[Modranicht. Starlight. Neither was a celebration, an event that meant anything at all to Emet-Selch.
But he knew it was celebrated by others, and this time that is something that he's willing to consider. And so, deposited at Irhya's desk at some point when the miqo'te is out, is a simple white box, tied with blue ribbon. Though undramatic, there's a certain understated elegance to it. Inside is an object, and a note.
The item, wrapped in silk cloth, should be one that he knows would be familiar to her now. A stone, carved, colored in the brilliant orange of the sun, and marked by its symbol. Her symbol, though she may have forsaken her seat and her title, and forgotten her past. Though simple, it had taken some effort to get it right; Emet-Selch was nothing if not particular when it came to things that mattered to him. Once again, he crafted it in secret (no one on the Convocation would ever understand), if through this foreign conjuration rather than his native magic. And in the end he was satisfied with it: Azem's constellation stone.
The note is as follows:]
Bereft of any magic or memory, apart from those you already carry with you. But you've no need for more than that, do you?
'What twisted roots dare clutch, what branches twist Free of our broken husk? Daughter of war, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images. An echo overcast, the sun in shade Yet warms the land she passes by. Stars gathered, remembered, A eulogy of silence. A promise quiet, where words had not reached, but an answer given. I had remained, neither Living nor dead, remembering all but knowing nothing, Ambitions shorn, and dreams lost. An ending overdue And the shadow's consolation. What final sight, but recognition granted, Looking into the heart of light, the silence.'
[It is unsigned, though the author and gift's origin are not exactly hard to guess. The handwriting is a bit... poor. His right hand was recently badly injured, so he had to use his left instead. He tried, and was too stubborn to get anyone else to write it for him.]
[To say she's shocked is an understatement. That he would give her Azem's crystal is not only an acknowledgement of her worthiness to have it, but further proof he accepts her as she is. An action to drive his words in from before. And really, she can't remember the last time she was so blown away by a gift.
Not that she's going to let him get away with it without a word. She marches over to his room and knocks, the crystal held out in one hand as if to show it to him despite the fact he's the one who made it. The look on her face is pure astonishment, eyes wide and full of wonder.]
I... I was going to say something, but then I realized I don't know what to say. You really want to give me this?
[That Irhya would want to deliver her gratitude in person- it doesn't surprise him. It's partially why he lingered around his room, and isn't at all startled when the knock comes.
And there she was- bright stone in hand, wearing an expression of wonder that he matches with one of faintly smug satisfaction (though he's also just pleased as well). The Emet-Selch of her world had arranged for Irhya to obtain it- just as he'd arranged for his own star's Warrior of Light to find it in their grasp, when the time was right. To restore even this powerless copy of it to her hand- well, he doubted any other version of himself would complain.]
'Tis not much of a gift, I'm aware... giving you something that already belongs to you.
But if I intended you not to have it, I think I would have chosen a better hiding spot than in your very room, in common sight.
Don't be ridiculous. I didn't have it with me, and I was afraid I wasn't going to get it back at all, even though it means little here. It feels... comfortable, somehow. And I'm going to be humbled for a while to come that you saw fit to replace it.
[Her grin as she closes her hand and brings it to her heart is brilliant, a truly happy one that seems so rare these days. With her free hand, she digs into her blazer pocket for something.]
I did something for you too. It seems so paltry in comparison, but, [dropping a small box of barely three ilms in his hand,] I thought perhaps you might like it.
[Under the thin paper, cushioned on a foam bed is a set of earring studs, asymmetrical by design. One is of the Twins constellation, the other the sign for the sun, set from her memory of the shapes on the Convocation's crystals.]
The thought was that you could wear one or both, depending on your mood. So that Azem and Emet-Selch are always together.
[And then she turns a bit pink at having said it like that, smoothing a hand over her ears. After all, with him having given her this, it sort of feels like...]
