Work Text:
Akarsha’s Bedroom: 7:00 am
It’s a morning like any other for Akarsha. Her radio clock is playing some pop song, already partway through.
Akarsha, half-asleep, pulls the power cord out from the wall, and snuggles back into bed. She just needs five more minutes, she tells herself.
Akarsha’s Bedroom: Twenty-two Minutes Later
“Akarsha! Are you ready?”
Akarsha’s eyes open in fear. She turns over towards her radio clock, and realizes that it’s powered off.
“Akarsha!” her mom’s voice rings out, again. “Are you even up?”
Akarsha rockets out of bed and starts rummaging through her closet, looking for clothes for the day. “Yeah, I’ll be right there!”
As she scrambles she looks at her Totoro watch on the desk for the time. It cheerfully displays 7:22 am.
Akarsha groans. Today was not off to a good start.
Outside: Many Minutes Later than Usual
Akarsha runs to Diya’s place. As Akarsha rounds the corner, Diya is standing out front waiting for her. In between heavy breaths, Akarsha explains. Sort of.
“Sorry - huff - Diya - gasp - I was busy - whoo - saving the world.”
Diya gives a quizzical look. “We’re in high school. How could you be saving the world?”
After Akarsha catches her breath, she gives a broad grin. “I’m a magical girl fighting physical demons by night, and a student fighting metaphorical demons by day!”
Diya’s face remains puzzled. “But if you’re fighting demons at night, why aren't you on time during the day?”
“Ah, but I am on time! You just think I’m not on time, because the demons set everybody else’s clocks forward ten minutes.”
Diya nods. “…including the school’s?”
Akarsha realizes her mistake. “Well, uh—
Diya nods again. “Let’s go before we’re late.” She turns and begins walking.
Akarsha sighs, and trudges after. Her real life was so boring.
School Classroom: Two Minutes Before School Starts
Akarsha lies in wait. Noelle would come by any second now, prepared for a prank, and Akarsha had to act like she did something nefarious to her chair.
Look, she didn’t have a backup plan ready, and arriving at school later than usual made it harder to come up with something on the fly. Hence, Plan Fake Out Noelle.
Noelle peers into the classroom. Akarsha whistles nonchalantly (and poorly), making Noelle squint with suspicion. She waves her arm in the doorway, then with caution she makes her way to her desk. Noelle looks around for any unseen hazards, including at Akarsha’s face for any tell.
Whenever Akarsha notices Noelle looking at her, she glances over to the chair, and then back to making eye contact. She’s not subtle about it, which is precisely the point.
But instead of increasing the tension, Noelle seems to relax. She advances to the chair, gives it a quick look over, and confidently sits down. “I think you didn’t have a prank today, and tried to fake me out,” Noelle announces.
Akarsha gasps (a little more authentically than she intended). “How do you know I didn’t double trick you, pretend to have a prank only for you to think I had no prank, but there’s actually a prank?”
Noelle smirks. “Because you have your textbook in your hands. If there actually was a prank, you’d be ready to run.”
Akarsha looks down at her hands, holding a textbook, and deflates. “Oh.”
“Also, Diya told me you two were running late this morning.” Noelle almost sounds apologetic. “So I figured you didn’t have time to set up something.”
“Ah.” And they sit in the awkward silence until the bell rings to start class.
School Classroom: Later in the Day, Different Class
In World History, they’re watching a movie titled Jodhaa Akbar, telling the story of a Mughal emperor and his wife. At the moment, there is a tender scene where Jodhaa is nursing him back to health.
But Akarsha is in a bad mood, and so she spirals instead. Would anyone ever want to do that for me? Take care of me in sickness and health? I’ve never done anything of importance. Who’d ever care about me that way?
She stews in it instead of watching the movie. It doesn’t make her feel better.
Cafeteria: During Lunch Break
The gang is sitting at their regular lunch table. Min is crafting, well, something dangerous and malicious out of paper and school supplies, but it’s unclear what it is. Noelle is busy eating her lunch, and Diya’s head is turned to better listen to Akarsha vent.
