Kenny, though their emotions contrast the other. He's feeling mostly just nervousness while his mother...all he knows is that she's still greatly disappointed in him and Kenny. He turns away when she stands next to him. They both stare at the teen in bed, looking as though the silence isn't bothering them. Had someone walked in, they would've thought that they were mourning Kenny.
Stan can't muster up the willpower to say anything, not even a letter. The desire to apologize has never been so strong, it's eating away at him to a point where he starts fidgeting with his hands on his lap.
"Do Humans Tend To Overcomplicate Things, Or Is That Something Only You Do?"
Stan flinches at Chris' voice the exact moment a hand touches his head. His mother giggles as she softly pats his hair. "Relax, Stan. You being so tense makes it seem like you're expecting me to hit you or something."
Curling his hands into fists as he purses his lips, Stan glowers at his lap. "I deserve a beating," he mutters, and meaning it too. He can feel his mother's hand removing itself from his head, sensing the frown returning to her face. "No amount of words can express how sorry I am, and if Kenny were awake, he would feel the same way. We...didn't mean to put everyone's lives in danger, for things to escalate how it did last night."
"Why did you two leave without telling me or Kyle?" His mother asks.
Stan decides to tell her the full story. "Kenny wanted to know if his brother and sister were at their old home. Yuna had told him nothing happened to the bungalow, which was why he thought that they were still there. We both knew it was a trap, an obvious one at that, but...Kenny wanted to go there anyway, to get closure. I asked him if he told you and Kyle about it, but he said he didn't plan to and didn't explain why either. I told him that we had to be quick, so you nor Kyle noticed we were gone. As soon as we got to the house, we went to the front door, but when Kenny went inside, we got separated..." He ends his response on a sullen note. He's certain his mother knows what happened afterwards.
While the silence nestles itself back into the bedroom, Stan realizes that there are two less people inside the house. Based on the pure and impure energies, he can't tell if Clyde and Craig are still in the living room or if they are Bebe and Wendy.
"I think I know why Kenny kept it a secret from Kyle and I," his mother says after half a minute. He didn't expect her to sound understanding. What they did wasn't wise, so he was prepared to be chastised for what they put everyone through. "Had Kyle known, he would've told me and I known, I would've wanted to come with or had us all wait until the next day. Isn't that right?"
Stan is a bit surprised that her assumptions were so spot-on, it's as if she's self-aware that she's a worrywart, reasonably so. "Y-yeah, you're right..." He admits quietly.
"As a mother, I have every right to worry about my child and his friends, even if you all think it's excessive. We still don't know what happened to Randy and Shelly, and the last thing I want is to lose you, Stan, for good..." Her voice quavered with intense sadness at the end. Stan nearly tears up, but wills for the tears not to spill. His mother lets out a long, deep sigh, trying to compose her emotions. "I'm mostly disappointed that you didn't bother to tell me about Kenny's decision. Not only was it sudden, but it wasn't properly thought-out."
Stan clenches his eyes shut in an attempt to keep the tears in. "I'm sorry, mom. I really am," he says steadily, his tone equally sincere and contrite.
"I know, and that's why..." Stan opens his eyes when he feels his mother's hand on top of one of his own. His stiff posture slackens at her warm and gentle touch. "I'm not as angry as I was earlier at you two." Throughout the corner of his teary eye, Stan sees his mother through the slight blur in his vision getting down on one knee to look at his face. He turns his head ever so slightly to get a good look at her. She's giving him a small smile and her eyes are glistening in the amber lighting of the lamp. "I love you, sweetie. Please never worry me like that again."
Mimicking her smile, Stan nods his head, a tear dripping from his eye. "I love you too, and I promise to be more careful from now on."
His mother pats his hand twice, her smile altering into a mischievous image. "Ready to hear yours and Kenny's punishment?" His lips thinning into a line, Stan braces himself with another nod. "You two are prohibited from eating snacks and drinking sodas, and are to only bring home healthy sustenances whenever you go to the grocery store for two months."
"...Seriously?"
Stan blinks. Unlike Chris, who sounded unimpressed just now, Stan looks baffled. "T-that's it?"
