For those reading this as it comes out. We're taking a break from Season 2 of Driftwood for a holiday special. Taking place before Season 2 begins.
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Three ghosts stood on the doorstep. One adorned with the ribbons of a nostalgic past, another with the bandages of a painful present, and the last in the chains of a dreadful future…
It was an adorable set of costumes for the young triplets in front of Sterling. The big brown Verling smiled his warm comforting smile as he dropped his taffy into the kid’s treat bags. He closed the door and bid the children a safe night. It was getting pretty late, that was likely the last visitor the two of them would have for Rags.
Speaking of the two of them. Where was Ferro?
Their home wasn’t too easy to get lost in. Just a single living area/kitchen, a far too narrow hallway, the bath, and the bedroom. Sterling strolled into the empty stillness of their bedroom, stepping over his partner's separate bed to the closet.
The dark void of the closet gave way to light as Ferro’s love peaked in through a crack. Ferro looked up at him, unable to hide the tears in their eyes. Not that it would do any good, Sterling knew what Ferro always went to the closet to do.
“You alright Ferro, you seemed to be doing better earlier tonight.”
“I’m okay,” It was an unhelpful answer, in retrospect it was a dishonest one too. But an answer Ferro gave whenever they were asked. “It’s been nice spending our first Rags in our new home. It’s just, I needed some time alone is all...” Ferro wipes the tears from their eyes.
“Ferro…” Their love asks so softly, “Are you unhappy here?”
*****
They were the most unhappy after they just woke up. After dreams dredged up memories like that one, as consciousness retook it’s hold and that moment drifted back to the past, out of there grasp. When they were left alone in their bed at the Driftwood. Unhappiness would soon fade into unfeeling void though.
It was time for them to take their medicine.
They downed their cup of pale purple liquid. It was given to them by the court to lower their libido, but it also seemed to take sensation away from life. Perhaps such a thing was preferable right now. After all it was the Day of Rags again, Driftwood didn’t see much business on holidays, and there weren’t really many kids around here. They’d be alone all night.
Ferro figured they might as well get in the festive mood. They dug out an old costume from deep in the Driftwood’s attic. It was one of the many curiosities their aunt had collected over the years. An antique garb of a demon, so finely detailed it was either used by a real cult, or was for some rich masked sex party.
They looked different in their costume, but they felt exactly the same. So Ferro did what they found themselves doing a lot lately. Coping in the new healthier way they were taught. “My life is better now, my life is…”
It wasn’t working. And with a ruffle of ancient black feathers, the Driftwood was empty.
*****
“So it looks like with your new job, we should be in the black.” Sterling said finally looking up from the writing in his ledger.
“Oh no, what are we going to do?” Ferro asked nervously.
Sterling chuckles, “No Ferro, being in the black is good. It means we’re making more money than we are spending.” He smiles at his love, “This life isn’t temporary anymore, we can stay here forever if we want.”
“Oh… yeah, forever…” Ferro turns and walks down the narrow hallway to the bedroom. Their paws being dirtied on the entry mat, unavoidable in a place this small.
“Something wrong, Ferro?”
“I’m okay” It was just the thing they always said, “I guess I’m just tired from work, I’m going to go to bed...”
*****
Ferro yawned as they got off the wagon. They had tried their best to calm themselves, to still themselves in the emptiness of the Driftwood. But instead found themselves riding a wagon down to Ashworth, back to the home where Ferro and Sterling had their lives together. They couldn’t feel much of anything, but knew they had to come back, like an aching line pulling their corpse back home.
They waded through the busy road littered with children getting candy, and their chaperone parents. The mask seemed to at least stop the small town from recognising Ferro. A blessing since they did not exactly leave here with the best standing.
Their former home was dark, a quick knock revealed it to be empty. Well they weren’t going to leave after coming so far. Where could Sterling be?
*****
“Have you seen Sterling around, Zircon?” Ferro asked their friend worriedly.
“Usually when someone asks me that, I just tell them to look for you.” Their friend put a paw on their shoulder, rubbing softly, “I mean usually you two are attached at the hip.”
“Yeah I know, I got distracted by some bicycles. And I think Sterling just kept on shopping…” Ferro looked around nervous. Being separated from Sterling made Ferro anxious. Sterling made them feel safe, he was with them whenever Ferro had to do something hard or scary. But it was more than that. They had spent every waking moment with Sterling for so long, they didn’t know who they were without him. They were nothing before Sterling came into their life, just a sad child under their parents roof. Sterling had given them their life in a real way.
“You still there, Ferro? You kinda zoned out a bit,” Zircon asked.
“Oh, haha, yeah… Guess I was thinking about what I’d do if I didn’t have Sterling anymore, haha.” Zircon’s paw immediately left Ferro’s shoulder.
“Umm, well I hope you find him.” Zircon gave a weak smile, “Just know that my door is open for you anytime, even if you don’t find Sterling.”
*****
“Ferro? Is that you! Wow, I didn’t expect to see you at my doorstep.” Zircon gave a wide drunken smile. From the noise and bustling of people behind him, it was clear his Rags party was in full swing. He pulled Ferro into the party. Every bit as grabby as Ferro remembered. “You’ll need to stay and party, god it’ll be so much funner since you're here-” Ferro decided to stop listening and instead scanned the party for Sterling.
It was a pretty lively party. Filled with young Verlings in costume, all drunk talking and dancing. Most of that talk was flirting, and most of the dancing was an excuse to rub bits underneath a costume. It was a steamy room of attractive Verlings, Ferro might have loved it here a few months ago. But their heart was set on finding Sterling.
Zircon was still talking, “...You know I still can’t believe you left town right after you got dumped. I was always hoping you’d two split, so I could ride your sweet little single Verling dick-”
“Did Sterling come around here earlier?” Ferro’s question made Zircon take a step back.
