Post by The Mechanized Menace on Jun 12, 2013 12:42:07 GMT -5
((No, this isn't a romance story.
This is a fanfic I started a couple of months ago, but I discontinued it because school was getting in the way. However, Poppy's new OC kinda inspired me to finish this story. Plus, I had a lot of time on my hands now that school's over.
Be warned though, there's a lot of controversial stuff in this story, especially at the end. It's why I made this story non-canon.
Anyways, not much left to say, but leave some feedback if you wish. I get better when people tell me why my writing sucks.
Enjoy!))
I’ve always believed that everyone is different because of genetics. Everyone was born differently, so therefore everyone is different. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
But my teacher from a few years ago said that we’re all different because we change all the time. Our interactions with others, the environment, everything, changes our personality, our beliefs, and our morals as we travel along the course of time, and as we journey through our lives, we learn extraordinary things about ourselves that we thought long ago would never be true. However, I disregarded my teacher’s remarks as false because they were too complicated and I liked it when things were simple.
Then she came into my life.
My name is Rumble. I’ve always lived most of my life as a loner, secluded from the rest of society. I was always bullied by the other yordles, who always beat me up, pushed me around, and called me names whenever they got the chance to. Because they always beat me up, I knew that I was allowed to beat them back up, so therefore I never hesitated to get even with them. This was called using logic, something that most yordles and humans were too stupid to do.
As I grew up, I only became more isolated from society. I often scampered around the junkyard, collecting whatever scraps and junk I could use. My true interest laid with mechanics, so I soon became highly skilled in making gadgets with practically any resource I could find. The junkyard became more of a home to me than my parents’ house, but that didn’t bother me one bit. My parents never cared much about me and they called me a problem more than a son, but I didn’t care. I looked forward to living a quiet life alone, devoting my life to my love of mechanics.
When I grew old enough to purchase a shelter of my own, I bought a small building that was situated in the middle of the junkyard. I renovated the building to my liking by adding more rooms and turning it into a workshop. I could finally live the life I always wanted to live, without any yordles bullying me or my parents scolding me.
It was a good life, and I didn’t want it to change.
Some years later…
I’ve been living at my workshop by myself for a few years now. Most of the time, I just build machines out of pure boredom. I’ve tried showcasing some of my better designs in the city in the past, but the officials all shook them off just because they were made of junk. They seemed to care more about aesthetics more than functionality and efficiency, which was very idiotic of them.
I’ve also earned myself a reputation around the city, albeit a bad one at that. Yordles knew me as That One Yordle Who Lives In That Junkyard. I hated that title, not only because it was far too long and complicated and had obvious insulting negative connotations attached to it, but also because yordles started to actually visit my workshop to see how “filthy” and “disheveled” I was, or so they said. As a response, I promptly threw pots and pans and wrenches at each and every one of them. Throwing stuff felt good. I was skilled at it and it helped me vent my anger.
I hated being treated like a zoo animal. I wasn’t some sort of Macaca mulatta, geez! I just wanted to be alone, but nooooo, everyone just had to barge into my workshop like they were the primates! Stupid jerks. Of course, I never hesitated to show off who was the real boss around these parts.
Speaking of showing off, you know what would be really cool? Becoming a champion. Not only would I get to fight all the time, which is my kind of style, but I’d have access to all the resources I could ever dream of to build even bigger and better machines. Sure, the fame would get annoying, but people would visit me not because I was some junkyard hobo, but because I was awesome and my machines were awesome.
Anyways, I was glad that I chose my workshop to be in the middle of a junkyard. Nowadays, I don’t really get any visitors anymore, probably because I threatened to bring out my flamespitter to anyone who irked me. It was to my surprise, then, that I heard knocking on my door one day.
I walked over to the door and opened it, which revealed a young yordle female. Her skin was a light blue, like most girls are, and she had red rosy hair that flowed to her shoulders. She was taller than me by half a head, though she looked a few years younger than me. That already irked me. However, she was very pretty, and most definitely did not look like the usual jerk that tried to harass me.
“Hello, miss. What do you want here?” I asked.
“Hi, Mister Rumble. I was hoping if I could be your pupil,” she said with a dainty voice.
I blinked once. A pupil? Really? This was certainly unexpected. I didn’t take very long to think about it, though, because having a pupil meant having a yordle to take care of, which I found very unfavorable. I disguised an unhappy expression on myself and shook my head. “Sorry, I don’t have the time to take pupils right now.”
“It’s okay,” she replied in a voice that didn’t sound at all dismal. “I understand, Mister Rumble.” She turned away and strolled out of the junkyard, not looking back at me once. I watched her walk away, and then I closed the door and resumed working. I couldn’t help but wonder about the girl, though. She was certainly very sweet and courteous, and she called me “Mister Rumble,” as if I held authority over her. Heh, “Mister Rumble.” I liked that name. It had a nice ring to it- wait a minute, how did she know my name?
I still wondered about the girl, curious as to why she wanted to become my pupil in the first place. Whatever. She probably won’t come again, anyways. I’ll just sleep the entire thing off and forget about it tomorrow.
The next morning, I heard a knock on my door as I was preparing breakfast for myself. I turned off the stove and walked over to the door. When I opened it, the same girl with the rosy hair from yesterday stood before my eyes. Before I got a chance to reject her, she asked, “Can I be your pupil now, Mister Rumble?”
I sighed. “Sorry miss, I already told you yesterday. I don’t take pupils,” I growled.
“Aww, why not?” she asked dejectedly, and for some reason, a pang of guilt actually shot through me for growling at her. Why did she keep want to become my pupil? I wanted to live a life alone and build machines alone. Taking a pupil in would destroy the meaning of the “alone” part.
I sighed and gave her a stern look, though I calmed down my voice. “Listen, why are you so interested in becoming my pupil? I already told you no.”
She smiled at me, her crestfallen expression already evaporating. “My teacher recommended me to you, Mister Rumble, and I always wanted to work under an expert!”
I gave her a perplexed look. Her teacher recommended me? I seriously never thought anyone would look at me as a genius. Sure, I was smart, but I didn’t have the greatest reputation around the city. I wasn’t exactly the nicest yordle, either.
“Hold on, how do you know my name?” I inquired, suddenly realizing again that I never actually introduced myself to the girl. The girl put a hand to her mouth and giggled, which annoyed me somewhat.
“I’ve seen you showcase your machines in the city before. Everyone else said they really sucked, but I thought they were really nice and creative. It’s really interesting how you could make such efficient machines out of a few pieces of junk,” she chucked.
