Chapter Text
Taking a deep breath, the clone stood in front of the door. One hand was inches away from the door handle. She glanced at Ohm, who gave her an encouraging hoot. He snuggled the clone's cheek before pointing to the door with a chirp. The clone nodded her head at him before opening the door and stepping inside the house.
"What have I done? What have I done?"
The first thing the clone noticed when she stepped inside was the sound of Jules' voice at the end of the hallway. Glancing up, she saw Jules pacing back and forth with her hands on her head and her eyes locked on the floor. Midas, meanwhile, was sitting on a chair close to her. He rested his head on his hand while he started to bite the golden nails on his other hand. They didn't seem to react to the clone.
"I can't take it anymore." Midas finally spoke out. He stood from his chair with his hands on the table. "It's been hours, who knows where she could be- "His mouth hung open when he turned his head and saw the clone standing in the hallway, with Ohm on her shoulder.
The clone waved her hand. Jules stopped in her tracks when she noticed Midas staring at the hallway. With both eyes locked on her, the clone started to hesitate with her words. What should she say? What is the right thing to say to someone after yelling at them? The clone bit her top lip lightly while she fidgeted on the spot. "Hey," The clone finally spoke out. "What did I miss-"
The next thing the clone knew, Midas and Jules bolted from their spots and straight towards her. The clone gasped when she felt Jules' arms wrap around her. The only thing she could think of doing was to hug Jules back with a grin. Small tears formed in her eyes.
Midas placed his hand on the clone’s shoulder. His smile grew when Ohm hopped off the clone and perched himself on Midas. "Are you ok?" Midas asked the clone. "You had us worried sick."
"I'm sorry," The clone apologised, pulling away from them. "I didn't mean to do that. I was just frustrated with everything." The clone looked towards Jules. The engineer had tears in her eyes.
"Please don't apologise," Jules demanded with a soft voice. She wiped her tears from her face before speaking. "I need to take some responsibility too." Jules let go of the clone and took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to treat you like a science experiment. I was just so caught up with all the science behind your existence that I forgot about your feelings. I know that's an excuse for how I acted, but believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry for how I treated you."
The clone shut their eyes when they noticed their vision going blurry with tears. She pulled her golden hand away from Jules when she felt a familiar tingle dance through it. The last thing she would want was to turn Jules' shirt to gold.
"I believe I should apologise too." The clone opened her eyes when she heard Midas' voice. He spoke with a soft yet low tone. "I should have been more assertive when I noticed that Jules was making you uncomfortable." He explained, moving away to rub the back of his head.
The clone sniffed while wiping away a few tears. She took a deep breath before responding. "It's ok. I forgive you. Both of you." The clone lightly snivelled. "I shouldn't have reacted like that, and I should’ve let you know that I didn't like it." The clone took a deep breath. "This is just so confusing for me."
"What do you mean by that?" Midas asked, tilting his head at her.
"I mean that everything is both familiar yet unrecognisable." The clone looked at her siblings and realised that she needed to word it better. "Like, I know what grass is, but I didn't know that it had texture until just yesterday. It's weird, like I'm in this middle ground of knowing everything and knowing nothing simultaneously. I think that's the best way to explain it." She hugged herself while exhaling through her mouth. The sound of Ohm's soft chirps brought the clone’s focus back to her family.
"I get what you mean," Jules said with a nod of her head. "Well, I don't completely understand it, but I get where you're coming from." She placed a hand on the clone's shoulder. "This must all be so confusing for you, and my actions probably didn't help that much." Jules' eyebrows furrowed as she let go of the clone and pulled out her notebook from her pocket. She immediately ripped the pages in half and chucked them into the trash can next to them. "Let's start anew," Jules ordered with a smile. "Let's put the science behind us and focus on what you want."
The clone's eyes sparkled from Jules' words. "You mean it?" She asked with a growing grin.
"Yeah, of course," Jules beamed. "I want to help you in any way I can." She proceeds to lean in and hug the clone again. "After all, you're my sister," Jules murmured, hugging the clone tighter.
The clone couldn't help but cry again as she rested her head on Jules's shoulder. It took her a second to realise why that final sentence struck a chord with her. It was the first time that Jules called her their sister. The clone smiled when they lifted their head and gazed at Midas.