"Yes, unless you want me to increase it to five months instead?"
"No, two months is fine," Stan hurriedly says.
His mother giggles a little, then she stands up removing her hand from over Stan's. "Kenny's punishment will start when he wakes up, so be sure to tell him. I'm going to go check on Clyde and Craig."
"Okay." Stan wipes his eyes with both hands. "Actually, I wanna come too." He might as well apologize to Clyde and Craig also if they're awake. His eyes now dry, he gives Kenny's sleeping form one last look before standing up from the chair, then following his mother to the living room.
"You and Kenneth Put Yourselves And The Others In Grave Danger, Yet She Lets You Both Off With A Slap On The Wrist." Chris chuckles at the absurdity of how the discussion ended. "You Humans Never Cease To Amuse Me For The Wrong Reasons."
Stan takes no offense to his rude comment this time, surprisingly. Probably because he's in a somewhat better mood now. He closes the door, leaving it open for a slimmer of light to peek out. "Well, what kind of punishment did you expect?"
He tunes out Chris' reply when he lays eyes on the door that was previously Shelly's bedroom. It's still closed and neither the lamp nor ceiling light seem to be on. His mother is descending the stairs, the hallway lit up halfway from the glow in the living room. Frowning, he ambles down the hallway.
"You Didn't Hear A Word I Just Said." Stan tunes back in to hear how cross his Inner Guardian sounded. "What Was The Point Of Asking Me For My Opinion If You Weren't Going To Listen?"
Stan rolls his eyes. He hears his mother ask someone a question, vaguely addressing the male by 'he'. "I'm sorry you couldn't tell that it was a rhetorical question." He goes down the stairs.
"You...Hmph, Whatever."
Entering the living room, Stan sees his mother and Craig sitting in each of the armchairs. Clyde is resting on the sofa, his shoes are on the floor by the end of the sofa. Craig looks like he hasn't slept at all last night, and he desperately needs a shower, he's coated in so much purple blood that it repulses Stan.
"Hey to you too," Craig says monotonously.
Stan can't tell if he's offended, but he feels bad nonetheless. He stops by the sofa, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I..." He bows. "I'm really sorry about everything that happened last night. What me and Kenny did was extremely stupid, and if you hate us- "
"Woah, hold up there, Stan."
Stan stands up straight to look at Craig. He appears a bit confused. "I don't hate you or Kenny. Sure, you guys worried everyone, but thankfully no one died."
"But somebody could have though," Stan argues.
"Yeah, the first ones would've been you and Kenny had the three of us not shown up," Craig says, gesturing himself, Clyde, and Mrs. Marsh. He's right and Stan is greatly aware of the fact, which intensifies the guilt wallowing in his chest like a budding seedling. Craig gives him a slight smile laced with fatigue. "I accept your apology, but I dunno if Clyde will. Yesterday was his birthday."
Stan blinks, making a surprised face. He totally forgot. "Oh shit, that's right..." He usually wouldn't feel too regretful whenever someone's birthday slipped his mind, mostly because it rarely happened. But since he fucked up badly yesterday, he feels he owes Clyde more than just a belated happy birthday.
"Oh, That Reminds Me. Those Two Arrived Here Before You And Kenneth Had Left."
Stan keeps himself from glaring. "Thanks for telling me hours later." Chris just chuckles at his annoyed thought.
"I'm sure Clyde won't be too upset," assuredly assumes Stan's mother. "Do you two normally celebrate each other's birthdays?" She asks Craig.
"Hardly. All we did was train every single day, so we didn't have the time to even celebrate our own birthday."
"How have your little sister and his dad been?" Stan asks. Last he heard about them was five years ago, at that time Tricia and Mr. Donovan were both still lamenting their lost loved ones.
"They've been good," Craig says simply.
"Mm," Stan hums, then there are a few moments of awkward silence. "…Sooo, you wanna go take a shower?" He asks, jabbing a thumb at the staircase.
"As much as I want to, I don't have any other clothes to wear. I doubt I'll be able to fit any of yours," Craig says.