I felt a slight blush of embarrassment tinge my cheeks. Rarely do I ever hear anyone compliment my machines. “Heh, it’s always nice to know that I’m not the only yordle with their mind in the right place. Functionality over aesthetics after all! Er…” I scratched the back of my head, trying to think up more questions, until I realized that I completely forgot to ask her name. “Oh yeah, what’s your name, miss?”
“My name is Rose, Mister Rumble,” she replied back. I blushed again. The whole “Mister Rumble” thing was embarrassing me far more than it should.
“Rose? Ha, weird to be named after a flower,” I chuckled.
“Well, it’s a lot better than having a verb for a name!” she chortled back.
“S-shut it,” I stammered, though I couldn’t help but smile at the yordle girl. In all honesty however, I thought that Rose was a beautiful name that fitted this beautiful girl perfectly.
“Er… Do your parents know you’re doing this?” I asked. I noticed that the girl’s expression suddenly dampened a little, and I almost felt sorry for her.
“They don’t really care what I do either way. I’ve always wanted them to acknowledge me, even a little, but they don’t really care about me. It’s almost as if they didn’t even want a child in the first place,” she solemnly moped. So her parents didn’t care about her, just like how my parents didn’t care about me.
I gave her a slightly sorrowful expression. “Heh, I know that feeling, miss. Well, if you give me your school reports to read, then I might consider it.”
Her expression immediately brightened up. “Okay, Mister Rumble! They’ll be in your hands in no time at all!” I had to admit, I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. She was certainly excited about the whole matter. She turned around to retrieve the reports, but before she went, she turned towards me again. “Oh, I almost forgot, Mister Rumble! I want you to have this!”
She pulled out what seemed to me a green rod from her purse. I took the rod and examined it carefully. I immediately noticed that the rod was made out of pure metal and that green metal leaves were attached to the metal stem. The rod was slightly curved and there was a tiny bud on top of the metal stem. Somewhere on the rod, there was a button.
“Press it,” she said eagerly, referring to the button on the stem. I pressed the button and the bud immediately whirred into action. Right before my eyes, the bud slowly bloomed, with exquisite grace and beauty, into a perfect metallic rose. The blooming and the rose were absolutely flawless, and I was completely mesmerized by the beauty and grace of the gift.
“This is marvelous,” I uttered. “Did you make this?”
“I did, Mister Rumble, just for you!” she replied with a gleeful voice. “I’ll be getting my reports now!” Before I could reply back, she turned around and ran off to acquire her teachers’ reports.
When she disappeared out of my sight, I closed the door and stared at the metallic rose. It was a marvelous piece of machinery, something that even I would have difficulty to create. I placed the rose on my bedroom table and smiled a little. Maybe this experience wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it would be.
In about an hour, I heard knocking on my door again. I opened the door and saw that Rose had arrived with the reports. She handed me the reports and I told her that I’d let her know if I would take her in by tomorrow. She thanked me and strolled back to her house, and I walked into my bedroom to examine the reports.
I couldn’t find a single bad thing written about Rose on the teachers’ reports. She had gotten straight A’s in her school, with some of those A’s being over 100%, and she was taking classes that yordles several years above her would normally take. All of the teachers commented on how she was a brilliant student, how she always engaged classroom discussions with an enthusiastic manner, and how she always formed collaborative relationships with her classmates as well. She could outsmart nearly every student in the school, and sometimes even her teachers as well. Her intelligence and her curiosity were forever blossoming, and her love of learning only shined brighter with each passing day.
This girl was a freaking prodigy.
However, she was a brilliant prodigy at that, too. I closed the reports and picked up the metallic rose she gave to me earlier. I examined the beautiful piece of machinery that she built and pressed the button several times to observe the rose shrinking into a bud and blossoming gracefully back into a gorgeous rose. The teachers’ reports and this piece of machinery were enough proof to me that she indeed was a brilliant young student.
She would become my pupil.
Rose was absolutely ecstatic when I agreed to take her in as my pupil. When I let her into my workshop, she immediately pranced around the building, observing every tool and machine I had. I chuckled and walked over to her, then placed my hands onto her shoulders.
“Whoa, Rose, slow down there,” I laughed. “I haven’t even started to teach you anything yet!”
“But you will soon, right Mister Rumble?” Her face radiated of enthusiasm. I laughed again and patted her shoulder.
“Indeed we will, Rose. In fact, we’ll start right now by me asking you a question. What do you think I do best, Rose?”
“Mechanics, sir!” she replied with delight.
“Spot on! So what do you think I’ll be teaching you?”
“You’ll be teaching me mechanics, Mister Rumble!” she exclaimed. I laughed heartily and patted her head.
“Righto, Rose. Oh yeah, and you don’t have to call me ‘Mister Rumble’ or ‘sir.’ Plain ol’ Rumble will do fine, Rose.”
“Alrighty then, plain ol’ Rumble,” she giggled.
I chuckled and rubbed her head. “Oh, you’re certainly the jokester, aren’t you? Well, stay still for a moment while I get something.” I patted her head again and strolled over to my bedroom, where I left Rose’s mechanical rose in. I pressed the button twice just to marvel at the brilliant machinery, then I strolled back to the main room. Unsurprisingly, Rose was examining the chalkboard that was situated on one of the walls. The chalkboard had intricate calculations of math and physics that I had scribbled down a few hours ago. I smiled and tapped her on the shoulder.
“How long did it take you to build this, Rose?” I asked. I pulled out her creation and pointed to it.
Rose smiled sweetly at me. “It took me about one week, Rumble!”
I chuckled, my smile growing even larger. “Well, how would you feel if I told you I could teach you how to make this in one day?”
“I would feel absolutely ecstatic, Rumble!” In my entire life, I had never seen a more jubilant being than Rose. She was literally bouncing up and down from excitement, with her hands clasped together out of pure joy. I couldn’t help but grin at her.
“Well, before we get to the fun stuff, Rose, we’ll have to review the basics of mechanics first. Now, grab a seat while I get prepared here…” I grabbed a chair and stood on it, and then I took a chalkboard eraser and wiped out the contents on the chalkboard. Then I picked up a piece of chalk and started to write and tutor…
It’s funny how a yordle’s mindset can change so drastically through such a short a period of time. Before I met Rose, I’ve always wanted to live in my workshop alone and build machines alone. However, these past two years have proven to be the happiest ones in my life.
Rose would come over to my workshop after school every day without fail. On some days, I would teach her, and then we would build gadgets and machines together. On other days, we would simply chit-chat with each other about various topics, ranging from our daily lives to the events happening around the world. Either way, I loved to teach and talk to her, because it meant being with her at the same time.
