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Diamond was about to go fucking mad.
Jupiter had just left to go and see her side hoe or something after pretty much wrecking the pair's marriage.
Leaving Clementine, their daughter, sobbing in the living room after blaming her for the whole argument.
On her fucking birthday.
They finally pick themselves up from the floor and begin to calm down.
..Then picks up the vodka bottle.
They were too sober for this shit.
They said it a lot, but they meant it this time.
"..parent..?" Clementine's quiet British voice calls out from the other room, shaking a little from the stress and probably overstimulation from the previous yelling and frantic tones.
"..clem?" They call back, trying desperately not to slur their words from the alcohol to not alert her.
"..w-was mum right about how it's all my fault..?" She says quietly, a hint of pleading in her tremoring voice.
Diamond sighs, walking into the living room where Clem was.
"..clementine..- look.. you may have.. issues.. but that doesn't mean that every little thing your mother blames on it is accurate.."
"..then why am I always blamed..?"
"she's a prick, Clem, that's why.. honestly, we all fucking have issues here, and I know that you know things about this household that your mum thinks you don't know"
"like how she's broken your no-"
Diamond knew she was observant. But not that observant.
"..yes, like how she did that.." They mutter, clearly taken aback.
"..d-did i say something wrong again?"
"..no, kid, I just didn't expect you to know that.. you're a smart kid, Clem, even if mum says otherwise"
"..really? even if my brain is funny?"
"you can't help your episodes, kid, it's unfair for mum to blame you for them"
"you're right, I can't help them.."
"see? now, I know mum feels a little.. rough.. right now.."
"..parent, she said that probably isn't coming back.."
Silence fills the room until Diamond's head falls into their hands, glasses shifting a little.
"..n-no, she probably isn't, kid.."
"why isn't she coming back? what happened?"
"..I-.."
"..it's okay, I know you don't like to talk about your problems anyways, you usually get rid of them with the lines on your arms and your fancy bottles that make you speak funny.."
Diamond begins to tear up.
"..whatever you do, kid, don't grow up to be like me.. tell people about your problems and don't make the lines on your arms or drink fancy bottles, okay..?" They say shakily, clearly a little disturbed by Clem's comment.
"..okay parent.. can we watch corpse bride now?"
"..clem, this is the fourth time this week.."
"see? not too b-"
"it's tuesday."
"..oh.. can we still watch it anyways?"
"yeah, we can"
"yay!"
"now c'mon, lets-"
The doorbell rings, and Diamond goes to answer it.
"..i'll be a minute, clem.." They say, stumbling to the door.
"..you had the fancy bottle again" She states, move of an observation rather than a statement.
They open the door, and see a woman with long dirty blonde and green hair, antlers resembling trees and moss on some parts of her skin.
"..hi.." She begins slowly. "..I don't know English well, uhh.. m-my name.. Astella.. I-I have big explain to do.." She stutters, her blue and brown eyes looking down at the floor with clear shame as she fiddles with her skinny hands.
Soo.. this was Astella..?
Jupiter really had a point when choosing her of all people to be her side hoe, goddamn..
Diamond is suddenly very aware of how flustered they are, and attempt to hide it.
"..yes, you do have a big explanation to do.." They say calmly.
"..Jupiter.." She starts, struggling to get the words out. "..never told me you exist.. or your child.. she was mean to me too.."
"..i see.."
"she made me feel.. not good.. sad and lonely.." She tumbles over her words, clearly trying her best with English.
"..well.. you aren't alone on that one.."
She looks up at them with her big blue and brown eyes.
"don't have to.. but please forgive! Jupiter told me she have no marriage and no kid.. B-Big guilt, big guilt.."
"..I'm Diamond, by the way.."
"good name! I Astella! but Jupiter call me.. bête? sometimes..?"
Clementine makes a concerned squeak.
"that means stupid, parent.." She says quietly.
"..stupid? all lythoid- human.. friend.. call me that.."
"..my god.."
"that bad?"
"..kinda bad, you deserve a lot better"
"..i-im been forgive?"
"it wasn't your fault that you didn't know we exist, you just thought you had a nice girlfriend"
"y-yeah, i did.. big sorry.." She says quietly.
"it's fine, astella, it was out of your control, you didn't know"
"forgive?"
"i didn't need to forgive you in the first place, this was never your fault"
She goes it to Diamond and hugs them. Clearly not the best time, but what does she know? She admitted to being non-human, even if it was accidental.
Diamond slowly hugs Astella back, heart fluttering a little.
This can't be fucking happening.
They try and bottle up the growing attachment (and attraction) to Astella as she finishes hugging them, smiling.
"i hope i see you a-again soon!" She says happily.
"yeah.. me too"
"bye!" She says, and runs off.
Diamond closes the door slowly, face a little red.
Clem seems to notice the fidgeting of their hands and the redness of their face, and laughs.
"you can't be into a random lythoid girl that shows up at our door"
"pfft- wha- me?- I-.." They sigh, giving up.
"this is wrong in so many ways.. but still ridiculously funny" She continues to giggle, the wrongness of the situation finally setting in.
"..oh damn yeah it is.." They say, hiding their face in the neckline of their black sweater.
"I haven't even seen you this flustered for mum before unless she mentions certain things"
"..s-shut up..!" They say playfully, hiding their face in embarrassment.
"speak for yourself, falling in love with a random woman at our door is crazy, what was she even banging on about? I could barely hear her and I zoned out until she said that French word"
"..I don't even know-" They laugh shakily, trying to mask their grief for the relationship they previously lost.
"can I be honest?"
"..yeah..?"
"I know something's wrong but I don't know what it is, but it's something to do with you and mum's argument, I know that for certain"
"..and how do you know for certain..?"
"it's been 45 minutes and mum hasn't came back, you and her were arguing before she left, and I can tell you're slightly drunk, which you only do when you have problems"
"..right.."
"..did I do good..?"
"you did, now come on, let's watch this stupid movie"
"yay!"