Kyle's clothes are definitely not suitable for him either. "Maybe you can wear some of Kenny's clothes," Stan says. They're both tall, probably the same height, though their physiques are evidently dissimilar.
"Or you could go get some from one of the remaining clothes stores," his mother suggests.
"Oh yeah, I can do that," Craig says, glad that she reminded him of the stores that she's been protecting all these years. He stands up. "I'm gonna go now. Stan, you mind coming with me? I might get a lot, cuz Clyde will need some too, plus I don't know where the nearest store is."
Stan nods. "Sure. I'll teleport us to the mall then instead."
"You boys be careful," his mother tells them.
"I told you I would from now on, remember?" Stan goes to the front door to put on his black and grey sneakers. They need washing.
"Protect me well," Craig teases.
"Yes, sir," Stan responds sarcastically. After putting on his shoes, he transports himself and Craig in three red streaks of light to South Park Mall.
It doesn't take them long to be standing before a massive dark purple barrier surrounding the building. They rush inside the barrier once a collective sound of caws pierce through the cool afternoon air.
"There, we've arrived safely, sir," Stan says, keeping the joke going.
"Barely. Those monsters almost had us. I hope you do a better job protecting me when we leave," Craig rebukes, sounding like a supercilious prince.
"Yes, Your Highness," Stan says evenly.
They approach the double doors in the middle. Stan opens one of the doors for Craig, he walks into the mall shaking his head with an amused smile. Grinning, Stan enters after him.
The heat is comfortingly warm and the scent diffusers are permeating every part of the shopping center, creating therapeutic aromas.
"Allow me to escort you to the men's section," Stan kindly offers, walking in front of Craig.
"All jokes aside, I'm honestly surprised you regained consciousness so quickly," Craig says.
"Well I guess my body got used to 'Power Link' since I've done it so many times."
Stan doesn't see Craig furrow his eyebrows and utter, "What the hell? Why?" But he did detect the bewilderment in his tone.
"Because me and Chris were trying to figure out how long it lasted." It was also done for Chris' selfish enjoyment, but Stan won't mention that.
Craig is momentarily speechless. "...You two are crazy. How did Mrs. Marsh let you get away with doing something as risky as that?"
"We did it without her ever knowing." Stan stops and turns to face Craig, who stops also. He stares deeply into his amber eyes, his sapphire eyes portraying how serious he is catching the taller noirette off guard. "Please don't ever tell her."
Craig frowns. "I won't. I mean, the risk paid off, but...won't you have to tell her yourself when she catches on?"
Stan already knows a day like that will come, and he is prepared. "Yeah, and until then," he turns away. "It's a secret." He resumes walking.
"Alright," Craig says, trailing behind him. "So, how bad was the scolding?" He asks, changing the subject.
"It-" Stan cuts his answer short, but keeps walking. He senses two familiar energies similar to Craig's and Clyde's on the other side of the mall. "Looks like we're not the only ones in here."
"You're just now noticing?"
"What, you already knew?"
"Yeah, as soon as we stepped in here."
Stan doesn't believe the other noirette. "Suuure you did."
"Anyway, how badly did you get scolded?"
"It wasn't too bad. Me and Kenny aren't allowed to have any snacks or sodas, and are to only bring home healthy stuff from the grocery store for two months."
"...Wait, that's it?"
Stan lets out a short laugh. "I asked the exact same thing. It was either that or five months."
"No, I mean I expected her to be harsher."
"Hey, going two months without snacks and sodas is harsh."
"Heh, that's something a fatass would say."
Stan can imagine Eric complaining about being unable to consume junk foods and beverages for two months. "Well I'm not fat, far from it even."
"Speaking of far, where the hell is the men's section?"
"We're almost there, see?" Stan points at a noticeable sign hanging from the ceiling with the words 'men's clothes' further back on their left-hand side.
"Almost there, my ass. We should've just teleported."
"We thought we heard you guys over here."
Stan and Craig stop to see Bebe and Wendy strolling towards them. They are empty-handed. "Oh my God," Bebe makes the same face Stan made when he saw how dirty Craig was back at home. "Seeing all that purple blood in these bright lights makes me wanna throw up."