Over the course of time, Rose had become more than just my pupil. I started to treat her like my very own daughter. I even called her “Rosie,” which was my pet name for her, instead of “Rose.” We even built together a bedroom just for her in my workshop, because not only did Rose venture to my workshop every day, but she also slept in my workshop sometimes.
I wasn’t the only one teaching Rose, though. In a way, Rose has taught me a lot of things too. Ever since I took Rose in as my pupil, we formed a bond together that strengthened over time, and that bond has shaped my beliefs and my personality. I’ve begun to come out of my shell that I’ve hid in for so long, I dressed more formally every time I went out to the city, and I’ve acted more courteous to strangers. The biggest change I felt, though, was that being alone actually started to bother me.
Rose has matured a lot over these two years. Her hyperactivity certainly decreased as she grew, but her love of learning and discovery only continued to blossom. However, she grew not only mentally, but also physically. Rose was half a head’s height taller than me now, though I didn’t like to admit it. Nevertheless, I was proud by how far she’s come and how much her brain has been nurtured.
I knew that Rose would one day attain even greater heights and eventually move into a very prestigious university. She was absolutely brilliant and her motivation to learn only continued to bloom. I wished her great success in her life, knowing that she would someday achieve something innovative and extraordinary.
However, I also secretly wished that she would stay with me.
“Rumble! Rumble! You won’t believe what just happened!”
I yawned and rubbed my eyes before sitting up and checking the clock. 8 AM. Heh, no surprise there. Rosie always got up before me. I could hear the sound of breakfast sizzling in the kitchen already. I turned towards Rosie and smiled at her. “Yeah, what is it, Rosie?”
“The mail came in today, and I just got accepted into the Yordle Academy of Science and Progress! Isn’t this amazing?” Rosie was jumping up and down very ecstatically, waving a letter in her right hand. Her expression bore of happiness and joy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for myself.
Rosie was right; I couldn’t believe what just happened. She was leaving already? I couldn’t bear the thought of living alone without here. To add insult to pain, she was leaving for Heimerdinger’s academy, too! That place was a hive for sellouts! Nevertheless, I faked a smile and tried my best to congratulate her.
“O-oh, you did? That’s great, Rosie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time there,” I blandly stated, trying to not let any sign of dejection show. Rosie immediately grabbed my hand and dragged me out of bed and towards the kitchen, laughing and cheering all the way.
“This is a dream come true! I’ve always wanted to study at the academy, but I never expected that I would actually make it! It’s so… so…” At this point, Rosie had to clamp her mouth shut with both of her hands to keep herself from squealing with joy. I had to admit, seeing Rosie in such an ecstatic mood actually brought out a chuckle from me, but nothing could cure the grief I was feeling right now.
Rosie passed out some pancakes, and I immediately picked up a fork and speared one of the pancakes. As I was munching on the breakfast, Rosie continued to hum and ramble on in joy, oblivious to my despondency.
“T-that’s great, Rosie,” I mindlessly repeated, plastering a smile on my face. “I’m sure you’ll do great things there.” Rosie gleefully hopped towards the window and opened the curtains, letting in some sunshine into the room.
“I’m leaving in a few days, and I just can’t wait to get there! Imagine all the things I’d be able to do there! Who knows, maybe I’ll even work under Professor Heimerdinger!” she squealed.
That was a blow. I bent my fork into two acute angles keep myself from venting in anger. Rosie didn’t notice.
“This is awesome!” Rosie gleefully shouted, turning around to face me. “I-“
There was no use hiding my emotions this time. Rosie caught sight of the solemn expression on my face, and her cheery attitude immediately vaporized into thin air. She immediately sat down on the side opposite to me, a worrisome look creasing over her face.
“Rumble? What’s wrong? Why the glum look?” She placed her hand over mine, and I immediately retracted, looking away from her eyes.
“I… I…” No way could I tell her the truth. I couldn’t force her to stay for my own desires, when she had a bright and prosperous future right in front of her eyes.
Rosie chuckled as an attempt to invoke a bit of happiness in this otherwise morose setting. “C’mon, Rumble! It’s the Yordle Academy of Science! The best university in all of Valoran! Aren’t you happy about this?”
That shredded the last straw. Instinct took over me and I slammed my fist onto the table, anger flaring in my eyes. “That ‘school’ is a place for lapdogs and sellouts! The only reason why yordles even go to that school is to rub and lick the feet of humans!”
Rosie gasped, and I could see the hurt imprinted on her expression. “Rumble, that’s not true at all. The academy is an excellent institution that encourages humans and yordles to work together. No one is treated unfairly there.”
“Ha! ‘Work together,’ that’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard in my life!” I retorted. “Face it, we continue to lend the longlegs our superior technology every day, and what do we get? Absolutely nothing! To them, we continue to be nothing more than simple jokes to be played with! How do you think I ended up in this flea-ridden junkyard in the first place?” I screamed.
I could see the tears well up in Rosie’s eyes. She balled her hands into fists, shaken by anger. “Rumble… This isn’t like you at all…”
Rosie cupped her eyes with her hands and fled back to her room, sobbing all the way. My eyes followed her until she slammed her door shut. I plopped my elbows onto the table and dropped my head on my wrists, overtaken by anguish and grief.
I remained in the same position for what felt like an eternity. Though the sunshine brightened the gloomy mood in the workshop, the depression only continued to well within me. I finally looked up and turned around when I heard the soft patter of Rosie’s footsteps behind me. Rosie walked up and put a hand on my shoulder. The feeling was comforting, and it helped lessen my depression a little bit.
“Rumble… Do you really think the yordle academy is that bad of a place?” she asked.
I looked down, venturing into my own thoughts. I knew that the academy was an excellent school for enlightened yordles. I just hated that it was run by Heimerdinger and his motivation for running it. Heimerdinger was smart, I couldn’t doubt that, but I despised how he could think that we could just let the humans poke fun at us forever despite our service to them. However, the academy itself was an outstanding teaching community that could greatly benefit prodigal and accomplished yordles like Rosie. The university offered more opportunities than I could ever dream of for Rosie. Sighing, I looked up and shook my head.
“No… The academy is an excellent institution for gifted yordles like you. I got invited there as well, but...” I turned my head sideways to avoid eye contact with Rosie. “Its purposes simply weren’t suited for me. For you, though, I’m sure that you’ll achieve amazing things there.”
Rosie nodded. “Then why weren’t you happy about me going earlier?”
I looked down. No way could I tell her face-to-face that I wanted her to stay.
“Why weren’t you happy?” she repeated.
I finally gazed up at her. My face reeked of dejection and my eyes bleakly stared at Rosie. That was more than enough information for Rosie to piece together.
