worthathousand | ( Imeeji ) continuations

Ah—

[ she blinks, taking it all in—it’s so fancy—before taking a seat of her own. ]

It’s beautiful. I’m entirely sure they will.

It's not, perhaps, an entire wing of a house, but I admit I'm looking forward to their reaction.

But—
First of all: How have you been feeling?

Have to work up to fitting an entire wing in here, apparently, but—

...a lot better, somehow? It was... really bad, then. I don't know what it was that helped, but something did?

In that case... I'm glad—deeply so.

There was... terrible sadness there, and war that even I would call loathsome. But, you know... there were beautiful things too.

I think a part of you truly wanted us to find them.

...mm, that sounds about right, as far as what—what my soul would be like.

Maybe I did just want to be proved wrong.

And were you, do you think?

[ she runs a hand backwards through her hair. ]

...it's still hard to feel like it all the time, I'll be honest.

But I think I was. Or at least, I feel like there's... a point to trying to... chase down that other conclusion.

You know... I had a realization about one of the sutras of the maidens, while I was there.

If there must always be an ending, then there must be more than one ending. That means there have to be... [ voice going a little tight ] ...many new beginnings.

[ that sounds... familiar, kind of... in a way she can't quite place, but feels—bittersweet. brings a slight mistiness to her eyes for a reason she doesn't really understand. ]

Maybe... it's more like links in a chain than getting to the end of a rope.

...I'm sorry if you had to doubt for a moment that... that I could... carry it on for you...

[ oh fuck now she's actually crying ]

[ Wordlessly, she leans over, and pulls Shrike into her arms. ]

I haven't doubted you in a long time.

[ ????????

?????????????????

help,

but instead of going stiff and still as she might have at other times, she relaxes into it, sniffling a little, and pushing her face into Amaranth's hair. ]

[ Amaranth holds the hug longer than usual. And when she pulls away from it, her own cheeks are damp. ]

You have been many things to me, in our shared time here.
But you have also become... a sort of legacy.

[ Then she rises to her feet to take down a long, slender wooden box from her shelves, which she places on the table between them. ]

This is for you, though... I don't know if you can really consider it to be from me—at least not entirely.

[ > open the box? ]

[ she opens the box.

hhhhhhhhey amaranth what the heck she just finished crying????

for a moment her hands hover in the air, because it still hasn't been that long since she lived through some deeply uncomfortable visions of killing her own mother with this sword, but—

she hesitates, but her hand closes gingerly over the hilt, and then more firmly, as she picks the blade up to examine it. ]

It's really...

[ softly ] As much as anything here can hope to be.

I truly believe she would want you to have it.

[ she manages to keep her voice steady, though there are still tears hovering at the corners of her eyes ]

You... really think so...

I was never really very... like what she wanted.

You knew her better than I ever could.

And... some part of you, at least, knows that that's not really true—that there is much in you that she would take pride in, if she could see you today.

I... I can't even begin to say how much I've valued your mentorship, and—friendship, and... I'm still terrible about accepting compliments, I guess.

But if you think so—I'm really glad.

...she really would have liked you, I think.

[ resisting the urge to just say, "I know"; instead, her smile quirks at one side ]

I hope that, had we met, I could have helped her see that your strength doesn't rely on you being fit into her exact mold.

[ amaranth pls, ]

I...

...thank you.

[ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

This time, the honor is mine.

[ Oh No gay feelings and mom feelings pileup, help, ]

I...

[ and on impulse, she leans over to give Amaranth a kiss on the cheek. ]

[ !! ]

[ and then she just.
laughs. ]

Bold.
[ there's a kind of ironic twist to the way she says it ]

[ well, she can't hold that resolve for long, and a flush spreads across her face. ]

Wh-what! It just felt... appropriate...

Maybe I'm just... trying to do more of what you would do.

[ pat pat ]

It's fine—really.
You managed to take me by surprise, which I'll count as a victory.

( Imeeji ) continuations

Re: Day 215: Shrike

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aaaaand it comes back around

how could this happen, (1/2)

(2/2)

how could this happen!!

Re: how could this happen!!

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