Unprepared
Katherine was not prepared for this. She had expected a quiet day in House Blossom! Lizzie had come by, and Katherine had loaned her a crown for the wedding (she was still very skeptical of this wedding; didn’t Lizzie like Shrub?), and she’d figured that would be the most exciting thing that happened today.
Then the Gnome Queen had flown through her throne room window. Luckily, she hadn’t installed glass in it yet.
“Shrub?” Katherine stood quickly. “What are you - ack!” Shrub hugged her tightly, burying her face in Katherine’s chest. The gnome’s shoulders were shaking - Katherine realized she was crying. “Oh! It- It’s okay, Shrub. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s fine.” She wrapped her arms around Shrub reassuringly.
“I need you to take care of my wolves,” Shrub said, muffled.
“Okay,” Katherine agreed. “Where… where are you going?”
“I’m going to kill myself.”
She froze. “Excuse me? No. You’re not allowed to do that. Don’t say that!”
Shrub pulled back, tears running down her face. “But I have to, Kath! If - if I don’t, I’m going to hurt someone. I might kill someone!”
Okay. Not an uneventful day after all.
Katherine took Shrub’s hand and led her over to the throne, forcing her to sit in it so they were eye-to-eye.
“Explain,” was all she said.
Shrub sniffed. “I want to kill Joel.”
“Okay,” Katherine said slowly, “We all want to kill Joel sometimes. It’s not a big deal.”
“No, like, I really want to kill him. Until he doesn’t respawn. I want to torture him.”
Ah. That was. Something.
“Why?” Was all Katherine could think to ask.
Shrub hunched her shoulders. “Because Lizzie loves him.”
There goes Katherine’s OTP. “So you want to hurt Lizzie?”
“No. I…” Shrub looked away.
OTP was back on! “You want her for yourself.”
Shrub bit her lip. “It sounds so awful when you say it like that. But yeah. Yes. That’s. The thing.”
Katherine grinned. “Yes! I was right! And if I was right about that, I’m probably also right about this: Lizzie loves you, Shrub. She wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself. Ever. Even if she doesn’t love you the way you want - which I think she does - she loves you.”
Shrub looked at her. “But why? Why would she love me? I’m nothing. I’m just the little gnome girl who gave her an existential crisis.”
A laugh escaped Katherine. “I’m sorry. This is a very serious situation. You did what?
Shrub scowled slightly. “She wouldn’t talk to me for a month.”
Katherine sighed. “Okay. Why would Lizzie love you… hmm. Maybe because you’re funny and amazing and beautiful?”
Shrub scrunched her face up. “You just don’t want me to die.”
“I don’t,” Katherine agreed. “Because you’re my friend. And you’re Lizzie’s friend, too. And if she doesn’t love you, she’s missing out.”