[It was still technically giving her something she already had, even if she didn't have it with her. But Emet-Selch knew it was a valuable thing, if only for sentimental purposes- and it was... nice, to see Irhya so happy about it. While he'd thought it would go over well, there was a certain amount of gratification in knowing she appreciated it so far- that she understood what it meant for him to give it to her.
But before he can wave off her gratitude, she hands over something to him, which gets Irhya a brief look of small surprise before opening the box, and finding a pair of lovely little earrings. Even before her explanation he recognizes what they are; how couldn't he, with designs so terribly familiar to him?]
It's hardly--
[Necessary? Paltry? Either would do. But it does get a flicker of a smile from him- brief, but it's there, and it's genuine.]
You remembered the pattern. [Azem's symbol was simple enough, but the constellation for his role was a bit more complicated, even if it wasn't the most detailed of them all. And to see them together in his hand, his expression takes on a sort of wistful cant, with an edge of melancholy. And when paired with her words....] 'Tis closer than they've been in- some time, I would say.
[Irhya's gaze warms at the acknowledgment, pleased her gift seems to have gone over well. Twelve thousand years between them doesn't seem so vast a rift anymore, even if she is a different person altogether. She reaches up and cups his cheek, her touch cool as ever.]
Then I think it is safe to say we're both satisfied with the result. I haven't had a Starlight gift this thoughtful in a while.
[She stands on tiptoe to kiss him, finding herself pulling him down one-handedly as the crystal is still in her other hand, held to her chest. She'd wished upon it with all her heart once before; while this isn't an emergency, she wonders if it's suitable to do so again, since he can feel the sentiment through the bond.]
Hells, I know I shouldn't... but I still love you. Even if you don't quite feel the same, I just thought you ought to know that.
[Her hand on his face, a coolness that he expected by now. Her lips upon his, as he's pulled down into a kiss. But he permits it, resting his forehead a little against Irhya's afterward, holding his earrings close in his left hand. And her words... they were once ones that would have gone over poorly, for all that they wouldn't have come as a surprise. If there was surprise at all, it was in hearing the admittance, in feeling the echo of it flicker across through their renewed Bond.
It felt nice to have it again.]
I know.
[Rather than resentment or grief, a refusal to accept her words for what they were- the concern and the care that he knew lay behind them- there's only a small sort of sadness. Nor does he pull away from her.]
Would that I could return it in the way you would prefer.
[This is... good, she thinks. Good enough. It doesn't come as a surprise, but she smiles through it anyway, keeping the lonely sentiment to herself. If he notices... well, there's plenty he could say about it, but she somehow doubts it'll happen.
It doesn't hurt, not really. Just aches a little whenever they part, but it always passes. The feeling of being close again still outweighs the disappointment, every time, especially after all they went through to arrive here in the first place.]
Won't stop me from it, though. Or from attending your wedding, whenever that happens. Everything will fall into line the way it's supposed to, I'm sure.
Has anything stopped you when you're determined? However unwise.
[The loneliness... it was a difficult feeling to miss, attuned to that aspect of emotion as he was. But he doesn't comment on it, only sighing very quietly. Closing those earrings safely up in his hand, he wraps both arms around her. Straightening up, he tugs Irhya gently against him. Kisses the top of her head.
He knows he once would have resented it. How dare she develop feelings for someone she murdered, what entitlement, he would have assumed. Not only unwilling to return it, he would have despised it of her.
Instead, he holds her, takes that loneliness as though it were his own. Nothing was ever uncomplicated between them, was it?]
--You are invited, of course, whenever the ceremony takes place. I would want to have you there. You are... my oldest and dearest friend, after all.
[Even with a gap of years too numerous to count, of memory only he could still recall. Even with a gap of months, after their previous Bond was annulled, and their relationship afterward remained fraught with pain. Even so.]
[She makes an indeterminate noise when he pulls her in, feeling his breath on the crown of her head. The gesture makes it a little easier to bear, somehow. Love keeps her close, and that's more than enough. Besides, what would she even do if he did someday turn around and reciprocate out of the blue? Perhaps for that reason, it's better to keep things the way they are.]
