To Understand

A fantasy/psychological thriller by Angelinhel. The battle between good and evil sometimes uses humans as unwitting pawns. Angel makes an appearance in this story (though she is not named) along with a guest appearance by Greystar's The Man in the Red Shirt (also unnamed).

Nominated for the 2005 Booties "Favourite Melodrama" and "Favourite Supernatural or Fantasy Horror".

Plot Summary
After a day of their usual sibling bickering, Daria unwittingly wishes Quinn could feel what it was like to be her, and thereby gain some understanding of Daria's feelings. An apparition appears to Daria, stating she can grant Daria's desire. She urges Daria to agree quickly, saying Quinn's actual guardian angel will try to stop her efforts. Convinced she's dreaming and somewhat reassured that the being is claiming nothing from her in return, Daria agrees.

The next scene shows Quinn at her computer typing something. She seems to be struggling with what she wants to say, as she often rereads her writing and edits it. Unbeknownst to her, the female being is behind her watching her type. Another male being arrives, supposedly Quinn's true guardian angel.

He accuses the woman of toying with Daria and Quinn and seems to think she means them harm. Trying to protect Quinn, he argues with the woman to let them be. Amused by her power over the mortals, the woman laughs, knowing the male being cannot stop her. She thwarts his last attempt to save Quinn and they both disappear.

The final scene begins with Daria waking from a dream of reading Quinn's writing, thinking the night before had all been a dream. Shaken, she decides to check on her sister. She is horrified to find Quinn has killed herself, destroying her face in the process. A suicide note reveals Quinn had felt all of Daria's deepest emotions of lonliness and isolation and, without Daria's ability to internalize and deflect the pain through sarcasm and intellect, she kills herself.

Trivia

 * Quinn's "guardian angel" is Greystar's The Man in the Red Shirt.


 * The actions of Angel and The Man are the author's loose allusion to the abilities of fanfic writers to manipulate their characters however they saw fit. The debate on the Daria message board PPMB over the incresing level of angst in Daria fanfic was gently poked fun at in this story.


 * When The Man whispers, "I'm sorry", he's telling Quinn to add it to her letter, to give her family at least some relief from the blame she places on them for her state of mind. Angel counteracts his last attempt at reducing the family's pain by telling Quinn to change the line to increase their guilt ("No, you're not."). In the story, the last line of Quinn's suicide note states, "I'm not sorry." laying all the blame for her feelings of abandonment and subsequent suicide at her family's feet.