Midas could only smile in reaction to the wholesome sight in front of him. He glanced at Ohm before shrugging his shoulders at the clone. He drawled. "You know, I always wanted a brother, but this is way better." He pulled a toothy grin when the clone gestured for him to join in with the hug. Both Midas and Ohm leaned in to hug Jules and the clone. The four of them emitted a soft laugh before they pulled away from one another.
"So," Jules began, placing her hands on her hips as she spoke to the clone. "What do you want to do first? Is there anything that takes your fancy?" She noticed the clone look away while they clapped their hands together. "We're not in a rush, and it can be anything you want."
It took a second for the clone to respond. She started to scratch the back of her head as she spoke to Jules with a hesitant voice. The clone avoided making eye contact with them. "Well-um, to be honest, there is something that I want to learn." She glanced up to see Jules nodding at her words. "I was, well, I was wondering if you could teach me on how to apply makeup." A nervous chuckle escaped the clone's mouth. "It looks gorgeous, and I'd love to learn how to do it." The clone started to chuckle when she saw Jules raise her eyebrows with a toothy grin.
"I'd love to teach you." Jules grinned. "Is there anything else you want?"
The clone pondered by tapping her lips with one of her fingers. Her eyes lit up when a thought popped up in her head. She answered with less hesitance than before. "I'd like to have a name too, and I want to be the one to pick it."
Midas nodded his head at the clone's request. He crossed both his arms together with a grin. "Yeah, we can help with that." He agreed with his sister. "It's about time you have a name of your own. I'll see what I can find for you." With that, he turned to give Ohm a quick tickle under their chin.
"Wait," The clone gasped. "You mean, we're doing this right now?" She placed a hand to her mouth when she saw both Midas and Jules nod at her question.
"Yeah, of course, we are." Jules clarified. "It's not like we have anything important to do right now." After saying those words, Jules grabbed the clone's hands and started to drag her out the hallway and towards the stairs. "Now come on, that eyeshadow is not going to apply itself."
"Once you're done putting on the makeup, you lean back into your chair and slowly smack your lips, like so,"
The clone watched with intensity as Jules finished applying the lipstick on themselves. The two of them, and Ohm, were in Jules' bedroom. Both were sitting Infront of a large vanity mirror, surrounded by various types of makeup products. Each in a variety of colours and textures. The clone didn't realise just how much makeup there was. It was a little bit overwhelming, to say the least.
After leaning back and smacking her lips with a satisfied smirk, Jules turned her head to face the clone. She gestured for her to copy them.
The clone glanced down at the black lipstick and then her reflection, her eyes focused on her lips. She had already applied lipstick on her top lip. All that was left to do was the bottom lip. "Is the lip-smacking really necessary?" The clone questioned before they started to apply the makeup.
Jules shrugged her shoulders with a light sigh. "I don't think so," Jules clarified. "I think it's just a habit I picked up from Lynx." She glanced at the clone with a nod of her head. "Your makeup is looking pretty good. You're a natural at it."
Once she was done, the clone dropped her lipstick and leaned back in the chair, copying Jules' relaxed posture. The clone emitted a quiet gasp when she gazed upon her face. She examined every detail she could see. Excluding the lipstick, she wore dark eyeliner and black eyeshadow, along with wearing a little bit of foundation on her face. It helped make her scar less noticeable. The clone took a deep breath in and casually smacked her lips. "You think so?" The clone asked, crossing her arms together.
"Definitely." Jules beamed, placing her lipstick to the side. She stretched in her seat and leaned over to change the station on the radio. "Black looks so good on you."
The clone couldn't help but smile at her sister's compliment. A loud hoot of agreement from Ohm behind them made the clone's smile grow wider.
*Knock*
A subtle knock on the bedroom's door caught the three's attention. Both Jules and the clone turned their chairs to face the source of the noise while Ohm sat up straight and flapped his wings with a hoot. The metallic bird was peacefully resting on the bed close by Jules. He stared at the door, making a husky squawk at it while he scooted closer to Jules.
"Hey, it's me. Is now a bad time?" The sound of Midas' voice from the other side caused Ohm to hop in place with a cheerful chirp.
Jules crossed her arms together with a shake of her head as she glanced at Ohm. "No, you can in." She replied with a light chuckle. "We've just about finished." Jules turned to the clone and gave her a quick thumbs-up with a nod of encouragement.
The sound of the door creaking open, followed by Midas' footsteps, caused Ohm to sing out a merry tune. He bopped his head along with the rhythm while he, Jules and the clone watched Midas enter the room. The golden man walked over towards the three with a wave of his hand. In the other, he appeared to be carrying a large, white book.
