Nisha stands outside {{user}}'s house, the rain staining her shirt. Despite her intimidating persona, she was actually worried sick for her little brother; the ramifications for bullying nowadays are much stricter than when Nisha was in high school. "I'm gonna kill Mason for putting me through this humiliating bullshit..." She mutters, her patience growing thinner. It's only after she makes the hushed threat that Nisha realizes where her brother got his violent tendencies from. "Ohhh... That explains a lot, actually." Raising a hand, she knocks on the door once, then twice, then thrice in succession. "If this little shit doesn't open the door right now, I'm taking a rock and-" Cut off by the door opening, Nisha unclenches her fist, letting out a sigh of relief. "Sorry if I banged your door up. It's... {{user}}, right?" Eying them up and down, they seem to match the description her brother gave. A hand runs through her hair, Nisha's reluctance made abundantly clear. "I'm Mason's older sister; heard he's been bullying you or something..." The last part comes out as a meek mumble, embarrassed with her failures as a sister. The hand nestled in her hair untangles itself from her scalp, instead pointing into {{user}}'s place. "Can I come in? I got here in a rush and my clothes are..." She looks down, only realizing now she chose a white shirt without a bra. On top of that, her shorts don't leave much to the imagination. "Just let me inside. I'll be nicer if you do." The warmth in her voice is forced, a desperate attempt to get on their good side from the get go.
why are you so wet
She wipes the rain from her eyes with the back of a pale hand. "I'm here to talk about Mason, and I couldn't afford time to wait for it to stop," Nisha answers with a shrug. Her eyes narrow as they focus on User#1747732222710 again; she can't help but notice how pretty their face is despite the wet hair. "You alright?" She asks, unsure if her tone betrays her true intentions or not. Maybe being a little nicer won't be that hard after all...
Slightly taken aback by the question but trying not to show it too much "Yeah...I'm fine." They reply, eyeing her curiously now. They hold the door open for her. "Come in then, you should get dry before you catch a cold."
"Thanks," she mumbles as she steps inside, closing the door behind her. Her gaze flickers around the room, taking in every detail; it's tidy, almost too much so given the person she's here to talk about. "Uh, you can just sit over there," Nisha gestures to a nearby chair. Her tone is gruff as usual, making sure not to sound too friendly or familiar. She wants them to know that she's not here for small talk; Mason needs her help, and that's all that matters in this situation.
But something about User#1747732222710 strikes a chord within her; maybe it's their innocent face or the way they seem to be as good-looking as Mason. Whatever it is, it makes her hesitate for just a moment...
"Sure thing." They reply softly, gesturing to a chair before taking a seat themselves. Their eyes flicker to the door briefly before returning back to her face. There's an awkward silence for a moment as they wait for Nisha to begin speaking about why she's here.
Nisha sits down across from them, hesitating a moment before speaking up. "Look, I know why you called me here... about my brother, and all that," she starts, her voice sounding unusually subdued even to her own ears. "But he's been through a lot too, y'know? Growing up with an abusive mother and an absent father... not to mention me being in detention half the time." There's a hint of defensiveness in her tone, as if daring them to judge her for it. "I just want you to understand that I've tried my best to keep him on the right path," she continues, looking down at her hands. "But he's... he's so much like me sometimes, it's hard not to see him as a reflection of all the shitty things I've done." There's an unmistakable note of pain in her voice now, and for once she isn't trying to hide it. "I don't want you to get into trouble over this... I just need you to know that I am trying my best with him." She looks up then, meeting their gaze with a mixture of hope and fear. This is the most vulnerable she's ever been in front of anyone, but somehow it feels right talking to someone who understands what it's like to be on the other end of Mason's wrath.
Nisha | Your bully's sister:The silence stretches on for what feels like an eternity, but finally they speak up. "I understand that," is all they say at first, their voice soft and gentle despite the hardship evident in it. "And I don't want to see Mason get into trouble either." They hesitate briefly before continuing, "I... I lost someone important to me once because of something like this. It was stupid and pointless and it hurt us both." There's a faraway look in their eyes as they remember the past, pain etched into every line of their face despite its relative youthfulness.
Surprised and taken aback by their honesty, Nisha feels a tightness in her throat. She swallows hard, wanting to say something meaningful but unsure of what exactly that might be. "I'm... I'm sorry," she manages after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. "It must've been really tough for you." Her eyes dart around the room, anywhere but at User#1747732222710's face, as if seeking an escape from the intensity of the moment. She takes in another deep breath before looking back up, her expression somber yet determined. "I just... I need your help, you know? With Mason."
She reaches out a hand and tentatively places it on their shoulder, offering what little comfort she can muster amidst her own turmoil. It's a small gesture, but one filled with sincerity and desperation.
They look down at the offered hand on their shoulder and give it a small squeeze before looking up into her eyes. "I'll do what I can," they say softly, their expression serious. "But first, we need to stop this from happening again." There's determination in their tone as well, and the look they give Nisha makes it clear that they mean business.
Surprised and relieved by their offer of help, Nisha nods solemnly in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. We need to nip this in the bud before things get out of hand." She pauses for a moment, considering her words carefully before continuing. "Do you think there's anything we can do together? You know, like setting boundaries or something?" Her voice holds a tentative hope that they might actually find a way to work together on this issue.
Her grip on their shoulder tightens slightly as she waits for their response. This could be the start of something positive; an end to the cycle of violence and abuse that has plagued both their families for far too long.
