[PRP] She's Always Gone Too Long (Sunny & Preacher)

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher was kind of nervous about everything. So much had changed, everything was weird, and if she loitered too much, she'd be seen as a 'shady character' and get the cops called on her. Such irony.

The house was exactly the kind of thing that loomed threateningly. She curled her lip at it before remembering she was supposed to be casual. Whatever. Preacher walked up to the door and knocked loudly.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

The cops weren't called. Sonny answered the door relatively promptly. They didn't look like Sunny. The differences were myriad, too subtle and small to name: things like the arch of her eyebrows, the way their lips weren't chapped and their hair was neatly brushed. Their scoop-neck top was pink and their purple hoodie was properly sized, where before it had looked like maybe five sizes too large and a man's hoodie to boot. Overall, they had an impression of sameness, while being almost nothing alike.

"Hi, Preacher," said Sonny, smiling and showing a glimpse of their teeth. "Wanna come in?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Hey, S-sonny? And, uh, sure." That was sonny, right? Preacher was a little shocked by Sunny's transformation. She had met Sunny exactly once, well, twice - if she counted the shell of a Sunny she'd seen in the 1920s. This iteration (for lack of a better word) was cleaner cut, more put together, and somehow it was a little unnerving. It was Sonny, and not Sunny, maybe.

Preacher shrugged. It was whatever. "You 'member me?" Now that was kind of cool, and she smiled at it.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Sort of," said Sonny. "The you from before." They led the way through the hall to the parlor, a room decorated in an idiosyncratic traditional-meets-modern style. Above the unlit fireplace hung an oil portrait on masonite: Liam and Renard, together on a black field. Sonny settled themself back on the loveseat, crossed their legs up beneath them. "What's up?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

It felt ********' weird to sit on fancy sofas and s**t, so Preacher plopped down, cross-legged on the floor. She looked around interestedly. "So, was tha me afore cooler? The you afore was... well, you had dirty shoes and made me promise ta come visit ya." Preacher wasn't sure how she felt about the new Sonny, but she barely knew the other Sunny anyway.

"I know ya don't know how it's different, but you look better."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sonny wrinkled their nose. "I don't know anything about that," they said. "I liked you before. I think I'll probably like you again. But I don't have enough information to make a value judgement."

They shrugged. "I doubt it'd be difficult to look better than before, if my shoes were dirty."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I guess we'll see. Figured I should make good on my promise anyway. And old you was gonna tell me how to save the world." She laughed. "Though you ended up tryna end it." Well, Preacher hadn't meant to say that, but it was out now.

"So now everybody is new n' s**t. Before you didn't have a home, ya stayed on the beach and said you didn't need one. I'm glad you got one now though." She picked at loose threads on her jacket. "D'you like your set-up, for the most part?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I guess I still know that," mused Sonny.

They kicked out their feet, which were currently bare except for some truly amazing socks with a pattern of keys and stars on them. "I have two dads who love me," they said. "I can do whatever I want except I can't leave the house or the otherworld. It's okay, I guess."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Don't matter. I ain't here to eventually get stuff from ya. Just here to be here." Of course, if the world was ending, she'd ask, but it was whatever. An excuse, mostly. She reached out to poke a star before stopping short.

"What ya mean ya can't leave the house? Like can ya go down to tha beach? Is it 'cause magic's weird n' different?"

shlbrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sonny turned their gaze on Preacher. Their eyes were a bright, inhuman violet, flecked with springy green. "I'm not human, and they all know it," they said. "I know what happens when I try to meet people. They send me away to the asylum."

They sighed. "It's better to let them think I'm dead. People still visit me, after all."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"They all know it?' Well, like I know a ******** wi' stars in his eyes n' he gets out n' about." Preacher frowned. It didn't seem fair that Sunny had to just...stay inside. She bet it was ******** boring.

"I saw you, after ya'd come back from tha asylum." She took a deep breath. "It's diff'rent now, I think. I wouldn't let 'em grab ya. We should go outside, do stuff." Was it living if it was just inside a house?

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Zac isn't also immortal," Sonny pointed out. "Everyone's grandparents would recognize me. And now, there's not just asylums. There's scientists. And people who think they can cure magic."

They shrugged. "I don't mind so much anymore. Papa and Father just want to protect me."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"But, like..." Preacher frowned heavily. It just didn't seem like really living. Immortal and trapped inside. "I get that they wanna protect ya - ya're cool n' s**t." She shifted uncomfortably.

"If you ever do wanna go out, we can disguise ya. Hats n' s**t, wigs, y'know. And I can say you're my long lost relative or somethin'. It just don't seem right to coop you up. The other one wasn't cooped up, but she didn't have a home..." What a trade-off, Preacher thought.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"That'd be nice," said Sonny brightly. "Father used to bring me pictures of the new houses. I like to look at them, you know. Things don't really change in here, since none of us die or even get any older. What would we do? Could we go to the beach?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"How come they can go out n' stuff but not you?" She jiggled her leg. "N' we can go to the beach, yeah, or ******** about in tha woods. Do you wanna see where there was a crack in tha world from the last ya?"

Somehow, it was kind of funny now, though it was utterly heartbreaking at the time.

shibrogane