“You don’t want me to leave,” she uttered.
I couldn’t maintain eye contact with her.
Rosie took my hand and lifted me up from the chair, and then she embraced me in a warm hug. I hugged back; it wasn’t much, but it helped make me feel better.
“Hey… I’ll miss you, alright?” I attempted a smile at Rosie, trying to lift up her spirits. By the look in her eyes, though, I could tell that she was worried about me.
“Will you be alright without me?” she asked.
“Heh, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” I lied. “I’ve always got others to keep me company.” We both knew this wasn’t true. Rosie was the only yordle I would ever allow to keep me company.
Rosie smirked at me. “Oh really? Like who?”
Both of us chuckled, lifting up our moods a little. However, the gloomy atmosphere still hovered over us like a rainy day cloud. Silence soon took control over the conversation for a few seconds until Rosie spoke again.
“You know, I could always just not go,” she stated. My eyes shot up in shock. Was I seriously dragging her into trashing away her future?
“No, Rosie, you’re going to go. You’ve always wanted this, and I’m not going to stop you.”
“Who said I’ve always wanted this? There are good enough opportunities in Bandle, anyways.” We both knew she was bluffing. A prodigy like Rosie would be much better suited in Piltover. Another wave of silence spread through the air before Rosie spoke again.
“Rumble, what are you going to do without me?”
I broke eye contact with her and looked at the ground. “I’ll be fine,” I uttered bleakly. Rosie looked at me solemnly, knowing full well that I was lying.
“I’ll be fine,” I droned on. I felt Rosie place a hand onto my shoulder. Though I wasn’t looking at her directly, I could tell that she was getting more worrisome by the second.
“No you’re not, Rumble. I’m not leaving you alone.”
I quickly turned to look at Rosie and growled. “And I’m not letting you throw away your future just for me. You’re going,” I declared. Though I didn’t scream, my last word vibrated the air with an intensity that left Rosie stunned. A strict silence ensued, and no exchange of words took place. All motion ceased aside from the blinking of our eyes. After a few seconds, Rosie hugged me again and spoke with a comforting tone that uplifted my mood a little.
“Hey… How about I think on it for a little bit, and I’ll let you know my decision later, alright?” she assured me. I quietly nodded in response. We held the hug for a while, and then Rosie broke off and quietly treaded towards the doorway. “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?” Rosie beamed one more smile at me before leaving the workshop. I flashed a pathetic smile in response.
When I was sure Rosie left, I groaned loudly and ventured off to my bedroom. I plopped onto my bed, trapped within my conflicting thoughts. I wanted Rosie to stay, but also I didn’t want to throw such a bright future away from her eyes. What the hell was wrong with me?
I stuck my head into the pillow and laid on my bed for a while before I heard a whirring sound. I raised my head and looked at the small table next to my bed.
It was Rosie’s mechanical rose, the one she gave to me when we first met.
The machinery whirred to life and the rose began to bloom from its bud, still as beautiful as ever. The gears spun with grace and the petals blossomed with magnificence and beauty. I slowly picked up the mechanical rose and stared at it for a good while. The machinery was absolutely gorgeous and brilliant, much like Rosie herself.
At that point, I knew that Rosie was destined for something far greater than this disheveled workshop. I didn’t deserve her, but she deserved to study at the academy, where her imagination could be ignited even further and where her mind could blossom into an absolutely spectacular genius. I would make sure that Rosie would travel to the academy to obtain the education that was justified to her.
No matter what the cost.
I laid in my bed for a few more hours, deep into a trance of my own thoughts, until I heard the door open. I quickly sat up on my bed as Rosie walked into my bedroom. Just by looking at her determined expression, I could already tell that Rosie was resolute on staying with me.
Rosie shined her smile at me as she walked towards the bed. “Heya, Rumble. I’ve decided to stay with you so you won’t have to be alone. How’s that sound?”
I scoffed at her and rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
Rosie froze in her tracks, and her jolly demeanor suddenly evaporated. “What?”
“I said, ‘Whatever.’ You know, short for, ‘I don’t really give a crap.’” My voice was hostile, and I could see the pain afflict the yordle girl already.
“What? B-but I thought-“
“Yeah, you thought. Listen, do you see where I’m going with this?” I retorted. “I’ll even say it out for you. Leave. Me. Alone.”
The tears began to well up in Rosie’s eyes, and I could hear a snivel run up her lips before she spoke. “Rumble, this isn’t like you at all. What happened to the times where you taught me how to build? Or the time we worked on building my own room together? Those were all-“
“Yeah, a hoax,” I snapped back, letting that word slide like a cruel dagger into Rosie’s spirits. “Listen, Rose. I’ll tell you this once and once only. If you aren’t going to that stupid academy, then I want you to go away and leave me alone,” I growled.
That completely silenced Rosie’s words. She knew that I only ever called her by her actual name when I was being dead-on serious. The tears streamed down her cheeks like a flowing river as she began to sob. Eventually, she maintained enough control over herself to stamp her foot once and glare at me, tears still flowing down.
“Fine,” she sobbed. “Be that way.”
I held the same angry expression as Rosie turned around and ran. However, she stopped at the doorway to retort one last remark at me.
“No wonder everyone treats you like a failure.”
Then she fled out of the workshop.
I never saw Rosie again since then.
It’s been a week since my debacle with Rosie. I knew that she had gone to the yordle academy, where I knew she was bound to do excellent there. Though I knew that I had devastated Rosie, I couldn’t have let her stay with me – not when she had such a brilliant future in front of her eyes. She would perform extraordinary things at the academy and achieve exemplary accomplishments because she had the knowledge and the ambition to do so.
Maybe she would even become champion one day. I wouldn’t be surprised; Rosie was an amazing prodigy and a total genius, and she was very good at talking to humans and yordles. She was certainly much more likely to become champion than I would ever be.
I hoped that Rosie would forget me, because by now, I was nothing more than a remnant of pain in her memories. I couldn’t hold her back from performing great achievements – achievements that I could only dream about getting myself.
I solemnly treaded back into my bedroom and picked up a book to read, until I saw Rosie’s mechanical rose lying on top of the table. I gazed at the trinket for a long while before picking it up and pressing the button on the stem.
The rose had only managed to bloom halfway before sparks began to fly out of the machinery. One of the screws fell loose and dropped to the floor. The tiny gears sputtered and the metallic petals faltered, and then the entire machinery shut down.
I stared at the half-bloomed rose, never to blossom fully again. The rose reminded me that I would become nothing more than a failure. I would never crawl out of my shell as it continued to sink further down into the depths of loneliness and depression.