I can't tell you how much that means to me. Thank you. Ah-- I'd love to help you plan it when you get to that stage, too, if you want. I'll bet Mettaton wants a little bit of everything, right? Such a lively soul, even though his body is synthetic...
[Though one hand is broken, and the other occupied, he rubs the side of his functional one against her back. It wasn't easy, it wouldn't be easy- but if she wanted to remain close, he wouldn't push her away.]
Or a lot of everything, given any opportunity. Lively doesn't even begin to cover it. [An attempt at long-suffering, though the edge of fondness there is hard to disguise, as he sighs against her hair.] Any help would be appreciated. There will no doubt be a great deal to manage.
Heh... don't worry, I'll be there for it. I'm terrible at strategy, but wedding planning, I think I can do. I mean, I helped with my sister's! A little...
[She has to laugh against his shirt. Yes, that is one of his most charming qualities, isn't it?]
And... just throw me a scrap every once in a while, and I'll be all right.
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omnicrafter) wrote2019-08-02 03:20 am
Modranicht
But he knew it was celebrated by others, and this time that is something that he's willing to consider. And so, deposited at Irhya's desk at some point when the miqo'te is out, is a simple white box, tied with blue ribbon. Though undramatic, there's a certain understated elegance to it. Inside is an object, and a note.
The item, wrapped in silk cloth, should be one that he knows would be familiar to her now. A stone, carved, colored in the brilliant orange of the sun, and marked by its symbol. Her symbol, though she may have forsaken her seat and her title, and forgotten her past. Though simple, it had taken some effort to get it right; Emet-Selch was nothing if not particular when it came to things that mattered to him. Once again, he crafted it in secret (no one on the Convocation would ever understand), if through this foreign conjuration rather than his native magic. And in the end he was satisfied with it: Azem's constellation stone.
The note is as follows:]
Bereft of any magic or memory, apart from those you already carry with you. But you've no need for more than that, do you?
'What twisted roots dare clutch, what branches twist
Free of our broken husk? Daughter of war,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images. An echo overcast, the sun in shade
Yet warms the land she passes by.
Stars gathered, remembered,
A eulogy of silence. A promise quiet,
where words had not reached, but an answer given. I had remained, neither
Living nor dead, remembering all but knowing nothing,
Ambitions shorn, and dreams lost. An ending overdue
And the shadow's consolation. What final sight, but recognition granted,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.'
[It is unsigned, though the author and gift's origin are not exactly hard to guess. The handwriting is a bit... poor. His right hand was recently badly injured, so he had to use his left instead. He tried, and was too stubborn to get anyone else to write it for him.]
no subject
Not that she's going to let him get away with it without a word. She marches over to his room and knocks, the crystal held out in one hand as if to show it to him despite the fact he's the one who made it. The look on her face is pure astonishment, eyes wide and full of wonder.]
I... I was going to say something, but then I realized I don't know what to say. You really want to give me this?
no subject
And there she was- bright stone in hand, wearing an expression of wonder that he matches with one of faintly smug satisfaction (though he's also just pleased as well). The Emet-Selch of her world had arranged for Irhya to obtain it- just as he'd arranged for his own star's Warrior of Light to find it in their grasp, when the time was right. To restore even this powerless copy of it to her hand- well, he doubted any other version of himself would complain.]
'Tis not much of a gift, I'm aware... giving you something that already belongs to you.
But if I intended you not to have it, I think I would have chosen a better hiding spot than in your very room, in common sight.
[That is to say yes, he wants to give it to her.]
no subject
[Her grin as she closes her hand and brings it to her heart is brilliant, a truly happy one that seems so rare these days. With her free hand, she digs into her blazer pocket for something.]
I did something for you too. It seems so paltry in comparison, but, [dropping a small box of barely three ilms in his hand,] I thought perhaps you might like it.