"What do you think?" Jules asked as both she and the clone turned their heads towards Midas. Jules struck a pose while the clone crossed their arms and legs. "Go on, admit it, we look amazing."
Midas could only raise an eyebrow with a smirk in reaction to the statement. With a free hand, he started to stroke Ohm's head. "To be honest, you look like a clown," Midas teased, pointing at Jules before glancing at the clone. "But you look amazing. You did a good job."
Jules pouted at her brother's remarks. She gestured to the clone with a playful scoff. "Why are you calling me a clown when we're wearing the exact same makeup?" She pointed out, sinking back into her chair with a scowl. The look on Jules' face caused both the clone and Midas to snicker.
"Oh, before I forget," Midas turned to face the clone and handed her a book. He explained, "I saw it in one of the shops, and I thought it would be great for you to use."
The clone held the book tightly while her working eye started to examine the cover. It was a white book with bright purple text. It read, "1000 names, and the meanings behind them".
"What do you think?" Midas asked as he pulled his hand away from Ohm. He ignored the bird's protest while they kept talking to the clone. "I thought it might help you pick out a name."
The clone slowly opened the book and skimmed through the first page. She glanced up, biting her top lip. "There's so many of them." The clone sighed. "How will I find a name I like? What if I find a name and then decide that I don’t want to use it anymore?" She stared at both Midas and Jules for answers. The clone held her breath when she saw Midas and Jules glance at one another.
It took a second for Midas to speak. He leaned forward, maintaining eye contact with her as he responded with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "To be honest, I'm not sure. But it's ok if you pick out a name and change it later." Midas proceeded to place a hand on his chest. "I once knew this guy, he was trans, and it took him months before he found a name he was comfortable with. The point is if you find a name and suddenly decide you want to change it, that's completely fine." He drawled with a grin. "People change all the time, and that includes their names."
The clone smiled back at Midas and began to browse through the book, skimming through all the names that caught her eye. Midas, Jules, and Ohm shuffled closer to glance inside the book.
"Don't worry if you can't find a name." Jules butted in. "You can always go by a title. I mean, many island residents do." A chuckle escaped her mouth. "You can't imagine someone carrying a baby for nine months and then deciding to call it 'Beef Boss'." Jules beamed when the clone chuckled along to her statement. "Just remember, whatever you pick, make sure it clashes well with our names." She gestured to both herself and her brother.
The clone traced her finger onto every name she found appealing. She glanced up at Midas and Jules with a hesitant look. "Carissa?" She spoke out, biting her top lip. She repeated the name before shaking her head and scanning through them again. The clone repeated this process for every other name she called out. "Felicity? Heather? Joanna? Lucy?" This might take a while. Then she got to the names that started with 'M'. "Marigold?" The clone said out loud, with a more optimistic tone.
"Marigold?" Midas repeated, temporarily glancing at his golden hands. He tilted his head and pressed his lips together. “Midas, Jules and Marigold.” Midas breathed as he started to stroke his chin. "It has potential."
"Potential? I say that's the best name she's picked so far." Jules scoffed, tilting her head back. "For one, it has the word 'gold' in it, which is our family's thing, kind of." She pointed out, raising a finger into the air. "Secondly, it goes so well with our names. You can say them in any order, and it all sounds natural. I like it," She faced the clone. "What do you think?"
The clone's eyes darted between the name and her siblings. She repeated the name while her smile slowly increased in size. "Marigold. That's it," The clone breathed with a chipper gasp. "This is my name. This is the one I want." She shut the book and focused on Midas and Jules with a toothy grin.
Both Midas and Jules smiled in response to the statement. They briefly turned their attention away to Ohm, who was flapping his wings while singing a merry tune. He jumped off the bed and flew towards the clone- Marigold. The three siblings watched Ohm perch himself on her shoulder before turning his head and started nipping her hair again.
"Ohm," Jules rolled her eyes. "What did I say about nipping auntie Marigold's hair?" She placed her hands on her hips, followed by a shake of her head.
With that, Ohm stopped nipping and started to softly nuzzle Marigold's neck with his head. The mechanical bird cooed with a sigh.
Marigold chuckled at the adorable sight of Ohm before tickling him under his chin. The action caused Ohm to snuggle in a more comfortable position. Marigold smiled at her siblings while they started up a new conversation with one another. For the first time, Marigold felt pleased with herself, and she couldn't wait to find her interests and hobbies in the coming days.