But I still held the rose close to me, because it was the last memory of the sweetest friend I’ve ever had.
This is a fanfic I started a couple of months ago, but I discontinued it because school was getting in the way. However, Poppy's new OC kinda inspired me to finish this story. Plus, I had a lot of time on my hands now that school's over.
Be warned though, there's a lot of controversial stuff in this story, especially at the end. It's why I made this story non-canon.
Anyways, not much left to say, but leave some feedback if you wish. I get better when people tell me why my writing sucks.
Enjoy!))
I’ve always believed that everyone is different because of genetics. Everyone was born differently, so therefore everyone is different. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
But my teacher from a few years ago said that we’re all different because we change all the time. Our interactions with others, the environment, everything, changes our personality, our beliefs, and our morals as we travel along the course of time, and as we journey through our lives, we learn extraordinary things about ourselves that we thought long ago would never be true. However, I disregarded my teacher’s remarks as false because they were too complicated and I liked it when things were simple.
Then she came into my life.
My name is Rumble. I’ve always lived most of my life as a loner, secluded from the rest of society. I was always bullied by the other yordles, who always beat me up, pushed me around, and called me names whenever they got the chance to. Because they always beat me up, I knew that I was allowed to beat them back up, so therefore I never hesitated to get even with them. This was called using logic, something that most yordles and humans were too stupid to do.
As I grew up, I only became more isolated from society. I often scampered around the junkyard, collecting whatever scraps and junk I could use. My true interest laid with mechanics, so I soon became highly skilled in making gadgets with practically any resource I could find. The junkyard became more of a home to me than my parents’ house, but that didn’t bother me one bit. My parents never cared much about me and they called me a problem more than a son, but I didn’t care. I looked forward to living a quiet life alone, devoting my life to my love of mechanics.
When I grew old enough to purchase a shelter of my own, I bought a small building that was situated in the middle of the junkyard. I renovated the building to my liking by adding more rooms and turning it into a workshop. I could finally live the life I always wanted to live, without any yordles bullying me or my parents scolding me.
It was a good life, and I didn’t want it to change.
Some years later…
I’ve been living at my workshop by myself for a few years now. Most of the time, I just build machines out of pure boredom. I’ve tried showcasing some of my better designs in the city in the past, but the officials all shook them off just because they were made of junk. They seemed to care more about aesthetics more than functionality and efficiency, which was very idiotic of them.
I’ve also earned myself a reputation around the city, albeit a bad one at that. Yordles knew me as That One Yordle Who Lives In That Junkyard. I hated that title, not only because it was far too long and complicated and had obvious insulting negative connotations attached to it, but also because yordles started to actually visit my workshop to see how “filthy” and “disheveled” I was, or so they said. As a response, I promptly threw pots and pans and wrenches at each and every one of them. Throwing stuff felt good. I was skilled at it and it helped me vent my anger.
I hated being treated like a zoo animal. I wasn’t some sort of Macaca mulatta, geez! I just wanted to be alone, but nooooo, everyone just had to barge into my workshop like they were the primates! Stupid jerks. Of course, I never hesitated to show off who was the real boss around these parts.
Speaking of showing off, you know what would be really cool? Becoming a champion. Not only would I get to fight all the time, which is my kind of style, but I’d have access to all the resources I could ever dream of to build even bigger and better machines. Sure, the fame would get annoying, but people would visit me not because I was some junkyard hobo, but because I was awesome and my machines were awesome.
Anyways, I was glad that I chose my workshop to be in the middle of a junkyard. Nowadays, I don’t really get any visitors anymore, probably because I threatened to bring out my flamespitter to anyone who irked me. It was to my surprise, then, that I heard knocking on my door one day.
I walked over to the door and opened it, which revealed a young yordle female. Her skin was a light blue, like most girls are, and she had red rosy hair that flowed to her shoulders. She was taller than me by half a head, though she looked a few years younger than me. That already irked me. However, she was very pretty, and most definitely did not look like the usual jerk that tried to harass me.
“Hello, miss. What do you want here?” I asked.
“Hi, Mister Rumble. I was hoping if I could be your pupil,” she said with a dainty voice.
I blinked once. A pupil? Really? This was certainly unexpected. I didn’t take very long to think about it, though, because having a pupil meant having a yordle to take care of, which I found very unfavorable. I disguised an unhappy expression on myself and shook my head. “Sorry, I don’t have the time to take pupils right now.”
“It’s okay,” she replied in a voice that didn’t sound at all dismal. “I understand, Mister Rumble.” She turned away and strolled out of the junkyard, not looking back at me once. I watched her walk away, and then I closed the door and resumed working. I couldn’t help but wonder about the girl, though. She was certainly very sweet and courteous, and she called me “Mister Rumble,” as if I held authority over her. Heh, “Mister Rumble.” I liked that name. It had a nice ring to it- wait a minute, how did she know my name?
I still wondered about the girl, curious as to why she wanted to become my pupil in the first place. Whatever. She probably won’t come again, anyways. I’ll just sleep the entire thing off and forget about it tomorrow.
The next morning, I heard a knock on my door as I was preparing breakfast for myself. I turned off the stove and walked over to the door. When I opened it, the same girl with the rosy hair from yesterday stood before my eyes. Before I got a chance to reject her, she asked, “Can I be your pupil now, Mister Rumble?”
I sighed. “Sorry miss, I already told you yesterday. I don’t take pupils,” I growled.
“Aww, why not?” she asked dejectedly, and for some reason, a pang of guilt actually shot through me for growling at her. Why did she keep want to become my pupil? I wanted to live a life alone and build machines alone. Taking a pupil in would destroy the meaning of the “alone” part.
I sighed and gave her a stern look, though I calmed down my voice. “Listen, why are you so interested in becoming my pupil? I already told you no.”
She smiled at me, her crestfallen expression already evaporating. “My teacher recommended me to you, Mister Rumble, and I always wanted to work under an expert!”
I gave her a perplexed look. Her teacher recommended me? I seriously never thought anyone would look at me as a genius. Sure, I was smart, but I didn’t have the greatest reputation around the city. I wasn’t exactly the nicest yordle, either.
“Hold on, how do you know my name?” I inquired, suddenly realizing again that I never actually introduced myself to the girl. The girl put a hand to her mouth and giggled, which annoyed me somewhat.
“I’ve seen you showcase your machines in the city before. Everyone else said they really sucked, but I thought they were really nice and creative. It’s really interesting how you could make such efficient machines out of a few pieces of junk,” she chucked.