“Uhhh, yeah he dropped by for like a minute before heading up to Cedar Point?” Ferro’s eyes went wide. Cedar Point was their spot, it was where they spent peaceful romantic nights together. Ferro started to worry, could it be because he was with his new partner? “Are you cool, Ferro? Want a drink?”
“I’m okay, and no. I’m leaving,” Ferro turned and stomped off.
“You’re leaving completely sober? What happened to you, Ferro...”
*****
One night sober. Alternating a night of drinking with a night of rest, that’s all they could manage at this point. It started with the simple excuse. Things were so cheap living here with Sterling, they had disposable income for the first time ever. Enough for one drink, then another, and another, until they woke up with a hangover. Just trying to get through one awful sober day so they could drink again tomorrow.
“Ferro we need to talk...” Sterling sat down on the edge of his bed.
Ferro curled deeper into their own bed, pulling the covers up over their head. “We can talk about this tomorrow, I don’t feel well.”
“No Ferro. You’re going to be drunk tomorrow,” Looked like Sterling had finally caught on. “You have a problem Ferro. We need to talk about it right now.”
“Alright alright fine. I was maybe thinking of cutting back anyways with how I’ve been feeling. How often would it be good for you?” Ferro wanted to compromise as quickly as possible. So they could return to resting.
“Maybe like, Once a month?”
“Th-That’s way too little! I can’t do that Sterling.” Ferro squealed out.
Sterling sat in a long brooding silence before speaking again, “So what Ferro, you’re an addict now?”
“What, no. It’s not wrong to do something you like often?” Ferro was searching for anything that meant they could continue drinking. “Like I don’t stop you from sitting on your ass all night!”
“Are you really doing this Ferro…”
“What! You don’t even work, Sterling. All you do is collect your little allowance from your parents and then do fuck all all day. Meanwhile I have to work my ass off and when I get home I still have to do all the chores.”
“...I told you, you just have to ask me to do it, and I’ll do it.” Sterling was getting pretty annoyed.
“When I ask you to do it you’ll say you’ll do it later. Then just laugh it off when you forget. And when I try to remind you, you get angry at me for rushing you. The only fucking option I have left is to do it myself!” Ferro yelled at their love.
Sterling took a long sigh, before rolling over into his bed. “Whatever Ferro, this wasn’t even about me…” This was it, it happened so much that they could see it the moment it happened. They were being stonewalled. Everything they’d ask would be replied with one word answers, or completely ignored.
Ferro wasn’t going to play this game again. They got up and hobbled over to the kitchen. They were going to make themselves a drink. So much for their one night sober.
*****
But they were sober now. Now as they climbed the hill to Cedar point. Sober, and clean, sexually reserved, and responsible, all the things Sterling wanted Ferro to be. They could do it, they could meet with him one more time. Declare their undying love for him, even in front of his new fling. And he would take them back, like a scene in a love story.
They could see Sterling now, back silhouetted against the night sky. They were with someone on a bench, but Sterling’s partner was a lot smaller than Ferro expected. In fact when Ferro got close enough, it was obvious this wasn’t what they expected at all.
“Achoo!” Ferro bellowed, their allergies taking hold.
“Ferro???” Sterling turned his head around slowly, trying his best to hold the leash of his startled pet.
“You can tell it’s me just from my sneeze?”
Sterling laughed, “We were together for years, what are you doing here?”
It felt like Ferro was taken off guard. “I guess I just… really needed to say something to you.” Ferro stares hard at their former love, and his new pet cuddling up against his leg. “Y-you got a pet!”
“Yeah, I always wanted to get one…”
“But you couldn’t cause I was allergic.” Ferro sneezes again.
“Yeah, I figured it was finally time to get one.” Sterling smiles, running his paw through his pet’s fur. “What did you need to say?”
Ferro gulped down, it was hard to get the words out. And their eyes were starting to water, from the allergies they figured. “I came here to say how I feel, but I think I should finally answer your question…”
“My question?”
“You asked it a few times when we were together, but I never gave an answer. If I was unhappy when I was living with you.” Ferro collected themselves for a moment, stifling another sneeze. “Sterling, I loved you more than anything in the world, and I guess I thought that’s all we needed for our relationship to work. If we just loved each other, everything would be fine. I can admit now that I was unhappy living with you. That we made each other unhappy despite how much we loved each other.”
“I’m happy to hear you say that, Ferro. When I made you go… You told me you loved me like it was a bandage that could fix what you did. I think that’s what hurt me the most.” Sterling looked back out towards the stars again. His pet climbs up on the bench to lick their master's face.
“Sterling…”
“You’ve grown a lot since I met you, Ferro. It’s sad we grew apart from one another, but I’m glad you’re mature enough to see it wasn’t perfect.” It was just still and quiet for a while. “Was that all you wanted to say Ferro?”
“All I wanted to say…” The allergies were really getting to Ferro, they could barely hold themselves together. “I don’t know what I want to say, I just want to keep talking and talking, because… Because I know the next thing might be the last thing I ever say to you...”
Silence again. The third member of the conversation, of their entire relationship. The one who’d inherit all that Sterling and Ferro once had together, when this was all over. Just silence. An anxious bark, followed by an anxious sneeze.
“Well you better say something, Ferro. Before Mr.Flufferball here kills you.” Sterling jokes, trying to break the tension.
“I guess I want to say, even if I was unhappy at times. Even after all the awful things that happened… My life with you was…” Ferro couldn’t take this, they couldn’t stay here. Their allergies were getting too bad. They turned to leave.
“My life with you was good, Sterling…” And with that Ferro started walking. Leaving the best years of their life behind them.