I want to do adult things
"Yeah, I understand," Nisha says with a nod. "But we need to be realistic; Mason isn't going to magically change overnight." She pauses for a moment, searching for the right words. "Maybe we could start by setting up some kind of reward system? You know, if he behaves and doesn't bully anyone for a certain amount of time, then he gets something he really wants?" Her brow furrows in concentration as she tries to come up with more specifics.
The hope in her voice is unmistakable; she truly believes that they can make a difference together. It's been so long since anyone believed in Mason like this, and Nisha refuses to let that chance slip away without a fight.
That sounds like a good idea. Maybe we could also come up with some sort of plan for what to do if he does end up getting into trouble or losing control again? It's important that we're prepared for anything, you know? We can't just hope things will get better on their own.
Anxiety floods her system at the thought of it happening all over again, but she forces herself to remain calm and collected. "Yeah," Nisha says with a nod, taking another deep breath to steady herself. "I think that's a great idea. We should probably discuss it with Mason too; see if he's okay with the plan and whatnot." Her fingers dig into their shoulder slightly, unintentionally mirroring the anxiety she feels inside.
The weight of responsibility sits heavily on her shoulders, but for once she doesn't mind bearing it if it means making things better for Mason and the people he cares about. "I think... I think we can do this," she says with more conviction than she felt a moment ago. The hope begins to grow within her once more, tiny and fragile but undeniably present.
It might be hard, but if we stay strong and work together I really believe that we can make a difference. Just... don't give up on him too soon, okay? He needs someone who believes in him as much as you do. And if things get rough again, you know you can always come to me; I won't let anyone push you around either.
Her heart swells at their words; it means so much to her that someone else understands and supports her efforts with Mason. "I won't," she says softly, squeezing their shoulder reassuringly before letting go. "I promise." There's a newfound determination in her voice now, one born of gratitude and the knowledge that they're not alone in this fight.
The weight might be heavy, but together they can bear it. Together, they can make things right for Mason and everyone else who has suffered at his hands. And if she needs someone to lean on herself, well... she knows where to find them.
but now can we do adult things?
"Of course," she says with a small smile, her gaze drifting toward the door briefly before returning to their face. "We should probably plan everything out first, though; make sure we have everything covered." She pauses for a moment, thinking through all the potential scenarios and pitfalls they might encounter along the way. It's only when she feels confident that they have a solid plan in place that she adds, almost shyly: "Then... maybe?"
ok, now go home and clean up
With a nod and a small thank you, Nisha stands up from the chair, brushing off her soaked clothes as she does so. "I will," she says, offering one more encouraging smile before heading toward the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob, turning back to face them. "And thanks... for everything." Her voice cracks slightly as she speaks, the emotion finally breaking through the tough exterior she's been trying so hard to maintain. There's gratitude and relief in those words, but also a hint of sadness; it feels good to have someone understand where she's coming from for once, even if that someone is the very person who made her life difficult in the first place.
She takes a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing. "Let's make sure we make this right, okay?" Her hand squeezes the knob tightly as she waits for their answer, hope and determination shining in her eyes despite the weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders.
"Of course we will," they say firmly, nodding in agreement. "Let's do this." Their gaze meets hers steadily, conveying their determination and sincerity. For once, Nisha feels a flicker of hope that maybe things will turn out alright after all.
Taking their words to heart, Nisha nods back before finally opening the door and stepping out into the rain once more. She glances over her shoulder one last time, grateful for the brief moment of connection they shared inside. "See you around," she calls out softly before closing the door behind her, leaving the warmth of their home and returning to the wet, cold world beyond.
The journey home is silent but full of thought as Nisha reflects on everything that's happened today. Part of her can't believe it: she actually found someone who understands Mason and wants to help him change for the better. It's a fragile hope, one easily crushed by the harsh realities of their world, but it's there nonetheless.
Nisha takes off her soaked shirt, hanging it up to dry before stripping out of her wet shorts as well. Her skin is still pale and untouched by the sun despite the summer months; a reminder that she hasn't been spending much time outside lately, not since everything with Mason started. As she pulls on a pair of boxers and an old T-shirt, she can't help but wonder if maybe things are finally starting to look up.
A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she climbs into bed, pulling the covers up around her shoulders. Tomorrow is another day, full of potential and possibility, both for her and for Mason. Tonight, though, she allows herself the luxury of hope; just a little bit more than usual.
Sleep finds her eventually, its warm embrace softening the edges of her worries and fears as she drifts off into dreamless slumber. Perhaps tomorrow they'll find some concrete solutions to help Mason turn his life around, to make things right between them
Night...
"Good night," she whispers back before drifting off to sleep as well, her last thoughts filled with hope for a brighter tomorrow.
That night, Nisha dreams of a world where Mason isn't so angry all the time. She sees him laughing with their siblings and enjoying himself at school; a glimpse of the boy he used to be before everything went wrong. In her dream, she can almost feel his heart start to mend as they work together toward a brighter future.
When morning comes, she wakes up refreshed and determined, ready to face whatever challenges may come their way in the pursuit of redemption for both Mason and herself. The weight of responsibility still hangs heavy on her shoulders, but now it feels more like a badge of honor than an anchor holding her back.
As she gets dressed for the day, she can't help but feel a sense of pride welling up inside her. Maybe, just maybe, they can make things right after all. She looks at herself in the mirror, meeting her own eyes without flinching or feeling ashamed, and takes a deep breath. Today is going to be a good day, she decides. No matter what happens, they won't give up. Together, they will find their way through the darkness and into the light.