[one part has a bit of a spoiler for Inside Out 2! apologies in advance…]

“Okay! You’re off the clock,” Terrified shouts to Satisfaction, Annoyance, and Repulsion.

The yellow emotion clicks her tongue and rushes the others out.

“Anxiety and I will be taking over tonight,” she shares as the others nod in agreement.

“All right… just don’t go overboard. Otherwise, I have a big job to do tomorrow,” Annoyance warns.

Terrified laughs dryly and returns to the console.

“You ready to ‘sleep?’” Anxiety asks, pressing a small orange button.

Terrified nods her head to the blue emotion, taking note of her quick movements.

“What are you planning tonight?”

“So, you know how we start school in a month? We need solutions to make sure we don’t break down,” Anxiety mentions, “and we don’t want to be missing Damian…”

“Damian!” Terrified shrieks, “why does he have to die?” She starts messing with the console, watching at the view shakes in front of her. “He’s all we had… Zain won’t make it if we don’t try to save—”

Anxiety pulls Terrified’s fingers off the buttons.

“I got this, Terri,” Anxiety explains, “we just have to breathe and try to block him from our mind. Forget he exists. Forgotten is better.”

Terrified yawns.

“Would you mind taking the entire shift?” Terrified squeaks, crossing her fingers behind her back.

“I don’t. Zain will be more focused on her solutions,” Anxiety points out.

Terrified runs off.

“Okay… now…”

Anxiety presses a ton of buttons.

She pulls up a memory of Damian crying out.

“Forget him, Zain.”

She pulls up a memory of promising Damian to play the violin for him.

“You’ll never be able to anymore. How will we be able to play for the orchestra?” Anxiety screeches, her eyes going wide. “And— and what about…”

A memory of talking to Damian at school manages to pop up.

“We won’t make it.”

Anxiety cries, her voice fading to a defeated whisper.

“He’s all we had.”

- - - - - - - -

[half an hour later]

Pressing a volley of buttons, Anxiety continues to speak hurriedly.

“Without Damian, we’re going to be friendless, and we won’t get through sophomore year, and people are going to think we’re dumb and idiotic and too emotional, and— and— they’ll think we’re weird and talk too much or talk too little— Damian always protected us from the bullies. What are we going to do?”

Orange winds surround Anxiety.

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**Solutions.**

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**Solutions!**

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**_Solutions!_**