I felt a slight blush of embarrassment tinge my cheeks. Rarely do I ever hear anyone compliment my machines. “Heh, it’s always nice to know that I’m not the only yordle with their mind in the right place. Functionality over aesthetics after all! Er…” I scratched the back of my head, trying to think up more questions, until I realized that I completely forgot to ask her name. “Oh yeah, what’s your name, miss?”
“My name is Rose, Mister Rumble,” she replied back. I blushed again. The whole “Mister Rumble” thing was embarrassing me far more than it should.
“Rose? Ha, weird to be named after a flower,” I chuckled.
“Well, it’s a lot better than having a verb for a name!” she chortled back.
“S-shut it,” I stammered, though I couldn’t help but smile at the yordle girl. In all honesty however, I thought that Rose was a beautiful name that fitted this beautiful girl perfectly.
“Er… Do your parents know you’re doing this?” I asked. I noticed that the girl’s expression suddenly dampened a little, and I almost felt sorry for her.
“They don’t really care what I do either way. I’ve always wanted them to acknowledge me, even a little, but they don’t really care about me. It’s almost as if they didn’t even want a child in the first place,” she solemnly moped. So her parents didn’t care about her, just like how my parents didn’t care about me.
I gave her a slightly sorrowful expression. “Heh, I know that feeling, miss. Well, if you give me your school reports to read, then I might consider it.”
Her expression immediately brightened up. “Okay, Mister Rumble! They’ll be in your hands in no time at all!” I had to admit, I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. She was certainly excited about the whole matter. She turned around to retrieve the reports, but before she went, she turned towards me again. “Oh, I almost forgot, Mister Rumble! I want you to have this!”
She pulled out what seemed to me a green rod from her purse. I took the rod and examined it carefully. I immediately noticed that the rod was made out of pure metal and that green metal leaves were attached to the metal stem. The rod was slightly curved and there was a tiny bud on top of the metal stem. Somewhere on the rod, there was a button.
“Press it,” she said eagerly, referring to the button on the stem. I pressed the button and the bud immediately whirred into action. Right before my eyes, the bud slowly bloomed, with exquisite grace and beauty, into a perfect metallic rose. The blooming and the rose were absolutely flawless, and I was completely mesmerized by the beauty and grace of the gift.
“This is marvelous,” I uttered. “Did you make this?”
“I did, Mister Rumble, just for you!” she replied with a gleeful voice. “I’ll be getting my reports now!” Before I could reply back, she turned around and ran off to acquire her teachers’ reports.
When she disappeared out of my sight, I closed the door and stared at the metallic rose. It was a marvelous piece of machinery, something that even I would have difficulty to create. I placed the rose on my bedroom table and smiled a little. Maybe this experience wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it would be.
In about an hour, I heard knocking on my door again. I opened the door and saw that Rose had arrived with the reports. She handed me the reports and I told her that I’d let her know if I would take her in by tomorrow. She thanked me and strolled back to her house, and I walked into my bedroom to examine the reports.
I couldn’t find a single bad thing written about Rose on the teachers’ reports. She had gotten straight A’s in her school, with some of those A’s being over 100%, and she was taking classes that yordles several years above her would normally take. All of the teachers commented on how she was a brilliant student, how she always engaged classroom discussions with an enthusiastic manner, and how she always formed collaborative relationships with her classmates as well. She could outsmart nearly every student in the school, and sometimes even her teachers as well. Her intelligence and her curiosity were forever blossoming, and her love of learning only shined brighter with each passing day.
This girl was a freaking prodigy.
However, she was a brilliant prodigy at that, too. I closed the reports and picked up the metallic rose she gave to me earlier. I examined the beautiful piece of machinery that she built and pressed the button several times to observe the rose shrinking into a bud and blossoming gracefully back into a gorgeous rose. The teachers’ reports and this piece of machinery were enough proof to me that she indeed was a brilliant young student.
She would become my pupil.
Rose was absolutely ecstatic when I agreed to take her in as my pupil. When I let her into my workshop, she immediately pranced around the building, observing every tool and machine I had. I chuckled and walked over to her, then placed my hands onto her shoulders.
“Whoa, Rose, slow down there,” I laughed. “I haven’t even started to teach you anything yet!”
“But you will soon, right Mister Rumble?” Her face radiated of enthusiasm. I laughed again and patted her shoulder.
“Indeed we will, Rose. In fact, we’ll start right now by me asking you a question. What do you think I do best, Rose?”
“Mechanics, sir!” she replied with delight.
“Spot on! So what do you think I’ll be teaching you?”
“You’ll be teaching me mechanics, Mister Rumble!” she exclaimed. I laughed heartily and patted her head.
“Righto, Rose. Oh yeah, and you don’t have to call me ‘Mister Rumble’ or ‘sir.’ Plain ol’ Rumble will do fine, Rose.”
“Alrighty then, plain ol’ Rumble,” she giggled.
I chuckled and rubbed her head. “Oh, you’re certainly the jokester, aren’t you? Well, stay still for a moment while I get something.” I patted her head again and strolled over to my bedroom, where I left Rose’s mechanical rose in. I pressed the button twice just to marvel at the brilliant machinery, then I strolled back to the main room. Unsurprisingly, Rose was examining the chalkboard that was situated on one of the walls. The chalkboard had intricate calculations of math and physics that I had scribbled down a few hours ago. I smiled and tapped her on the shoulder.
“How long did it take you to build this, Rose?” I asked. I pulled out her creation and pointed to it.
Rose smiled sweetly at me. “It took me about one week, Rumble!”
I chuckled, my smile growing even larger. “Well, how would you feel if I told you I could teach you how to make this in one day?”
“I would feel absolutely ecstatic, Rumble!” In my entire life, I had never seen a more jubilant being than Rose. She was literally bouncing up and down from excitement, with her hands clasped together out of pure joy. I couldn’t help but grin at her.
“Well, before we get to the fun stuff, Rose, we’ll have to review the basics of mechanics first. Now, grab a seat while I get prepared here…” I grabbed a chair and stood on it, and then I took a chalkboard eraser and wiped out the contents on the chalkboard. Then I picked up a piece of chalk and started to write and tutor…
It’s funny how a yordle’s mindset can change so drastically through such a short a period of time. Before I met Rose, I’ve always wanted to live in my workshop alone and build machines alone. However, these past two years have proven to be the happiest ones in my life.
Rose would come over to my workshop after school every day without fail. On some days, I would teach her, and then we would build gadgets and machines together. On other days, we would simply chit-chat with each other about various topics, ranging from our daily lives to the events happening around the world. Either way, I loved to teach and talk to her, because it meant being with her at the same time.
