[Hayame did not often think of the brief and yet eternal moment she had spent amongst the stars in that timeless, half-formless place before she had been "reborn" in Horos. She tried not to. It had been a shameful experience for her, that those who had chanced upon her in her weakness had been able to simply see whatever memory bled from her mind along the paths of her tumultuous feelings... and more importantly, that she had taken so long to even begin to hesitantly trudge towards the light.
Someone had waited for her, then. This man had, patient and firm, earning her debt even if he hadn't wanted it, because she knew- She knew that he deserved the light even more than she did. If Liem were amongst the Pleroma... Hayame allows herself to imagine, just briefly, a happy ending to this night. Escorting the woman to the safehouse, taking him into custody, bringing him back to Godsblood, finding a mage or perhaps that Tehri woman to cleanse the sludge from him, and then-
She might have... someone. Someone who had seen violent, shameful memories from her past and not turned away or condemned her. Who, even as he did now, treated with her tolerantly... and, perhaps more importantly... someone who might see the good faith behind her actions, despite the form her reactions took. As selfish as it was to hope for that the most...]
You...
[She takes his offering, the inspiring, desperate, thought that she might have been a part of what made Yubari into such a good man, and tucks it away somewhere hidden and private beneath the glamor and the barely disguised clop of her hooves. He spoke with such surety, to her ears, like she could trust his words weren't just platitudes... and these ones... They were from experience, weren't they?]
... You have an older sister, too, do you not?
[She wasn't the only one whose memories had spilled out behind her into the stars. The young woman she had briefly seen in Liem's had not been nearly as pale, her ears had not been malformed, but there had been other features to her face that resembled him enough for her to make the guess.
To glance subtly down and to the side, to watch his expression mindfully as she says so. Was that how he knew... ?]
now that i've reread and hurt myself
Someone had waited for her, then. This man had, patient and firm, earning her debt even if he hadn't wanted it, because she knew- She knew that he deserved the light even more than she did. If Liem were amongst the Pleroma... Hayame allows herself to imagine, just briefly, a happy ending to this night. Escorting the woman to the safehouse, taking him into custody, bringing him back to Godsblood, finding a mage or perhaps that Tehri woman to cleanse the sludge from him, and then-
She might have... someone. Someone who had seen violent, shameful memories from her past and not turned away or condemned her. Who, even as he did now, treated with her tolerantly... and, perhaps more importantly... someone who might see the good faith behind her actions, despite the form her reactions took. As selfish as it was to hope for that the most...]
You...
[She takes his offering, the inspiring, desperate, thought that she might have been a part of what made Yubari into such a good man, and tucks it away somewhere hidden and private beneath the glamor and the barely disguised clop of her hooves. He spoke with such surety, to her ears, like she could trust his words weren't just platitudes... and these ones... They were from experience, weren't they?]
... You have an older sister, too, do you not?
[She wasn't the only one whose memories had spilled out behind her into the stars. The young woman she had briefly seen in Liem's had not been nearly as pale, her ears had not been malformed, but there had been other features to her face that resembled him enough for her to make the guess.
To glance subtly down and to the side, to watch his expression mindfully as she says so. Was that how he knew... ?]