“…and that’s why I’m doomed to spend the rest of my life alone.” Akarsha’s head crashes into the table.
“Hey!” Min shouts. “You don’t have to be a, uh, the thing when the ground shakes.”
“Earthquake,” Diya helpfully supplies.
“Yeah, an earthquake! Don’t be an earthquake! I’m trying to make something here.”
“Sorry,” a muffled voice responds, spoken into the table surface. “I can’t help being annoying and a pest. It’s all I’m good for.”
Noelle replies. “No, you’re not useless, Akarsha.”
She scoffs. “If I’m so worthwhile, what’s something that I’ve done for any of you that you would have paid me to do?”
The table is quiet for a moment too long.
Akarsha chuckles. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
The rest of the group starts their interjections, but Akarsha isn’t listening. She knows her worth, or lack of it.
Baseball Field: At Baseball Practice
Akarsha is up to bat. It’s only a practice game, but Chryssa and Liz still push the team to do their best.
As Akarsha walks up to the plate, Min shouts out. “Don’t do stupid shit this time, okay? Just try to hit the ball.”
Akarsha smirks. “Aye aye, captain!”
Min scowls, and pitches. Akarsha stands stock still as the ball flies into Diya’s mitt, then swings a solid few seconds after.
“Oh for fu—
“Language!” Liz calls out.
Min’s scowl has somehow deepened. “You didn’t even try to hit it, you mother— ya turtle!”
Akarsha shrugs, pleased with herself. “It’s not my fault. I’m on a tape delay.”
Min stomps in frustration. “That’s not how that works!”
Chryssa closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Akarsha. Just try to hit it, for real, okay?”
She nods vigorously. “Yeah, of course! But that was me trying.”
“You and I both know it wasn’t.”
Akarsha groans. “Alright, alright, fine.” She readies for the next swing and Min pitches. And while Akarsha does swing approximately on time, everyone is caught off guard as she shrieks while doing so.
“What the hell was that?!” Min yells from the mound.
Akarsha grins. “It’s like golf. I had to make a noise as I tried to hit the ball.”
“You’re thinking of tennis,” Noelle helpfully calls out. “And they don’t scream.”
Liz jogs up to Akarsha. “Great job. But I’ll have you know, I’ll make you keep batting until you hit a ball.”
“But I’m out after three strikes!” Akarsha retorts. “That’s against the rules.”
A devilish smile creeps across Liz’s face. “It’s a practice game, and the rules don’t matter here. I’m doing what’s best for the team.”
Akarsha huffs. “Fine.” She adjusts her footing, and pulls herself back into an actual batting stance. Min’s eyebrows furrow in concentration. And then they wind-up, and pitch. Akarsha swings as hard as she can, pouring her self-directed frustration and rage into the bat.
* CRACK *
As Akarsha looks up, she sees the ball flying away. The outfielders are running, but the ball keeps soaring, out to and beyond the school fence.
Chryssa claps, and Liz hollers. “Nice job! I knew you had it in you!”
Akarsha smiles, but her stomach sinks. She overshot, and actually did something impressive. She feels the dread well up inside, and keeps that smile plastered on. Everyone else is cheering and clapping.
Everyone, it seems, excepts Noelle. Even though she is clapping, her face is instead drawn tight in concern and worry.
That’s weird, Akarsha thinks. What did I do wrong?
Outside the School: After Baseball Practice
Akarsha’s got her backpack and is plodding home after baseball practice. She hears the sound of running footsteps, and turns to see Noelle trying to catch up to her. Akarsha stops walking, waiting to hear what Noelle has to say that’s so important. However, Noelle’s body betrays her, and she has to spend a solid minute with her hands on her knees, panting and wheezing, trying to catch her breath. Finally, she ekes out her question.
“Akarsha, are you okay?”