Over the course of time, Rose had become more than just my pupil. I started to treat her like my very own daughter. I even called her “Rosie,” which was my pet name for her, instead of “Rose.” We even built together a bedroom just for her in my workshop, because not only did Rose venture to my workshop every day, but she also slept in my workshop sometimes.
I wasn’t the only one teaching Rose, though. In a way, Rose has taught me a lot of things too. Ever since I took Rose in as my pupil, we formed a bond together that strengthened over time, and that bond has shaped my beliefs and my personality. I’ve begun to come out of my shell that I’ve hid in for so long, I dressed more formally every time I went out to the city, and I’ve acted more courteous to strangers. The biggest change I felt, though, was that being alone actually started to bother me.
Rose has matured a lot over these two years. Her hyperactivity certainly decreased as she grew, but her love of learning and discovery only continued to blossom. However, she grew not only mentally, but also physically. Rose was half a head’s height taller than me now, though I didn’t like to admit it. Nevertheless, I was proud by how far she’s come and how much her brain has been nurtured.
I knew that Rose would one day attain even greater heights and eventually move into a very prestigious university. She was absolutely brilliant and her motivation to learn only continued to bloom. I wished her great success in her life, knowing that she would someday achieve something innovative and extraordinary.
However, I also secretly wished that she would stay with me.
“Rumble! Rumble! You won’t believe what just happened!”
I yawned and rubbed my eyes before sitting up and checking the clock. 8 AM. Heh, no surprise there. Rosie always got up before me. I could hear the sound of breakfast sizzling in the kitchen already. I turned towards Rosie and smiled at her. “Yeah, what is it, Rosie?”
“The mail came in today, and I just got accepted into the Yordle Academy of Science and Progress! Isn’t this amazing?” Rosie was jumping up and down very ecstatically, waving a letter in her right hand. Her expression bore of happiness and joy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for myself.
Rosie was right; I couldn’t believe what just happened. She was leaving already? I couldn’t bear the thought of living alone without here. To add insult to pain, she was leaving for Heimerdinger’s academy, too! That place was a hive for sellouts! Nevertheless, I faked a smile and tried my best to congratulate her.
“O-oh, you did? That’s great, Rosie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time there,” I blandly stated, trying to not let any sign of dejection show. Rosie immediately grabbed my hand and dragged me out of bed and towards the kitchen, laughing and cheering all the way.
“This is a dream come true! I’ve always wanted to study at the academy, but I never expected that I would actually make it! It’s so… so…” At this point, Rosie had to clamp her mouth shut with both of her hands to keep herself from squealing with joy. I had to admit, seeing Rosie in such an ecstatic mood actually brought out a chuckle from me, but nothing could cure the grief I was feeling right now.
Rosie passed out some pancakes, and I immediately picked up a fork and speared one of the pancakes. As I was munching on the breakfast, Rosie continued to hum and ramble on in joy, oblivious to my despondency.
“T-that’s great, Rosie,” I mindlessly repeated, plastering a smile on my face. “I’m sure you’ll do great things there.” Rosie gleefully hopped towards the window and opened the curtains, letting in some sunshine into the room.
“I’m leaving in a few days, and I just can’t wait to get there! Imagine all the things I’d be able to do there! Who knows, maybe I’ll even work under Professor Heimerdinger!” she squealed.
That was a blow. I bent my fork into two acute angles keep myself from venting in anger. Rosie didn’t notice.
“This is awesome!” Rosie gleefully shouted, turning around to face me. “I-“
There was no use hiding my emotions this time. Rosie caught sight of the solemn expression on my face, and her cheery attitude immediately vaporized into thin air. She immediately sat down on the side opposite to me, a worrisome look creasing over her face.
“Rumble? What’s wrong? Why the glum look?” She placed her hand over mine, and I immediately retracted, looking away from her eyes.
“I… I…” No way could I tell her the truth. I couldn’t force her to stay for my own desires, when she had a bright and prosperous future right in front of her eyes.
Rosie chuckled as an attempt to invoke a bit of happiness in this otherwise morose setting. “C’mon, Rumble! It’s the Yordle Academy of Science! The best university in all of Valoran! Aren’t you happy about this?”
That shredded the last straw. Instinct took over me and I slammed my fist onto the table, anger flaring in my eyes. “That ‘school’ is a place for lapdogs and sellouts! The only reason why yordles even go to that school is to rub and lick the feet of humans!”
Rosie gasped, and I could see the hurt imprinted on her expression. “Rumble, that’s not true at all. The academy is an excellent institution that encourages humans and yordles to work together. No one is treated unfairly there.”
“Ha! ‘Work together,’ that’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard in my life!” I retorted. “Face it, we continue to lend the longlegs our superior technology every day, and what do we get? Absolutely nothing! To them, we continue to be nothing more than simple jokes to be played with! How do you think I ended up in this flea-ridden junkyard in the first place?” I screamed.
I could see the tears well up in Rosie’s eyes. She balled her hands into fists, shaken by anger. “Rumble… This isn’t like you at all…”
Rosie cupped her eyes with her hands and fled back to her room, sobbing all the way. My eyes followed her until she slammed her door shut. I plopped my elbows onto the table and dropped my head on my wrists, overtaken by anguish and grief.
I remained in the same position for what felt like an eternity. Though the sunshine brightened the gloomy mood in the workshop, the depression only continued to well within me. I finally looked up and turned around when I heard the soft patter of Rosie’s footsteps behind me. Rosie walked up and put a hand on my shoulder. The feeling was comforting, and it helped lessen my depression a little bit.
“Rumble… Do you really think the yordle academy is that bad of a place?” she asked.
I looked down, venturing into my own thoughts. I knew that the academy was an excellent school for enlightened yordles. I just hated that it was run by Heimerdinger and his motivation for running it. Heimerdinger was smart, I couldn’t doubt that, but I despised how he could think that we could just let the humans poke fun at us forever despite our service to them. However, the academy itself was an outstanding teaching community that could greatly benefit prodigal and accomplished yordles like Rosie. The university offered more opportunities than I could ever dream of for Rosie. Sighing, I looked up and shook my head.
“No… The academy is an excellent institution for gifted yordles like you. I got invited there as well, but...” I turned my head sideways to avoid eye contact with Rosie. “Its purposes simply weren’t suited for me. For you, though, I’m sure that you’ll achieve amazing things there.”
Rosie nodded. “Then why weren’t you happy about me going earlier?”
I looked down. No way could I tell her face-to-face that I wanted her to stay.
“Why weren’t you happy?” she repeated.
I finally gazed up at her. My face reeked of dejection and my eyes bleakly stared at Rosie. That was more than enough information for Rosie to piece together.
“You don’t want me to leave,” she uttered.