"I'll get all of this off once I get enough clothes for me and Clyde," Craig says imperturbably.
Bebe's expression changes in the blink of an eye. "Aww, that's so sweet of you," she coos, making Craig cringe and Wendy roll her eyes. "Has Clyde woken up yet?" Craig shakes his head. Stan catches a hint of disappointment in Bebe's indigo purple eyes.
"Bebe, I owe you an apology," Stan says.
Bebe blinks her eyes confusedly. "You do?"
"Yeah, for..." Stan rubs the back of his neck, averting his gaze to the shiny floor beneath his feet. "Worrying you."
"...O-oh, it's okay!"
Stan raises his head while lowering his arm, he didn't expect for his apology to make Bebe flustered. He shakes his head. "It's not okay. Me and Kenny could've gotten ourselves and others killed."
"But none of that happened," Bebe says, a forgiving smile on her face. Wendy nods in agreement. "Whatever reason you two had for going out there on your own, I'm sure it was done with no intentions of getting anyone else involved. I mean, it could've been prevented had you told Mrs. Marsh about leaving beforehand, but in the end, not only did no one die, but we got rid of a Being of Darkness." Stan isn't the only person to express his shock after she's done speaking. Bebe looks back and forth between him and Craig, raising an eyebrow. "What? Why are you two lookin' at me like that?"
"Since when did you have a way with words?" Craig asks.
While Wendy giggles, Bebe pouts. "Ever since I was a kid, okay? I just never had the chance to show it."
"Good, cuz it would've been even weirder," Craig comments, earnest but with a flippant edge.
Stan and Wendy burst out laughing. "Oh, shut up, Craig," Bebe grumbles, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Stan smiles at the light sensation in his chest, it's as if Bebe's words uprooted the seed that was rapidly growing inside of him. Even though there are two more people he needs to apologize to, he no longer dreads doing so. "What are you two here for?" He asks the girls.
"We came here from my house not too long ago just to browse," Wendy says.
Bebe nods. "Yep. It's a good thing her place was still in one piece," she says, very relieved.
"Then do you two mind helping out?" Craig asks. "With more hands, I can get more clothes."
"Do we also get to help pick out the clothes?" Bebe asks expectantly.
Craig nods. "Sure, would make things quicker."
Based on the excited giggle that leaves Bebe's mouth, Stan develops the feeling that Craig might regret his decision later. It could be nothing though.
Stan quickly realizes something. "Maybe the clothes we get for Clyde can count as a birthday present." The notion pleases his conscience.
The four teens continue down the laminated walkway, Stan and Wendy chatting with each other while Bebe talks to Craig about random things that came to mind.
The mall may be vacant of its usual bustling activity, but the exuberant ambience hasn't entirely ebbed. Stan feels himself enjoying the time he's spending with Wendy, Bebe, and Craig, he's probably not the only one forgetting that the world is shrouded in darkness and teeming with vile monsters. Being here is a great escape from the dark reality that awaits them outside. Though he wishes Kenny and Kyle were here to relish this congenial moment. They may never get a chance like this again...
Leopold
"Good afternoon," Raven greets Leopold and Tweek once they are seen walking down the stairs into the living room, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. She and Carl, who's waving at them, are still sitting on the couch.
Tweek greets back by nodding his head, still looking a bit tired. "Good afternoon," Leopold says. They stop in between the flat screen television and glass coffee table. "Um, Raven? Could you make us some new clothes?"
"Ahem." Leopold looks at Carl after he heard him clear his throat. "I can also do that for you."
Leopold didn't think his Inner Guardian could create clothes as well. All this time he thought it was a unique ability only Raven had. "O-oh, okay. Mah sizes are-"
"Raven already told me them. Hold out your hands."
Leopold does as told. Carl snaps his fingers, and neatly folded up clothes magically manifest in his hands. They even have a soft floral scent to them. He was given white underwear, a turquoise-colored shirt, which appears to have long-sleeves, and dark grey pants.
"Thank you," he says, grateful.
"You're welcome."
"Tweek." The other blonde takes the hint after Raven said his name. He holds his hands out and she, too, snaps her fingers, bringing forth the same clothes he's wearing right now along with underwear into his possession, but with a fresh scent.