Akarsha is taken aback. “Y-yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
Noelle frowns. “Because you seemed really down this morning. And at lunch you were complaining that no one cares about you—
“Psssh. That’s just hormones. I’m all better now.”
“—And. And you had that fake smile you do when you’re pretending that everything’s alright, even though you’re stressed out, when you hit that home run.” With no response from Akarsha, Noelle continues. “I know you. What’s going on?”
Akarsha laughs (inauthentically) (it’s kind of obvious) (even Akarsha knows Noelle is onto her). “It’s really okay, I’m just having an off day. Woke up late, messed up my day, now I just have to live with it.”
Noelle crosses her arms. “You’ve woken up late before, and you’ve weren’t this miserable then.”
Akarsha heaves a big sigh. “Okay. Fine. Yeah, I’ve been feeling like I’m worthless. Like anything I do is never enough. So I make my peace with that, and joke around and never try to do things, because trying just means disappointing people, since I’m never enough. And all that means I’ll end up dying sad and alone, with no one who cares. And it’s not like anything made me feel this way, it’s just how I usually feel, except apparently it’s worse today. So. Sorry, I guess.” By the end, Akarsha realizes she’s kind of shouting, and she doesn’t care. But then she looks at Noelle.
Noelle looks sad. There’s probably more complex feelings in there, if Akarsha cared to pick them out, but the most overwhelming one is sad. Akarsha goes to actually apologize, but Noelle speaks first.
“But I care about you. And don’t tell me I don’t.” Akarsha hesitates, trying to think of a response. Noelle continues recklessly. “You’re… you’re more important than you realize.”
Akarsha retorts, “But I’ll just disappoint you. Someday, I’ll do something wrong, and you’ll leave.”
Noelle reaches out and grabs Akarsha’s hands. “Then deal with it then. Worrying about it now won’t do you any good. So listen when I tell you, you matter, Akarsha. And… and I’ll keep saying it, as long as I know you.”
Akarsha is silent, and looking down. Then she finally speaks up.
“What if alien body-snatchers take my brain and put in a slug that pretends to be me?”
Noelle scowls and withdraws her hands. “That’s not going to happen. Even if aliens did exist, they couldn’t take out your brain without killing you.”
Akarsha looks at Noelle and smirks. “How do you know it hasn’t already happened, hmm, Frenchman? Maybe you’re just consoling Gleeblorp Maxaxicus?”
Noelle lets out an annoyed yell. “Ugh! I take it back. You’re so—
She’s interrupted by a hug. “But really, thank you,” Akarsha says in her shoulder. “That means a lot.”
Noelle waits for a moment, then replies. “Any time Akarsha.” And she hugs her back.
Akarsha’s Home: A Long While Later
“Akarshaaaa!”
A voice rings out from the bedroom. “What?”
“It’s 10 am! Why aren’t you up yet?”
A huff is the response, followed by, “Because it’s Sunday. I should get to sleep in at least one day a week.”
“But didn’t you make plans with your RPG group?”
“Ehh. They won’t miss me. The GM can just make a substitute for my character.”
Footsteps march towards the bedroom, followed the sound of a blanket being thrown off the bed. In quick succession, a shriek resounds through the house.
“Akarsha. You. Have. To. Go.”
There’s a sigh. “It’s not like I matter anyways. I never make anything happen in the game.”
A few moments pass, and then the bed creaks as additional weight is added. The first voice begins speaking gently. “You matter, Akarsha. And I will keep saying that until the day I die.”
“But Noelle—
“No buts. I’m sure your GM will miss you if you don’t make it. Do you want me to call her?”
“No, but—
“So get going!”
“But Noelle, what if it’s just my character Gleeblorp Maxaxicus who doesn’t matter?”
A chuckle follows. “I’m sure Gleeblorp is just as valuable a member of the party as anyone else. Especially with you playing them.” The bed creaks again as the weight lifts. “I’ll help you up.”