I couldn’t maintain eye contact with her.
Rosie took my hand and lifted me up from the chair, and then she embraced me in a warm hug. I hugged back; it wasn’t much, but it helped make me feel better.
“Hey… I’ll miss you, alright?” I attempted a smile at Rosie, trying to lift up her spirits. By the look in her eyes, though, I could tell that she was worried about me.
“Will you be alright without me?” she asked.
“Heh, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” I lied. “I’ve always got others to keep me company.” We both knew this wasn’t true. Rosie was the only yordle I would ever allow to keep me company.
Rosie smirked at me. “Oh really? Like who?”
Both of us chuckled, lifting up our moods a little. However, the gloomy atmosphere still hovered over us like a rainy day cloud. Silence soon took control over the conversation for a few seconds until Rosie spoke again.
“You know, I could always just not go,” she stated. My eyes shot up in shock. Was I seriously dragging her into trashing away her future?
“No, Rosie, you’re going to go. You’ve always wanted this, and I’m not going to stop you.”
“Who said I’ve always wanted this? There are good enough opportunities in Bandle, anyways.” We both knew she was bluffing. A prodigy like Rosie would be much better suited in Piltover. Another wave of silence spread through the air before Rosie spoke again.
“Rumble, what are you going to do without me?”
I broke eye contact with her and looked at the ground. “I’ll be fine,” I uttered bleakly. Rosie looked at me solemnly, knowing full well that I was lying.
“I’ll be fine,” I droned on. I felt Rosie place a hand onto my shoulder. Though I wasn’t looking at her directly, I could tell that she was getting more worrisome by the second.
“No you’re not, Rumble. I’m not leaving you alone.”
I quickly turned to look at Rosie and growled. “And I’m not letting you throw away your future just for me. You’re going,” I declared. Though I didn’t scream, my last word vibrated the air with an intensity that left Rosie stunned. A strict silence ensued, and no exchange of words took place. All motion ceased aside from the blinking of our eyes. After a few seconds, Rosie hugged me again and spoke with a comforting tone that uplifted my mood a little.
“Hey… How about I think on it for a little bit, and I’ll let you know my decision later, alright?” she assured me. I quietly nodded in response. We held the hug for a while, and then Rosie broke off and quietly treaded towards the doorway. “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?” Rosie beamed one more smile at me before leaving the workshop. I flashed a pathetic smile in response.
When I was sure Rosie left, I groaned loudly and ventured off to my bedroom. I plopped onto my bed, trapped within my conflicting thoughts. I wanted Rosie to stay, but also I didn’t want to throw such a bright future away from her eyes. What the hell was wrong with me?
I stuck my head into the pillow and laid on my bed for a while before I heard a whirring sound. I raised my head and looked at the small table next to my bed.
It was Rosie’s mechanical rose, the one she gave to me when we first met.
The machinery whirred to life and the rose began to bloom from its bud, still as beautiful as ever. The gears spun with grace and the petals blossomed with magnificence and beauty. I slowly picked up the mechanical rose and stared at it for a good while. The machinery was absolutely gorgeous and brilliant, much like Rosie herself.
At that point, I knew that Rosie was destined for something far greater than this disheveled workshop. I didn’t deserve her, but she deserved to study at the academy, where her imagination could be ignited even further and where her mind could blossom into an absolutely spectacular genius. I would make sure that Rosie would travel to the academy to obtain the education that was justified to her.
No matter what the cost.
I laid in my bed for a few more hours, deep into a trance of my own thoughts, until I heard the door open. I quickly sat up on my bed as Rosie walked into my bedroom. Just by looking at her determined expression, I could already tell that Rosie was resolute on staying with me.
Rosie shined her smile at me as she walked towards the bed. “Heya, Rumble. I’ve decided to stay with you so you won’t have to be alone. How’s that sound?”
I scoffed at her and rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
Rosie froze in her tracks, and her jolly demeanor suddenly evaporated. “What?”
“I said, ‘Whatever.’ You know, short for, ‘I don’t really give a crap.’” My voice was hostile, and I could see the pain afflict the yordle girl already.
“What? B-but I thought-“
“Yeah, you thought. Listen, do you see where I’m going with this?” I retorted. “I’ll even say it out for you. Leave. Me. Alone.”
The tears began to well up in Rosie’s eyes, and I could hear a snivel run up her lips before she spoke. “Rumble, this isn’t like you at all. What happened to the times where you taught me how to build? Or the time we worked on building my own room together? Those were all-“
“Yeah, a hoax,” I snapped back, letting that word slide like a cruel dagger into Rosie’s spirits. “Listen, Rose. I’ll tell you this once and once only. If you aren’t going to that stupid academy, then I want you to go away and leave me alone,” I growled.
That completely silenced Rosie’s words. She knew that I only ever called her by her actual name when I was being dead-on serious. The tears streamed down her cheeks like a flowing river as she began to sob. Eventually, she maintained enough control over herself to stamp her foot once and glare at me, tears still flowing down.
“Fine,” she sobbed. “Be that way.”
I held the same angry expression as Rosie turned around and ran. However, she stopped at the doorway to retort one last remark at me.
“No wonder everyone treats you like a failure.”
Then she fled out of the workshop.
I never saw Rosie again since then.
It’s been a week since my debacle with Rosie. I knew that she had gone to the yordle academy, where I knew she was bound to do excellent there. Though I knew that I had devastated Rosie, I couldn’t have let her stay with me – not when she had such a brilliant future in front of her eyes. She would perform extraordinary things at the academy and achieve exemplary accomplishments because she had the knowledge and the ambition to do so.
Maybe she would even become champion one day. I wouldn’t be surprised; Rosie was an amazing prodigy and a total genius, and she was very good at talking to humans and yordles. She was certainly much more likely to become champion than I would ever be.
I hoped that Rosie would forget me, because by now, I was nothing more than a remnant of pain in her memories. I couldn’t hold her back from performing great achievements – achievements that I could only dream about getting myself.
I solemnly treaded back into my bedroom and picked up a book to read, until I saw Rosie’s mechanical rose lying on top of the table. I gazed at the trinket for a long while before picking it up and pressing the button on the stem.
The rose had only managed to bloom halfway before sparks began to fly out of the machinery. One of the screws fell loose and dropped to the floor. The tiny gears sputtered and the metallic petals faltered, and then the entire machinery shut down.
I stared at the half-bloomed rose, never to blossom fully again. The rose reminded me that I would become nothing more than a failure. I would never crawl out of my shell as it continued to sink further down into the depths of loneliness and depression.
But I still held the rose close to me, because it was the last memory of the sweetest friend I’ve ever had.