"Thank you," he says. Raven reciprocates with a small smile.
And with that, the two teens go back up the stairs. Without having to be told, Tweek goes into the bathroom in the hallway while Leopold goes to his own bathroom. He forgot that he left the ceiling light on in his bedroom.
He enters his room and goes straight to his bathroom, opening the door, then flipping up the light switch next to him on the wall to illuminate his surroundings entirely. The décor of aquatic life strikes him with overwhelming nostalgia. He ignores the feeling as best as he can as he walks in, setting his clothes on top of the toilet seat lid, then taking the step stool out, putting it in a random spot in his room. He goes back into his bathroom pulling the door closed, he then pushes the shower curtain to the side. On the shelf attached to the wall above the bathtub are a bar of soap, a red shampoo bottle, and a light blue sponge. His eyes widen. What if Tweek doesn't have any of these?
Opening the door, Leopold speed walks to the bathroom Tweek is in, hearing the water from the shower head pelting against the bathtub. He hopes he's not too late. Once he's near, he knocks on the door.
"...Yeah?" Tweek calls out over the rushing water.
"Do you have everything you need in there?" Leopold asks.
"Yeah."
Leopold is relieved to hear that. "Okay." He returns to his bathroom.
Closing the door, he takes a few moments to recall how to turn the shower head on, briefly wondering how Tweek managed to turn his on so quickly. He ends up remembering activating it on accident when he was a child, he wanted to try bathing by himself. The water that sprayed down on him scared him and he ran out butt naked to his parents' bedroom, screaming and crying.
Leopold can't help but smile with tears prickling his eyes. It was the only instance where his parents didn't ground him for the indecent exposure.
He sighs and wipes the tears in his eyes, the smile leaving his face. Now is not the time to reminisce. He bends down reaching for the nearest knob. He twists it, winching when it squeaks loudly, and water from the faucet gushes out into the bathtub. He fiddles with each knob until water finally sprays out of the shower head. He sticks out a hand underneath the water and quickly retracts his hand with a hiss. It's too hot. He turns the knobs one at a time to get the water to an appropriate temperature, satisfied when it becomes warm.
He strips off his clothes, then steps into the tub, closing his eyes as he lets out a long sigh of content as soon as the water hits and cascades down his body. Once his muscles no longer feel rigid, he lowers his head into the water that's spraying from above and in front of him. Almost all of the grime washes off of him, going down into the drain.
Showers are like the perfect remedy after enduring intense training or a life-threatening battle. It not only calms the body, but also the mind. The many thoughts and negative emotions that plagued Leopold's being upon waking are gradually vanishing. Soon, he is at peace.
He gets to cleaning himself, first starting with his hair. The shampoo has a fruity fragrance of strawberries. He remembers loving this scent, as well as the actual fruit.
Overall, it takes him close to thirty minutes to look and smell as if he hadn't been in an abandoned environment full of decaying flesh.
He uses his blue auras to dry himself, it's a method he discovered years ago that's a lot faster and more effective than using a towel. Once he's thoroughly dry, he puts on the clothes Carl gave him. He looks into the mirror, something about this attire feels familiar. He doesn't know why. Shaking his head, he looks at his filthy, old garments on the floor, unsure if he should wash them or discard them. The shirt has holes in the sleeve where the monster's claws dug into his arm at, so there's no point keeping it, but the pants...he might as well get rid of them too. He picks the clothes up, scrunching up his face at the stench. Opening the door, he turns off the light before leaving the bathroom. He ambles to the window. He at first didn't like disposing his clothes, even when they got damaged from training, it just felt wrong. But he eventually got over his hesitance when the house would supply him and Tweek new of the same set of clothes each time.
Leopold moves the curtain aside and gazes at the sky, frowning at the pale yellow lights beaming through the black clouds. "It's like the sun is tryin' ta shine its rays through them." Perhaps this has been a reoccurring scenario ever since the darkness contaminated the clouds. The sun has never given up after all these years, despite the fruitless endeavor. "Hopefully, one day it'll succeed."