[Under the thin paper, cushioned on a foam bed is a set of earring studs, asymmetrical by design. One is of the Twins constellation, the other the sign for the sun, set from her memory of the shapes on the Convocation's crystals.]
The thought was that you could wear one or both, depending on your mood. So that Azem and Emet-Selch are always together.
[And then she turns a bit pink at having said it like that, smoothing a hand over her ears. After all, with him having given her this, it sort of feels like...]
Ahaha. A little sappy, huh?
no subject
But before he can wave off her gratitude, she hands over something to him, which gets Irhya a brief look of small surprise before opening the box, and finding a pair of lovely little earrings. Even before her explanation he recognizes what they are; how couldn't he, with designs so terribly familiar to him?]
It's hardly--
[Necessary? Paltry? Either would do. But it does get a flicker of a smile from him- brief, but it's there, and it's genuine.]
You remembered the pattern. [Azem's symbol was simple enough, but the constellation for his role was a bit more complicated, even if it wasn't the most detailed of them all. And to see them together in his hand, his expression takes on a sort of wistful cant, with an edge of melancholy. And when paired with her words....] 'Tis closer than they've been in- some time, I would say.
no subject
Then I think it is safe to say we're both satisfied with the result. I haven't had a Starlight gift this thoughtful in a while.
[She stands on tiptoe to kiss him, finding herself pulling him down one-handedly as the crystal is still in her other hand, held to her chest. She'd wished upon it with all her heart once before; while this isn't an emergency, she wonders if it's suitable to do so again, since he can feel the sentiment through the bond.]
Hells, I know I shouldn't... but I still love you. Even if you don't quite feel the same, I just thought you ought to know that.
no subject
It felt nice to have it again.]
I know.
[Rather than resentment or grief, a refusal to accept her words for what they were- the concern and the care that he knew lay behind them- there's only a small sort of sadness. Nor does he pull away from her.]
Would that I could return it in the way you would prefer.
no subject
[This is... good, she thinks. Good enough. It doesn't come as a surprise, but she smiles through it anyway, keeping the lonely sentiment to herself. If he notices... well, there's plenty he could say about it, but she somehow doubts it'll happen.
It doesn't hurt, not really. Just aches a little whenever they part, but it always passes. The feeling of being close again still outweighs the disappointment, every time, especially after all they went through to arrive here in the first place.]
Won't stop me from it, though. Or from attending your wedding, whenever that happens. Everything will fall into line the way it's supposed to, I'm sure.
no subject
[The loneliness... it was a difficult feeling to miss, attuned to that aspect of emotion as he was. But he doesn't comment on it, only sighing very quietly. Closing those earrings safely up in his hand, he wraps both arms around her. Straightening up, he tugs Irhya gently against him. Kisses the top of her head.
He knows he once would have resented it. How dare she develop feelings for someone she murdered, what entitlement, he would have assumed. Not only unwilling to return it, he would have despised it of her.
Instead, he holds her, takes that loneliness as though it were his own. Nothing was ever uncomplicated between them, was it?]
--You are invited, of course, whenever the ceremony takes place. I would want to have you there. You are... my oldest and dearest friend, after all.
[Even with a gap of years too numerous to count, of memory only he could still recall. Even with a gap of months, after their previous Bond was annulled, and their relationship afterward remained fraught with pain. Even so.]
no subject
I can't tell you how much that means to me. Thank you. Ah-- I'd love to help you plan it when you get to that stage, too, if you want. I'll bet Mettaton wants a little bit of everything, right? Such a lively soul, even though his body is synthetic...
no subject
Or a lot of everything, given any opportunity. Lively doesn't even begin to cover it. [An attempt at long-suffering, though the edge of fondness there is hard to disguise, as he sighs against her hair.] Any help would be appreciated. There will no doubt be a great deal to manage.
no subject
[She has to laugh against his shirt. Yes, that is one of his most charming qualities, isn't it?]
And... just throw me a scrap every once in a while, and I'll be all right.