He unlocks the window, slides up the windowpane with one hand, then holds the clothes out with both hands. His palms emit a blue glow. Slowly, smoke starts to arise from the clothes, then they catch on fire. He drops them as they crumble into burnt flakes and get blown away by the chilly breeze. He shuts and locks the window, covering it back up with the curtain. He turns around, noticing the silence in the hallway. Seems Tweek finished showering before him.
Leopold begins to walk out, but pauses in the doorway. The mentally draining thoughts and the profound guilt come barreling back, making his entire body feel like it weighs a ton. He purses his lips into a grimace, getting a severe case of the jitters. He leans against the door frame, trying to keep his breathing steady. He closes his eyes.
"It's not your fault..."
Hearing those tender words again inside his head do not ease his nerves like they did last night. He put his and Tweek's lives in jeopardy. That's not something he can forgive himself for in one night, especially since it could've been easily avoided. He appreciates Tweek being so lenient towards him, he really does even though he didn't deserve it, but it's not enough.
"Aah need ta apologize. It's only right."
Taking a deep breath, Leopold removes himself from the door frame. He opens his eyes, determined to get his heartfelt apology out. He turns off the light in his room and makes his way to the living room. He sees Tweek standing beside the small table with the lamp on it since there are no other seats available, wearing his socks and shoes.
"Looks like you have something important to say," Carl deduces.
Leopold nods, taking his spot in the middle of the t.v and coffee table again. He looks solely at Raven and Carl. "Aah'm very sorry for the trouble Aah caused yesterday-"
"It's okay, Leopold," Raven says, backing up her statement with a caring smile.
"But-" Leopold begins to protest.
"Did you think we would be angry at you?" Carl asks, eyebrow raised.
Leopold wants to say 'yes', but for some odd reason, he suddenly can't find his voice.
"I told you, you weren't at fault for what happened to us." He looks at Tweek. Had it not been for his gentle tone, Leopold would've thought he was annoyed at him.
"And he's right," Raven says in agreement. "Your encounter with those creatures was unforeseen, after all."
Feeling tears welling up in his eyes, Leopold looks to the floor. He can't describe the emotion he's currently feeling. It's not sadness, that he knows, and it feels more than just relief.
He feels a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to feel guilty." He is unable to stop the tears from falling. Tweek gives his shoulder a few comforting pats.
"Quite the bond those two have," Carl smiles.
"And it will only get stronger with time," Raven says.
Carl's smile falters into a frown. "That's probably not a good thing."
Leopold dries his eyes with his sleeves, sniffling. "T-thank you." He doesn't know what else to say. He has never felt so free from any burden until today, and if he's being honest, it's weird. He nearly got himself and Tweek killed, but he's the only one who's been blaming himself for it. Since he's been forgiven by everyone, he doesn't have a reason to dwell on the incident any longer. Though, he will not ever forget.
"So, are you boys hung-" Someone's stomach growls, interrupting Raven. Carl laughs while Raven appears amused. The blush that faintly paints Tweek's cheeks confirms that the disruption came from him. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Sadly, I wasn't able to save any of the food here from expiring," Carl says. "Though luckily, the ancestor of the Queen of Darkness has been preserving some of the stores."
Raven informed Leopold and Tweek about said ancestor, and were immensely shocked that it was Stan's mother.
"Who we will be paying a visit to." Raven stands up from the couch. "Let's go now." She looks at Carl, who rises to his feet also. "Carl, if you will."
"Only if you call me by my preferred name. Oh, which reminds me, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Carl Cloud, but I would like to be called Cloud. It sounds cooler, as well as fitting."
Raven rolls her eyes. "It's just a name. There's no need to be so nit-picky."
"Says you, but anyway, off to the grocery store we go."
"Wait! Aah need ta put on mah socks and shoes." Leopold rushes up the stairs, going to the guest room. He spots his socks inside of his shoes in the semidarkness with ease. He slips on his socks first, then his shoes, tying the shoelaces tightly. He leaves, going back to the living room. He's quite eager to see his friends again after so long.
Cloud's magic lights up their bodies in a colorless glow, then they're gone.
